Historic Towns Initiative: Community-led regeneration of a county town
In today’s podcast we travel to Tralee, and hear how the town has been revitalised by a communal coming together to protect its past.
Under the Historic Towns Initiative, a programme of investment to enhance Tralee’s historic buildings was set in train.
The Historic Towns Initiative which is run by the Heritage Council in partnership with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, promotes heritage-led regeneration in our historic towns.
A number of bodies - ranging from Kerry County Council to the Irish Georgian Society - contributed to the project, along with significant community involvement including children from a local secondary school who painted a series of murals based on the built heritage of the town.
In today’s podcast we travel to Tralee, and hear how the town has been revitalised by a communal coming together to protect its past.
The Historic Towns Initiative which is run by the Heritage Council in partnership with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, promotes heritage-led regeneration in our historic towns.
A number of bodies - ranging from Kerry County Council to the Irish Georgian Society - contributed to the project, along with significant community involvement including children from a local secondary school who painted a series of murals based on the built heritage of the town.
The project involved the conservation repair of historic wrought iron railings at Day Place with all ten building owners coming together to embrace the project.
Main contractor, Ned O’Shea & Sons, and Brendan St. John, a blacksmith carried out conservation repair of all railings at the front of a terrace of ten buildings, developed by Justice Robert Day, circa 1805.
In addition, funding provided under the HTI went towards the conservation of historic window joinery at 17 Denny Street (built circa 1825), which included conservation repair and refurbishment of surviving original sash windows.
The street was laid out by Sir Edward Denny, a Tralee landlord, following demolition of Tralee Castle, which had been located in the heart of the town centre since the 1240s.
In this episode we chat with Victoria McCarthy of Kerry County Council, blacksmith Brendan St.John and Eileen Nolan, the owner of 17 Denny Street.
Enjoy the show!