The likelihood of Courts Services returning to the Courthouse on St Michael Street is all but eliminated as Tipperary County Council is to submit a Part 8 Planning Application to enable Moorehaven to take over the Courthouse Building and the Bridewell Complex to provide Day services for adults with disabilities. The Courthouse was built in 1839 and the Bridewell (3 buildings) in 1845. The Courthouse is a Protected Structure (RPS ID 17) and is listed on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (Reg. No 22108017). The Bridewell is also a Protected Structure (RPS ID 18) and listed on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (Reg. No 22108018). The Courthouse remained in use until 2010, when part of the ceiling collapsed. The building has been vacant since this time as the Court moved to sit in the Tipperary Excel Centre as an alternative.
District Administrator Anselm McGowan says the project will bring new life to the Courthouse and Bridewell which has been vacant for several years. The Court Services informed Mr McGowan earlier this year that it considers the Excel Centre in Tipperary town to be an unsuitable venue for court hearings although the Centre was used for almost a decade leading up to 2020 for Tipperary District Court hearings. The Court moved to sit at Nenagh Courthouse during the pandemic and has not yet been restored to a Tipperary town venue.
Funding for the refurbishment of the Courthouse and Bridewell buildings on St Michael’s street to accommodate the Moorehaven Service is to be sought from the Department of Rural and Community Development in 2024 subject to the project securing planning permission. The planning application will be open for public consultation over a 6-week period spanning late November and early December.
