Tholsel/Repairs 2015
Fethard Business & Tourism Group Ltd. "Our Journey"
South Tipperary Development Company appointed Mr. Conor Ryan an animator to support the group in developing this business plan and to help processing our funding applications. |
South Tipp.Co.Co. acted on a recommendation in Michael O’ Boyle’s report by hiring a contractor to demolish the 20th century toilet block at the rear of the building.
This work was processed by Mr. Anthony Fitzgerald at Community and Enterprise.
South Tipperary County Council has awarded €105,000 to Fethard Business and Tourism towards the restoration and conservation of the Town Hall to be used as matching funding for other grant aid.
2012 Final drawings for planning permission were approved by us on November 27th and an application for planning permission submitted on Dec. 19th
Kilkenny Archaeology undertook archaeological testing of the building.
A number of exciting discoveries were made, including three original 17th fireplaces on the first floor and evidence that the Tholsel was constructed on the site of an earlier building which possibly dates from the 14th century.
This work was funded by Fethard Community Council.
We begins a fundraising drive to raise finance toward the cost of restoration
We have made an application for support under the Rural Development Programme submitted to South Tipperary Development Company
We agreed a 25-year lease of the building with SouthTipperary Co.Co.
We are now live with our website and Facebook at www.fethardbusiness.com
Planning Permission for Town Hall/Tholsel is Granted.
Tuesday 14 May 2013 we Fethard Business and Tourism Group received the news that our proposal for the restoration of the Fethard Town Hall/Tholsel had been accepted by South Tipperary Co Council and the Department of the Environment!
Full planning permission for the restoration and reuse of the building has been accepted .
The vision of the Fethard Business and Tourism group is that the Tholsel will become a focal point for the visitor to Ireland’s premier walled town.
The restored building will act as the portal for the tourist and the local person to the medieval heart of the town.
It will contain a reception/information area, a cafe/restaurant, a terrace overlooking the walls, exhibition spaces.
We now need to attract funding of up to 600,000 euro from State and local sources and to appoint a design and construction team prior to commencement.
We already have a pledge of 105,000 euro from South Tipperary Co Council
We have made an application to LEADER for 450,000 euro.
Our Draw takes place on Friday 31 May and the Festival Dance on 22 June will also assist in developing our ‘fighting fund’ for the project.
The Heritage Council, and the Irish Walled Town Network describe Fethard as ‘one of the finest medieval walled towns in existence in Ireland,
if not Europe . . . a treasure trove of historical features, with several castles and churches,all located within a short walking distance of one another.
They also identify the medieval Town Hall/Tholsel as having potential as
‘the hub of future tourist activity in the town.’
The FBTG wish to acknowledge the terrific support of The Heritage Council who have invested so much in Fethard in recent years.
Tipp.Sr. Co. Council. Cllr John Fahey,Heritage Officer Laobhaise McKenna {Adopt a Monument project} and Anthony Fitzgerald (STCC), Isobel Cambie and Conor Ryan of STDC/LEADER, Shaffrey Associates Architects, Kilkenny Archaeology, Rev. Barbra Fryday, Fethard and Killusty Community Council and Fethard Tidy Towns and Jimmy O’Sullivan in all of this process to date.
The success of this project project is a great example of what can be achieved when community volunteers team up with local authority officials and focus their combined energies on an agreed goal.
June 2013
Ministerial Consent for the restoration project was granted by the Department of Arts, Heritage & Gaeltacht under the National Monuments Act.
Fethard Gathering Festival is held over the midsummer weekend, attracting a crowd of over 6,000 and added to the revenue already generated by the fundraising draw.
Public procurement process for the construction/restoration phase began with the publication of a contract notice on www.etenders.gov.ie
July 2013
Project gained approval from the Department of the Environment, Community & Local Government under the Heritage Review Process for Rural Development Programme.
A new design team was appointed to commence detailed design of the project.
Expressions of interest received were from contractors as part of stage 1 of the restricted public procurement process.
August 2013
Lease of the building was finalised with South Tipperary County Council
The project was approved by the Evaluation Committee of South Tipperary Development Company.
The Board of STDC ring-fenced €246,000 for the project under the Rural Development Programme, subject to the completion of the tendering process.
Sept. 2013
The detailed design for the project was completed and the tender drawings were issued to pre-qualified contractors.
