Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 30 Nov 1993

Vol. 436 No. 4

Written Answers. - Main Guard in Clonmel.

Theresa Ahearn

Ceist:

74 Mrs. T. Ahearn asked the Minister for Finance the proposed plans for the Main Guard in Clonmel, County Tipperary; the amount of funding that will be made available; the timescale for the proposed development; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister of State at the Department of Finance (Mr. Dempsey)

At the request of Deputy Davern, I met a deputation from Clonmel Corporation comprisiong the Mayor of Clonmel, Councillor Michael O'Brien, Alderman Sean Lyons, Councillor Thomas Morris and the Town Clerk, Ms Bernadette Kinsella, in relation to the Main Guard, Clonmel on Friday 12 November 1993.

I thanked the deputation for the great gesture of Clonmel Corporation in transferring ownership of the Main Guard to the Office of Public Works and acknowledged that this was a magnificent local contribution to the restoration project. I informed the deputation that it is proposed to restore the original structure of the Main Guard. The restoration programme will be determined by a detailed structural and architectural survey and the findings of an archaeological excavation. The Office of Public Works has included the Main Guard as a priority project in its application for EC Structural Funds and is awaiting a formal response to the application. As restoration work and research is painstakingly slow it is estimated that the restoration process will be spread over four years.

I assured the deputation that the public would be kept fully informed about the restoration work through the establishment of a local liaison group comprised of local representatives, officials, and local heritage groups and that a model of the restored building would be put on public display.