Expansion plans at Laois museum

Plans have been lodged with Laois County Council for an extension to a museum in Durrow. 

PJ Aylward has applied for permission to construct a single storey extension to the existing country museum building at Rath, Durrow with an entrance hall, toilets, a cloakroom and all associated site works.

The planning documents outline that PJ Aylward and his family have lived and worked in Rath for several decades. 

“Having retired from the family haulage business in recent years, PJ has devoted his time to his collection of agricultural  and commercial machinery, tools, implements and general ephemera from bygone times,” the planning documents state. 

Under a previous planning application he erected a storage shed for these items. 

“The premises operates as a Country Museum. It is a private museum building only open for viewing by  appointment only, at the owner's discretion. Visitors are few and occasional. This application seeks to add some necessary facilities to the museum for the use of visitors namely an entrance hall (one currently enters directly to the museum space), accessible toilets and a space to hang coats,” the application explains. 

A decision is due to be made by the local authority by August 15, 2025.

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