€250,000 to refurbish Kilkee Courthouse

THE October meeting of Kilkee Town Council heard that a complete refurbishment of Kilkee Courthouse would cost €250,000. That figure was described as “outrageous” by Councillor Lily Marrinan Sullivan. Councillors had been discussing how to deal with a number of derelict properties in Kilkee when it was suggested that they should also maintain the derelict council-owned courthouse.

 

“The figure was to completely refurbish it and have it as functional building,” Councillor Paddy Collins explained.

“There are at least 10 businesses in Kilkee that would charge half that cost to refurbish it,” Councillor Marrinan Sullivan maintained.

“Subsequent to our last meeting, I met the senior executive officer in corporate services in Clare County Council with responsibility for council-owned property. I had a discussion with him on the courthouse and he has indicated that, yes, the fact that the council owns the building, they have responsibilities towards it,” Kilkee town clerk John Corry said.

“He was arranging to have someone go out and inspect the building with regard to the broken windows and the gutters. He indicated also that he was going to paint the building next spring because he felt that by painting it now, it wasn’t the most appropriate time of the year to go painting externally. He has given an undertaking that it will be painted, windows will be repaired and that proposals will be examined from the point of view of improving the external appearance of the building,” Mr Corry added.

The future of the courthouse, which stores Kilkee’s town records but is not in use, was also addressed at the September 2009 meeting of Kilkee Town Council.

This followed Councillor Lily Marrinan Sullivan’s request that the town council seek a 99-year lease agreement with Clare County Council at a cost of €5 per annum.

In a written reply to Councillor Marrinan Sullivan’s request, Michael McNamara, Clare County Council, said that while the council invited submissions, none were received.

“This council has no plans for the courthouse at present, nor has a source of funding been identified for remedial works, which would be essential before future use of the building,” he explained.

“In taking over the building, the town council will incur costs for ESB, caretakers’ pay, insurance cover and the upkeep of the building. Any proposal to lease the building will have to be considered by the elected members of this council,” he added at the time.

On hearing that a caretaker was employed at the time to look after the upkeep of the vacant building, Councillor Marrinan Sullivan expressed surprise.

“Nobody is in it. What could possibly happen? I’m sorry, I just don’t accept the caretaker bit,” she said.
The then town manager Nora Kaye said that a plan was needed, which would include information on sources of funding.

Councillor Marrinan Sullivan undertook to examine the feasibility of local organisations teaming up to take responsibility for the courthouse, while Councillor Elaine Haugh-Hayes said she would enquire about seeking architectural advice.

At the February 2009 Kilkee Town Council meeting, Kilkee town councillors expressed their vehement opposition to the possibility of Kilkee Courthouse being sold. Clare County Council made it clear at the time that they could not afford to refurbish the building, which no longer hosts either court sittings or town council meetings. However, the five councillors who attended that meeting were supportive of news that Kilkee Civic Trust had approached the local council with a view to launching a joint refurbishment effort on the historic courthouse.