Restoration of courthouse railings gets green light

THE RESTORATION of the historic railings at Carlow courthouse is finally set to go ahead, bringing to an end a campaign that local Fine Gael councillor Fergal Browne has been pursuing for decades.

Works are expected to start in the third quarter of 2027, with completion anticipated in the third quarter of 2028, according to minister of state Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran.

Cllr Browne and former Carlow County Council Chief Executive Kathleen Holohan have spent two decades drawing attention to the condition of the railings and lobbying for a budget to be assigned to the work.

Cllr Browne explained that up until 2002, the council maintained the courthouse building. The Courts Service then took it over and carried out a refurbishment. The railings were meant to be restored at the same time but works stalled because of an anonymous objection.

“This is good news and there are now clear timelines to get it done,” said cllr Browne.

One section of the railings has already been restored.

“They have one section already done which is great news. They’ve shown it can be done and it can look spectacular when it is done,” cllr Browne said.

Minutes of a meeting held on 5 December 2019 attended by cllr Browne, Ms Holohan, then Courts Service CEO Angela Denning, Simon Hall of the Courts Service, OPW architect John Cahill and Pat O’Neill of Carlow Historic and Archaeological Society record that the Office of Public Works (OPW) had retained a specialised conservation contractor to restore the first ten panels of the railings. At the time, work was expected to begin in April 2020 and finish by late summer or autumn and the Courts Service’s capital budget included an estimate of €500,000 to cover it.

At that meeting, Ms Denning advised that support for restoring the remaining five-sixths of the railings would have to be sought from government budgets other than the Courts Service’s capital budgets.

The latest update came in response to a parliamentary question submitted by Deputy Catherine Callaghan TD on 16 September to Deputy Moran, minister of state at the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation.

Minister Moran confirmed that the OPW will deliver the project following approval of a request for professional services from the Courts Service, which will fund the work in full. The project is currently at tender preparation stage and remains subject to the Part 9 planning process.

Responsibility for the ongoing maintenance and capital development of Carlow courthouse will remain with the Courts Service.

Deputy Callaghan said the railings are “a significant part of the character and heritage of Carlow courthouse. This has been a matter of concern for many people in Carlow for a number of years and I am pleased that, following continued engagement and advocacy, we now have a clear commitment to see the railings reinstated,” she said. She also thanked cllr Browne for his continued efforts in pursuing the issue.