Old Tipperary church to become restaurant as planning approved
A former Tipperary church will soon start serving food, under plans approved by the local authority, creating 20 full and part-time jobs.
Camida Ltd applied to the local authority for planning permission to change the use of the former Fintan Kennedy Hall Methodist church on Anglesea Street in Clonmel into a restaurant.
The plans will see the overall use of the building – which is a protected structure – changed, as well as the demolition of an existing single-storey office extension and the construction of a new single-storey extension to create a separate dining room, restaurant entrance and toilets, kitchen and staff areas.
Extensive conservation works would also be carried out, allowing for the upgrade, stabilisation and maintenance of the structure, planning files show.
The new restaurant will create 20 new jobs for the area, with 15 full-time staff and five part-time employees.
Planning for the redevelopment of the site was granted by Tipperary County Council, subject to 17 conditions.
Among the conditions imposed are that workers on the site are overseen by qualified conservation professionals, that any noise or dust coming from the site during construction and demolition be kept to a minimum, and that any damage done to the footpaths near the former church during construction be repaired by the contractors.
The council also stipulated that fat, oil and grease interceptors be installed on the foul discharge pipe from the food preparation and utensil washing area to prevent it going into public drains and causing blockages.
In their planning application, an agent for Camida said that the development will “represent a planning and conservation gain for Clonmel.”
“Camida purchased the former church with the intention of creating a beautiful dining space within the historic setting, creating an opportunity to deliver a premier hospitality offering deeply embedded in the architectural, social and cultural heritage of Clonmel,” they added.
The former church was first built between 1900 and 1905, serving as a Methodist church until 1954.
Under the plans, the new restaurant would offer an “exceptional” hospitality facility, with private dining for up to12 people, as well as offering space in the main restaurant.
“The adaptive reuse of Fintan Kennedy Hall as a modern boutique restaurant, if guided by the principles and strategies outlined above, offers a transformative opportunity for Clonmel,” the agent said.