Contract signing for Dan Breen House (L-R Donal Kelly, Youth Work Ireland Tipperary, Frank Cussen, Tipperary County Council, Robin Lee, Robin Lee Architecture, Colin Cummins, Tipperary Education and Training Board, Anthony Coleman, Tipperary County Council, Michael Begley, Tipperary Town Revitalisation Task Force)
Progress has been made on the delivery of a Youth and Further Education and Training Centre in Tipperary Town. Robin Lee Architecture has been appointed as the lead architect for the redevelopment of Dan Breen House in the town centre to provide an Education and Training Centre.
Dan Breen House, spanning approximately 12,000 sq. ft, is believed to have been constructed circa 1900 and is a Protected Structure.
The building served as Civic Offices but has been vacant for several years and needs substantial refurbishment and modernisation.
The project is a collaboration between Tipperary County Council, Youth Work Ireland Tipperary, and Tipperary Education & Training Board, and is supported by the Tipperary Town Revitalisation Task Force as a priority action under the Tipperary Town Revitalisation Strategy & Action plan to 2035.
The project will aim to provide the infrastructure to support a range of youth programmes and training opportunities in Tipperary Town and will target supports towards people from economically and socially disadvantaged backgrounds in particular.
Research carried out by the Task Force revealed that Tipperary suffers from very high levels of disadvantage relative to other comparable towns, with low educational attainment being a significant barrier for people trying to access the labour market.
The new facility will allow for greatly enhanced service and training provision, and will be a cornerstone in the efforts to address a myriad of socioeconomic issues that prevail in Tipperary Town according to the Task Force manager Michael Begley.
