Historic Tipperary building could get new lease of life with proposed café
An historic Tipperary building could soon be new spot for coffee under plans that are before the local authority.
The Office of Public Works (OPW) has applied to Tipperary County Council to add a café in place of a visitor centre at Damer House in Roscrea.
The proposed coffee shop would be in the ground floor annex of the building, while there would also be internal alterations to the building’s layout.
Planning permission is also sought for the reopening of a previous window on the west side of the annex building, and the reopening of two internal doors in the main Damer House building.
The project sets out to make use of an “underutilised” part of Damer House, and will have a “negligible” impact on the fabric of the historic building, which is a protected structure.
"The annex building is underutilised, and it is proposed to change the use of the ground floor to a café,” files submitted as part of the planning application said.
"The proposed works will maintain the ‘special interest’ that Damer House currently enjoys and will safeguard the building from further wear and tear while greatly enhancing the visitor experience,” planning files state.
Damer House sits on the grounds of Roscrea Castle, and was built in 1728 by local merchant John Damer.
Despite this, the house only served as a home for a few years before wealthy families decided to move out of town centres, preferring to take up residence on large country estates.
Since then, the house has had a number of uses, including as a military barracks in the 1800s, before becoming an all-boys school, known as Mr French’s Academy. During the Irish Civil War in 1922 and 1923, the house was again used as a barracks, and was then used as a tuberculosis sanatorium.
It had a number of uses in the intervening period, before it eventually fell into dereliction between the 1950s and 1960s.
The house was saved from demolition when Tipperary County Council proposed replacing the historic building with a new amenity centre, which would have housed a swimming pool, a car park, a playground and civic amenities.
In 1974, the council agreed to a 99-year lease of the building to the Irish Georgian Society, who oversaw its restoration.
Tipperary County Council are expected to make a decision on the planning application by January 17.