The elements to the development of the building as a tourism hub are as follows:
Visitor Information and Services Centre.
Catering services will also be put in place.
Toilets will be provided at ground floor level, including a wheelchair accessible toilet.
The medieval doorway to Holy Trinity churchyard will be reopened.
A decked viewing area will be constructed at the rear of the building just below first floor level on the footprint of the demolished toilet block.
This decking area will provide an attractive vista of Holy Trinity Church and graveyard, the Town Walls and the rural hinterland beyond. The Church of Ireland authorities have given their consent to this.
Interpretive Centre & Exhibition room
Located on the first floor, this room will house exhibitions, audio-visual displays and artefacts that will tell the unique story of Fethard.
Topics of local interest:
History of Fethard: focusing on its development as a medieval walled town from the 13th to the 15th centuries,
Coolmore Stud:
The world-renowned thoroughbred breeding enterprise is considered a global leader and had been the source of some of horseracing’s most famous winners for over 40 years
Slievenamon: the fabled mountain of Tipperary is the source of much legend and folklore and is rich in archaeological and natural heritage. It is located just 7km from Fethard.
Stella Days:
This movie, which stars Martin Sheen and Stephen Rea, was filmed on location in Fethard in 2010. Some scenes were filmed in the Tholsel itself.
Ned Kelly:
The famed Australian outlaw has connections to the nearby village of Moyglass,
just 6km north of Fethard. Ned’s father John was born here and deported to Tasmania in 1841 for stealing two pigs.
Irish Country Markets:
Fethard native Olivia Hughes established the first country market
in Fethard in 1947 and it has been a continuous presence in the Tholsel since then.
Community room
One room on the first floor is traditionally known as the Corporation room as this was the location for Fethard Corporation meetings up to the 1930s. This room will be retained for community uses such as meetings of the Fethard Business & Tourism Group.
It will also serve as the administrative base for staff working in the Tholsel.
Fethard Historical Society.
The society has a large collection of books, documents and other materials related to the history of Fethard.
This may be available to the public with some of the material on display.
A gable window at the rear will provide natural light and views towards Slievenamon.
Our strenghts
• Unique historic building with town centre location.
• Strong and committed group with range of expertise and experience.
• Support and goodwill from local authorities, state agencies, govt. departments.
• Strong heritage tourism product in the town and hinterland.
• Central location with respect to regional cities and towns and close to M8 motorway.
• Access to Fethard via medieval road system prepares the visitor to experience Medieval Fethard.
• Short drive to other places of similar interest e.g. Rock of Cashel, Cahir Castle
• High quality Fethard Medieval Festival and other local events organized annually.
Our Key Targets
• Number of visitors to the centre and their profile.
Based on visitor numbers to other attractions in Tipperary and similar attractions elsewhere in Ireland, a peak target of 25,000 paying visitors per annum is been set.
• Customer numbers in the visitor services centre.
The visitor services centre on the ground floor will be the port of first call for visitors to Fethard and will aim to meet their needs.
• Number of events and attendance.
A calendar of events will be developed annually for the exhibition centre.
These events will be particularly important in developing activity in the Tholsel
during evening times and the off-peak tourism season.
• Spin-off benefits for other businesses
Fethard Business & Tourism Group anticipates that the Tholsel will attract significant
new tourist visitors to Fethard and that the town as a whole will benefit.
Marketing plan
Effective marketing of the Tholsel will be central to ensuring the success of the venture.
Fethard currently is lacking marketing and promotion of the town and there is a low awareness
of what Fethard has to offer.
Some of the key actions already identified are:
Digital media
FBTG will seek to develop a comprehensive digital media package to market the Tholsel.
Fethard has been an active member of the Irish Walled Towns Network (IWTN). The IWTN has suggested the development of linkages between clusters of walled towns to increase their profile and attract more visitors.
FBTG will seek to link with tourism interests in the nearby towns of Cashel and Clonmel, which are also members of the IWTN.
Management structure.
FBTG Ltd. will assume primary responsibility for the management and maintenance of the Tholsel once the restoration work is complete.
FBTG has a 20-year lease on the building from South Tipperary County Council, will implement this business plan and will strive to meet the objectives of the project.
A key objective is to make the Tholsel financially self-sustaining and several potential
income streams have been identified.
