Council consider feasibility study on future use of Wicklow courthouse
The Wicklow PeopleWicklow County Council are considering a feasibility study to consider the future use of the former courthouse in Wicklow town.
The move comes after refurbishment works at the site were not included in the revised National Development Plan (NDP), leaving the future of the public building unclear.
Under the original 2021–2030 NDP, Wicklow had been identified as a priority location for new or refurbished court facilities, including the refurbishment of Wicklow District Courthouse and the delivery of a new courthouse in Bray.
However, after the subsequent review of the plan in late 2025, Wicklow has now been removed from the Justice Sectoral Investment Plan, which is part of the revised NDP.
The move comes despite the Courts Service formally including Wicklow Courthouse in its submission to Government during last year’s NDP review.
In 2024, the Office of Public Works (OPW) commissioned a high-level feasibility study into the potential reuse of the courthouse.
That report placed the cost of full restoration at between €13 million and €17 million.
At the same time, the Courts Service was warned that unless a full restoration of the site takes place soon, the spread of dry rot cannot be halted, threatening the survival of the structure.
The former courthouse has stood vacant since 2010 and is now being left in an ongoing state of dereliction, placing its future redevelopment at greater risk.
Following a query from Cllr Paul O’ Brien at the local authority’s January monthly meeting, chief executive Emer O’ Gorman said it important to explore what options are still available.
“I’ve had several discussions with the Tánaiste’s office about the mechanics, the feasibility, and with some of the Members in this chamber, of that building essentially becoming part of this Local Authority’s property portfolio at some stage, but I am not willing to take it on without funding first because there’s an awful lot to go with it.
“There are a few suggestions on it. The first suggestion was that a feasibility scoping report would be done to see what the best use of that building is. If it is not going to be a courthouse, if it is not going to be of use to the OPW what is the best use for that building. So that is where we start.”
In response Cllr O’Brien said it was important that the situation is reviewed carefully.
“We were given the news that the courthouse in Wicklow has been put off again. We have a building up there from An Post lying idle. And it’s like that part of the town has now been forgotten. We had a very successful Christmas market in the old gaol, and it went off without a hitch. Everyone was raving about it.”
“I know we made approaches before about taking on the An Post building as a community run facility. But again, it seems that that end of the town is being forgotten about at a national level.” he added.
Although funding has not been included in this review of the NDP, Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan confirmed to Wicklow TD John Brady that funding has been allocated for the planning work needed to inform the business cases for projects involving the renovation and development of the courthouse.