Council seeks funding for more renovation works on Carrick-on-Suir Town Clock

Tipperary County Council has applied for funding to carry out conservation works on the interior of the tower of Carrick-on-Suir's historic town clock.

Carrick-on-Suir Municipal District councillors were informed at their monthly meeting that an application was submitted to the Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage for Built Heritage Investment Scheme funding for the project ahead of the October 27 deadline.

The submission of the application comes hot on the heels of the latest repair and renovation works carried out on the clock that was built in 1784.

District Administrator Marie Cox showed photographs to councillors of contractors from OBK Construction carrying out repair and refurbishment works on the top tiers of the clock while standing on the platform of a boom machine. The 85ft high boom was used after the company had difficulty erecting scaffolding around the clock.

She said the contractors repaired and renovated the clock's timber louvres, cleaned the copper cupola and painted the upper area of the clock tower.

Ms Cox said further painting of the clock tower will take place in the coming months, including the door and lower area in Kiersey Place.

Carrick MD Cathaoirleach Cllr Kieran Bourke thanked the council for the repair and renovation works on the clock and declared it “looked fantastic”.

“The cleaning of the copper at the top of the clock is excellent. It's money well spent because the clock is a huge part of the heritage of the town.”

The Fianna Fáil councillor noted the renowned Carrick-on-Suir writer and poet Michael Coady wrote poems about the clock and it was situated at the historic West Gate where part of the town's medieval wall had been located.

Fellow Carrick-on-Suir Cllr David Dunne also paid tribute to the huge effort the council put into renovating the clock. He suggested the clock tower's interior was an ideal location for a museum honouring local cycling legend Sean Kelly.

Previous restoration works carried out on the clock, with the help of Built Heritage Investment Scheme grants, include the repair of the clock's time mechanism and chime, the cleaning of bird droppings from the lantern, the removal of vegetation from the parapet masonry, re-bedding of cap stones, pointing of damaged or missing mortar joints and repair of leadwork.

The clock is a recorded monument in the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, classified as being of special archaeological, architectural, historical and social interest.