1 Centre Manager : this role will entail management of all aspects of the centre, dealing with bookings,financial management, marketing and promotion, organising events, securing funding,administration and other tasks that may be necessary for the smooth operation of the Tholsel
2 catering staff : these staff will be responsible for preparing and serving tea, coffee and food for visitors.
All Staff will be employed on a contract basis by FBTG Ltd. We will explore options for taking on the required staff.
Revenue streams
Appropriate Admission charge.
Entry to the visitor information services centre on the ground floor will be free of charge. However, we propose charging a fee for entry to the exhibition room/interpretive centre on the first floor.
Services Centre
revenue will be generated through the café. element, sales of craft produce and sale of souvenirs and tourism-related information.
Events
The first-floor exhibition room will also serve as a venue for regular evening events organised by the Tholsel management with an option for outside groups to hire this space.
Genealogical service
The frequent enquiries to the Fethard.com website from people living abroad looking for details of ancestors in the Fethard area would also suggest some potential for the development of a local genealogical research service to be based in the Tholsel.
October 2013
Our project continues to make significant progress. The public procurement process for the project has now concluded.
A tender report was produced by the design team and presented to Fethard Business & Tourism Ltd. on October 4th.
The group are now in a position to appoint a contractor subject to final approval of funding. The Board of South Tipperary Development Company formally approved the project on October 17th.
The project file has now been sent to the Rural Development Division, Department of Environment, Community & Local Government for review.
This is necessary because more than €150,000 funding is being sought.
This represents the final hurdle to be cleared in order to secure funding under the Rural Development Programme.
5 February, 2014.
RE: REP3696/PH/13
Dear Mr Ryan,
I have been asked by Mr. Phil Hogan ,T.D., Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to refer to your recent correspondence regarding Fethard Business & Tourism Ltd.
In line with the ‘bottom-up’ approach to rural development, Local Development Companies (LDCs) are the principal decision-makers in relation to the approval of project applications and the allocation of funding under the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013. Such decisions are made in the context of the local development strategy of the individual groups and in line with this Programme’s Operating Rules and EU regulations. The LDCs initially select and approve projects prior to referral to the Department for preliminary eligibility review once they have been approved by the LDC’s Board.
Projects with a funding application of €150,000 or more are required to seek approval from this Department; again, this is after Board approval stage. The assessment of these higher value projects usually involves detailed consultations between the Department and the relevant LDC.
The Fethard Business & Tourism Ltd project is one such project. It was approved by South Tipperary Local Development Company Ltd following their August 2013 Board meeting, and while a list of projects approved at that meeting, including this project, was submitted to this Department on 23rd August 2013, its eligibility was not reviewed at that time, as the Department was awaiting the submission of the entire project file for a full assessment in line with the Programme’s Operating Rules. The project file on Fethard Business & Tourism Ltd was received in the Department on 23rd October 2013.
Discussions between the Department and South Tipperary Local Development Company Ltd are well advanced at this point. Upon completion of the review process, the Department will formally notify South Tipperary Local Development Company Ltd of its decision.
Yours sincerely,
________________
Eddie Kiernan,
Private Secretary
On Completion of a Community Enterprise Training Programme.
Absent from picture was Tadgh Gleeson who also completed the course with the team from Fethard.
September 2014
"FETHARD THOLSEL
Minister Alan Kelly, Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government announces significant funding for the Fethard Tholsel project.
Today, Minister Kelly announced an allocation of €245,000 under the Rural Development Programme managed locally by South Tipperary Development Company. This funding is additional to €105,000 from Tipperary County Council as part of the Community Grants scheme (2012). Local fundraising has resulted in matching funding being raised.
The Fethard Tholsel project is the primary initiative of the Fethard business and Tourism Group Limited which was established in May 2011 as a sub-committee of Fethard and Killusty Community Council. The main objective of the company is to promote business and tourism in Fethard and its environs; the promotion of local festivals and events; provision of tourism information and the restoration of the building known as the Tholsel as a historical and cultural focal point on main street. This will be a tourism hub for the many visitors to the town and region, leveraging on its rich medieval heritage and equine tradition of Fethard.
The Tholsel (Town Hall), is a 17th century building. Owned by Tipperary County Council, it has recently been leased to Fethard Business and Tourism Group Ltd on a twenty year lease to be restored and used as multi-functional centre for the development of tourism in Fethard and also as a location for the presentation and interpretation of the many facets of Fethard and its history.
