Clare County Council has formally signed the contract to progress The Cloister in Ennis to detailed design under the Town Centre First Heritage Revival Scheme (THRIVE).
The Council has appointed a specialist design consultancy team led by AXO Architects, together with Molloy Quantity Surveyors and Interactive Project Managers, to provide specialist consultancy services for the next stage of the project.
The THRIVE project received funding of €6,997,047 for the sustainable adaptive reuse of The Cloister and is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the ERDF Southern, Eastern and Midland Regional Programme 2021-2027.
The contract signing follows the recent approval for the redevelopment of The Cloister under the Part VIII planning process in July. Under the approved plans, The Cloister will feature a dedicated tourism visitor experience centred on Ennis Friary, including exhibition and orientation spaces designed to enhance the visitor offering in the county town. The development will also provide multi-functional community and education spaces, exhibition facilities, retail space and office accommodation.
Chief Executive of Clare County Council, Gordon Daly said, “The signing of this contract is an important milestone in advancing the sustainable regeneration of The Cloister. This significant investment will bring a historic town-centre building back into active use, strengthen the visitor offering in Ennis and provide flexible spaces that will support community, education and enterprise activity.”
Director of Services for Tourism, Recreation, Libraries and Cultural Services, Siobhán McNulty said, “The Cloister is continuing to progress through the necessary statutory and development stages, with the appointment of the design team marking another important step towards delivery. The project will create an exciting visitor experience linked to Ennis Friary, complemented by valuable community, cultural and educational spaces for Ennis and County Clare.”
Work will now commence on the detailed design stage of the project, with the appointed design team working closely with Clare County Council to further develop the approved plans and prepare the project for future delivery phases.