No suitable occupiers found yet for renovated Tea Houses in Kilkenny

There have not yet been any 'suitable' expressions of interest in the recently renovated Tea Houses in Kilkenny city, local councillors have been informed.

The update was provided Kilkenny County Council Senior Engineer Tony Lauhoff at this month's meeting of Kilkenny County Council.

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The Senior Engineer stated that the local authority 'have advertised for expressions of interest but are not satisfied with the response'.

He added that further efforts will be made, particularly on a local level, to advertise the leasing opportunity to potential suitable occupiers.

The Tea Houses, early 19th Century buildings, stand at the southern entrance to the Abbey Quarter Riverside Park.

These buildings are important riverside landmarks, noted for their rarity and historical significance in the context of Kilkenny city.

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Once known as ‘pleasure houses’, they were built sometime between 1790 and 1810 for use by the gentry class.

The buildings are part of the Abbey Quarter site in the heart of Kilkenny city and are located at the entrance to the new riverside garden and skatepark amenity area, which was officially opened in the summer of 2021.

They have been named Isabel’s Tea Houses after Isabel de Clare who was the daughter of Aoife and Richard de Clare (commonly known as Strongbow).

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The decision to renovate them was made in a bid to add to the public realm experience of the Abbey Quarter site.

They are planned to be used as a place where people can meet for a tea/coffee and relax at the banks of the river taking in the beauty of the surrounding landscape.