The Tholsel is of prime importance from a historical, architectural, archaeological, social and community perspective. Dating back to the early 17th century, it has served as an almshouse, the location for Fethard Corporation, the fire station, library and in more recent times the lobby has been used for the weekly country markets.
The redevelopment will incorporate a tourism information and service centre, public toilets, viewing area (rear of the building looks on to the medieval backlands which includes the Holy Trinity Church and town walls), interpretative space, country / farmer market space community offices and craft retail area.
Works are due to begin in early October.
Progress Report February 2015
The Revised completion date of this project shall be May 1st 2015
All of the major components of this conservation work have commenced and many areas such as the following are already complete:
- Opening up work and detailed investigation.
- Excavation down to archaeological level.
- Structural alterations and masonry repairs.
- Structural timber repairs including new intermediate floor.
- External works to rear yard.
- Mechanical and electrical Services first fix.
The initial opening works revealed additional structural repairs - both masonry and timber - that needed to be addressed. These were completed over a number of weeks and this additional structural work impacted on the project’s Construction Programme and caused a number of delays. Additional delays were also created by the need to replace a substantial portion of the existing ground floor slab which has now been completed. The need for a replacement floor slab impacted on the contractor’s ability to progress with other areas of the project - specifically Mechanical and Electrical Services installations.
These additional areas of work have now been completed and a revised Construction Programme has been generated. The project is currently scheduled to reach Substantial Completion by 30th April 2015 and every effort is being made to address the cumulative delay that has arisen to date. The project is being managed by concentrating on aspects of the works that are on the project’s Critical Path and the Contractor and Design Team are working to ensure that these key aspects are managed as effectively as possible
The project is currently at a crucial stage, with work proceeding on a number of key areas simultaneously, including the following:
- Exterior rendering - removal and archaeological monitoring.
- Mechanical and Electrical Services.
- Replacement timber sash windows.
- New bronze framed windows.
- Dressed stone window surrounds.
- External viewing deck steelwork.
- Internal studwork and plastering.
- Localised roof repairs.
Every effort is being made by all concerned with this important conservation project - Contractor, Design Team and Client organisation - to ensure that the funding parameters of the project are met, in so far as is reasonably practicable. It is important to note at this stage that the project will not be fully completed by the original Contract Date of 18th March 2015 and I wish to bring this situation to your attention. The exterior works are underway but may be impacted by weather conditions in the coming weeks, as the time of year is not ideal for lime rendering. This situation is being closely monitored and alternative arrangements and sequencing are being implemented where possible, to minimise the impact of any possible further delay.
Grade 1 Arch. Michael O' Boyle attending a site visit with Anthony Fitzgerald.
Certificate of Substantial Completion
Fethard Business and Tourism has reached another milestone.
We wish to express our sincere thanks to Kenneth Henessy for his work on behalf of Fethard Business and Tourism Group in managing the Fethard Town Hall renovation project with great competence, bringing it in on time and on budget and delivering a job of real quality.
Our thanks to Pat, James and the entire team who worked with Ken to transform our old Town Hall into the fabulous Tholsel building that has now been delivered.
We are very thankful to Isobel and her staff at South Tipperary Development Company who have made significant funding available to this project.
Our thanks also to Anthony and staff at Tipperary County Council who has been with us every bit of the way both at our meetings on site and with support funding.
This we believe is another huge step in the process of regenerating the economy of Fethard Town Center.
(Recording is an excerpt from 'Tipperary Matters' broadcast on Irish TV, May 11, 2015)
of 'Fethard Business and Tourism Group'
who is currently National Director of Concern in Ethiopia.
Hi there to all in Fethard
I am writing this in the rural South of Ethiopia and hope the electricity lasts. I am so delighted to hear all the great news about the Tholsel and its near completion. It s an amazing achievement to have got this far and I hear from many people that it looks great. I cannot wait to see it when I get home. The best of luck with the next phase.
A special place brought to life by special people
Catherine
Fethard Family Fun Day, to take place on Sunday 14th of June 2015 with an action packed line up of events for all the family. All the usual "FREE" entertainment for the children.
Open Day at Fethard Tholsel
All are welcome on Sunday 14th of June 2015 to view Fethard Tholsel
on completion of the first phase of the building restoration.
A video presentation of our museum concept prepared for us by Event Communications will also be available for public viewing.
meets with members of Fethard Business & Tourism Group. On a fact finding visit to Fethard.
