Kilkenny Courthouse — one of Kilkenny’s most historical buildings — is to be opened up for business in ten days time after three years during which a massive €20 million refurbishment and conservation project was under way.
The majestic 18th century courthouse will re-open on Monday week, October 4, when the first sitting will be the District Court.
Staff and court users have been attending court in the temporary Barrack Street courtroom for the past few years, while court services staff have also been working out of their temporary headquarters at Parnell House.
Preparations are now under way to facilitate the big move which is happening from next Thursday. The court services will be closed for business on Friday as the move is taking place.
Liam Nolan, district court clerk, told the Kilkenny Advertiser that the staff were very much looking forward to returning.
“It will be great for everyone to be back in town and in such a lovely modern building. It really is state-of-the-art and the standard of facilities are in line with world facilities,” he said.
The new courthouse will have five courtrooms — three more than had been in place in the old courthouse.
Each courtroom will be equipped with digital audio recording devices which replace the need for the old-fashioned stenographer and which are integral when dealing with criminal cases from a retention of evidence point of view.
“The court-rooms are top class. They are up there with any of the top court houses in the world. Everything is modern and of the highest standard. This really is a first for Kilkenny,” said Mr Nolan.
Along with courtrooms there are also five new holding cells for prisoners.
“In the old building there were no holding cells to speak of and now we have five state-of-the-art maximum security cells,” said Mr Nolan.
The courthouse entrance on Parliament Street will continue to be the main entrance when court is in session, however, the new entrance on Bateman Quay opposite the Market Yard will become the official administrative public entrance for those who have court business to attend to but do not have to attend court. This entrance will be open every day to the general public.
The entrance is stunning with a dramatic piece of sculpture hanging from the ceiling.
The €20M refurbishment was undertaken by Bluett & O'Donoghue architects who were engaged as conservation architects to the project in association with the Office of Public Works' design team.
They had responsibility for appropriate specifications for conservation works, periodic site inspections, and design input to the interpretation and presentation of historic fabric uncovered during the course of the project.
Several items of interest were discovered on the site of the courthouse during the archaeological excavation and these items have been conserved appropriately and have been stored.
The courthouse was once the site of the 15th century Grace’s Castle which was given to the city in 1568. It then became the county jail until the 1790s when it was turned into a courthouse.
The facilities and offices of the building had been in dire need of refurbishment, and the plan was put into action three years ago when the staff were all moved out of the building and the contents — much of which included historical and confidential files — had to be taken from the building and put into storage.
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