Update on future of Tipperary barracks as business case is prepared for land transfer

The Department of Defence is preparing a business case for the disposal of part of the former military barracks at Summerhill in Nenagh to a local school, the neighbouring St Joseph’s CBS.

The latest update was provided by Minister for Defence Helen McEntee in response to a parliamentary question submitted by Tipperary North TD Ryan O’Meara on November 3.

O’Meara asked the Minister what plans her Department had for the former barracks, which has been surplus to military requirements since 2008.

In her response, Minister McEntee said: “In line with the Department of Public Expenditure and Infrastructure requirements a business case is being prepared to dispose of a portion of the barracks to a local school to meet their needs.

“Work is ongoing in this regard and every effort is being made to progress it as quickly as possible.”

The response does provide an indication of progress towards a potential transfer of part of the site, following the Department's confirmation earlier this year that a local school had expressed an interest in acquiring some of the land for future expansion.

However, it does not provide a timeframe for the proposed disposal or offer any further detail on plans for the remainder of the historic barracks.

As we have previously reported, the Nenagh Military Barracks Restoration Committee has been campaigning for the preservation and redevelopment of the buildings as a cultural, tourism and community facility.

Local representatives have also been seeking clarity on the condition of the buildings, with calls for a structural survey to establish what can be retained and what options may be available for the wider site.

So, while this latest response doesn’t provide any concrete timeframe, it does seem to indicate that some progress is being made on the transfer of land, which hopefully in turn may lead to some progress on the military barracks site as a whole.