Future of Wicklow Courthouse in doubt as cost of restoration revealed
The Wicklow PeopleThe Office of Public Works (OPW) has provided the Courts Service with costings for the full restoration of Wicklow Courthouse, ranging from between €13m and €17m.
The figures are contained in a recent Freedom of Information request where documents show officials advising the Courts Service that it will be impossible to prevent dry rot going forward unless there a complete restoration of the building takes place soon.
“The building needs serious investment going forward to ensure that it has a future.” the documents state.
In 2024 the OPW commissioned a high-level feasibility study in relation to the potential reuse of the existing courthouse building for future use. Two alternative options were reviewed.
Option 1 reviews the feasibility of an extensive refurbishment of the existing building, including the provision of a lift, incorporating universal access measures, introduction of modern services, fire safety measures and similar works to facilitate the reopening of the two existing courtrooms and to provide the associated back of house accommodation.
Option 2 involves the renovation of the courthouse building, the demolition of the former archives building and the more recent structures on Market Street and the provision of a new 3-storey extension in its place which would allow the complete Brief of Accommodation to be met and facilitate independent vehicular access from Market Street to secure parking within the site.
This feasibility report examines the site location, history and construction of the courthouse and adjacent buildings as background information to the proposed two options. The report also provided an overview of the potential advantages and disadvantages of each option.
To improve accessibility, both options adopted a similar strategy, which is to reach a new lift core to the rear of the courthouse by level access from Market Street through the wide north basement corridor.
It was found that option 1 would require limited demolition of the building and would have a reduced environmental impact for embodied carbon, while works under option 2 would be more sympathetic to the character of the protected structure than the former archives storage building and civil defence building.
Meanwhile the OPW has been carrying out some works to preserve the roof of the building, which included removing dry rot as agreed in the survey report, cleaning gutters and repair blocked down pipes, repair works to roof light into main court room, the replacement of wall plates and the re-lining of lead valleys and patch repairs to the slate roof.
Figures previously obtained by Wicklow Sinn Féin TD John Brady show those works cost up to €250,000 to complete.
At a meeting earlier this year with senior staff from the Courts Service, the Wicklow TD was told it is now a key priority for the Courts Service to see the courthouse reopened.
There are also plans to expand it from two courtrooms to four, which would help alleviate the pressures that currently exist on Bray District Court. In 2025, additional minor repair works were also carried out to the premises including repairs to external doors and windows and the maintenance of the external courtyard.
The Courts Service has included Wicklow Courthouse in its submission to the review of the National Development Plan, alongside Naas, Portlaoise and Tralee courthouses.
Wicklow Courthouse has been closed, due to health and safety reasons, since September 2010. The OPW has indicated that the necessary works can only take place as future funding becoming available.
Reacting to the development, Social Democrats TD for Wicklow Jennifer Whitmore says it’s time for the government to act.
“For years now, the Government has refused to decide on the future of the courthouse and has allowed it to go into rack and ruin, despite frequent pleas from the residents of Wicklow Town and public representatives to protect it."
Deputy Whitmore believes these new documents show clearly that it is imperative to reopen the building.
“It is possible to restore the Wicklow courthouse back to its original glory and ensure it can operate once again as a court building.”
“If Government does not invest in this historically important building, it will fall into ruin and beyond help.
As the OPW said "it requires serious investment to ensure it has a future".
Deputy Whitmore has urged the government to urgently commit to this investment.
“It is time to stop dithering on this issue and to act. Or loose this beautiful and important building once and for all.” she added.
The Courts Service has advised that, while open to making the courthouse available for community usage, it is not currently able to do so for health and safety reasons.
However, the service has already liaised with Wicklow County Council and made the adjoining former library building available to the Council, which continues to be used as a Ukrainian Hub.