Planning permission needed for enhancement work on historic Offaly courthouse

AN application for planning permission for Birr Courthouse will need to be done before enhancement works can proceed, the recent meeting of Birr 20:20 was told.

Fiona Breen, of the community organisation's Courthouse Pillar, told the meeting that a considerable sum of money will need to be raised to carry out the work and it will probably require quite an investment of people's energy to make it happen.

She said the aspiration is to create a Creative Court for artists in the historic building. €200,000 has already been spent on it, ensuring it's protected from water ingress.

“The next stage,” said Fiona, “is to apply for planning permission to turn the building into a Creative Court; however money will be needed to make the planning application.”

Cllr John Carroll said they should apply for LEADER funding.

The building operated as a courthouse, with prison cells, for two centuries until it was closed in December 2013 and court sittings were transferred to Tullamore.