Former Guard House at Kickham Barracks in Clonmel site will be developed as a Cafe
The future use of the Guard House building will be developed in conjunction with the Tipperary Museum.
Tipperary County Council is set to appoint a multi-disciplinary consultancy service to take on a refurbishment project to develop a Cafe in the former Kickham Barracks site in Clonmel.
The future use of the Guard House building located at the front of the plaza will be developed in conjunction with the Tipperary Museum.
A planning report states that by working with the Museum as a knowledge partner, the Guard House café becomes more than a hospitality venue.
“It becomes a socially rooted space of informal learning, cultural encounter, and intergenerational dialogue. In its final form, the café will function as an accessible, affordable, and welcoming social anchor for the entire Kickham Barracks redevelopment. Whether experienced as a daily coffee stop, a storytelling venue, or an incubator for community-led events, the Guard House will model how even small-scale heritage buildings can serve expansive civic purposes,” stated the planning report.
The architect chosen in the procurement process undertaken by Tipperary County Council will develop the design and execution of the conservation, refurbishment and adaptive reuse of the old Guard House on the site, with a proposed reuse as a cafe.
The successful consultant will be required to complete a number of project phases, including detailed design, a tender process, construction, and handover.
The time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate is June 22. The contract will have a duration of 18 months.
A planning report states that Kickham Barracks is one of the most historically significant urban sites in the region. It currently remains underutilised, with key buildings either underutilised, vacant or derelict.
Tipperary County Council has identified the old Guard House for conservation, refurbishment and adaptive re-use through the Historic Town Initiative
fund in 2027.
The building is a derelict former Guard House which has no roof or floor on part of the building. The condition of this building hinders the site’s potential to act as a cultural and economic driver, despite its situation in proximity to the new Civic Plaza.
The building in question is in the full ownership of Tipperary County Council.
The planning report states - “ The Kickham Barracks has been the subject of extensive regeneration works in recent years and this project will enhance and contribute to the further planned developments on the site, including a new Garda Headquarters and new Integrated College of the Future. The building is considered derelict under the Derelict Sites Act 1990 as they detract to a material degree from the amenity, character or appearance of the plaza area because of the neglected and unsightly condition of the structures in question.”
The following must be included in the delivery of the café project - Rotating micro-exhibitions in the café, co-curated with the Tipperary Museum and a variety of engaged community groups in their outreach and education programme, exploring topics such as food traditions, traditional craft skills, family life in the garrison, or untold local stories of resistance, migration, and creativity. It should also include historical audio installations or soundscapes within the café, using oral histories collected by the Museum and new interviews with veterans and local residents.