| Athy Courthouse | |
|---|---|
 Athy Courthouse | |
| Location | Emily Square, Athy |
| Coordinates | 52°59′29″N6°59′02″W / 52.9914°N 6.9838°W |
| Built | 1857 |
| Architect | Frederick Darley |
| Architectural style(s) | Tudor Revival style |
  Athy Courthouse Location of Athy Courthouse in County Kildare | |
Athy Courthouse is a judicial building in Emily Square, Athy, County Kildare, Ireland. The structure, which was previously used as a corn exchange, is listed on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. [1]
The building was commissioned in the mid-19th century as a corn exchange by Augustus FitzGerald, 3rd Duke of Leinster, whose seat was at Carton House. [2] It was designed by Frederick Darley in the Tudor Revival style, built in rubble masonry and was officially opened on 6 October 1857. [3]
The design involved a central courthouse block with a single storey loggia of four bays on either side. There was originally a small porch at the north end, although this was later converted into a toilet, and an office block of four bays at the south end. [4] Above the loggia, there were three sash windows with architraves surmounted by moulded gables with finials. Internally, the principal room was the main hall which was 70 feet (21 m) long and 30 feet (9.1 m) wide. Large quantities of corn were purchased there for the local mills and for the Dublin market. [5]
The main hall was found to be badly ventilated and poorly lit, and by the 1860s, it was in limited use. [2] Its use as a corn exchange declined further in the wake of the Great Depression of British Agriculture in the late 19th century. [6] It was therefore converted for use as the local courthouse at around that time. [2]
The assizes were held in Athy in the early 20th century, but during the Irish War of Independence, the building was completed destroyed by fire in an attack by Irish Republican Army volunteers on 20 July 1920. [7] [8] It was rebuilt to a design by Foley and O'Sullivan in around 1928. It then hosted regular meetings of the district court and quarterly meetings of the, more senior, circuit court. [2] It also hosted for the County Kildare Gaelic Athletic Association convention in February 1932. [9]
However, by the mid-1990s the fabric of the building was in a poor condition. [10] A major programme of refurbishment works was carried out by local contractors, D. and J. Carbery, at a cost of circa £362,000 [11] to a design my Michael Lysaght in the late 20th century: it was officially re-opened by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, John O'Donoghue, on 21 June 2001. [2]
County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county, which had a population of 246,977 at the 2022 census.
Leinster House is the seat of the Oireachtas, the parliament of Ireland. Originally, it was the ducal palace of the Dukes of Leinster. Since 1922, it has been a complex of buildings of which the former ducal palace is the core, which house Oireachtas Éireann, its members and staff. The most recognisable part of the complex, and the "public face" of Leinster House continues to be the former ducal palace at the core of the complex.
Athy is a market town at the meeting of the River Barrow and the Grand Canal in south-west County Kildare, Ireland, 72 kilometres southwest of Dublin. A population of 11,035 made it the sixth largest town in Kildare and the 45th largest in the Republic of Ireland, a growth of 82% since the 2002 census.
The Corn Exchange, Manchester is a shopping centre in Exchange Square, Manchester, England. The building was originally used as a corn exchange and was previously named the Corn & Produce Exchange, and subsequently The Triangle. Following an IRA bomb attack on central Manchester in 1996, it was renovated and was a modern shopping centre until 2014. The building was sold to investors and has been re-developed into a number of food outlets. It is a grade II listed building.
The Leeds Corn Exchange is a shopping mall in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The structure, which was commissioned as a corn exchange, is a grade I listed building.
The Kildare County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), or Kildare GAA, is one of 12 county boards governed by the Leinster provincial council of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for the administration of Gaelic games in County Kildare
Baltinglass, historically known as Baltinglas, is a town in south-west County Wicklow, Ireland. It is located on the River Slaney near the border with County Carlow and County Kildare, on the N81 road.
A corn exchange is a building where merchants trade grains. The word "corn" in British English denotes all cereal grains, such as wheat and barley; in the United States these buildings were called grain exchange. Such trade was common in towns and cities across England until the 19th century, but as the trade became centralised in the 20th century many such buildings were used for other purposes. Several have since become historical landmarks.
Rathangan is a town in the west of County Kildare, Ireland. As of 2022, the population was 3,263. It is located 65 km (40 mi) from the centre of Dublin, and 14 km (8.7 mi) from Kildare, at the intersection of the R401, R414, and R419 regional roads. The Slate River and the Grand Canal run through the town.
Ballitore is a village in County Kildare, Ireland, sometimes spelt as Ballytore. It is noted for its historical Quaker associations. It was the first planned Quaker village in either England or Ireland - and remains the only one in Europe.
Leicester Corn Exchange is a commercial building in the Market Place in Leicester, Leicestershire, England. The structure, which currently operates as a public house, is a grade II* listed building.
The Edinburgh Corn Exchange is an events and concert venue located in New Market Road in Edinburgh, Scotland. The structure, which was commissioned as a corn exchange, is a Category B listed building.
The Corn Exchange is a commercial building in Cornhill, Bridgwater, Somerset, England. The structure, which is now used as a chain restaurant, is a Grade I listed building.
White's Castle is a 16th-century tower house in Athy, County Kildare, Ireland. Built on the site of an earlier 15th-century castle, White's Castle was built to guard the main river crossing in Athy and was extended over successive centuries.
The Corn Exchange is a commercial building in the Corn Market, Romsey, Hampshire, England. The structure, which is has been used extensively as a bank branch, is a Grade II* listed building.
The Corn Exchange is a commercial building in Angel Street, Worcester, Worcestershire, England. The structure, which is currently vacant, is a Grade II listed building.
The Corn Exchange is a commercial building in the High Street in Much Wenlock, Shropshire, England. The structure, which is currently used as a library, is a Grade II listed building.
The Corn Exchange is a commercial building in the Market Place, Dereham, Norfolk, England. The structure, which is used as a cinema, is a Grade II listed building.
Naas Town Hall is a municipal building in Main Street North, Naas, County Kildare, Ireland. The building accommodated the offices of Naas Town Council until 2014 but has subsequently been converted into a public library and cultural centre.
Athy Town Hall is a municipal building in Emily Street, Athy, County Kildare, Ireland. The building accommodated the offices of Athy Urban District Council until 1985, but is now used as a heritage centre.