Construction on Laois museum could begin next year

The €11.5 million renovation project for the Fort Protector in Portlaoise could see construction commence as early as August of next year.

The landmark project aims to refurbish the Fort Protector for a museum, exhibition and indoor performance space.

With €7.5 million granted for the project through the Town and Cities Regeneration Fund last month, Laois County Council has now moved ahead and published a tender for an architect-led design team for the development.

The Council is looking for a design team for the refurbishment of the Fort Protector, which includes the Granary, Event Centre and Old Barracks.

The building will be converted into a museum and audio/visual space and will tell the story of the Fort Protector, the Seven Septs of Laois, the industrial heritage of the county with Odlums and its contribution to medicine with Laois-born Bartholomew Mosse, its place in the development of modern agriculture and the early pioneers of energy production.

The visitor centre will also showcase the county’s unique aviation history including a recognition of the achievements of Col. James Fitzmaurice, the Portlaoise man known as “The Father of Irish Aviation.”

As well as this, the Portlaoise Plane will be put on permanent display in the Granary. This was the first airplane built in Ireland and was constructed over a century ago by the Aldritt brothers and Johnny Conroy in Portlaoise.

With the centenary of the flight of the Bremen, which Col. Fitzmaurice co-captained, coming up in 2028, the Council said it is “imperative” that a temporary display model be constructed in the Granary for the Portlaoise Plane by March 2027 as the county will be playing a big part in centenary events.

Laois County Council has detailed the intended timeline for the works at the Fort Protector within the tender documents.

In February 2027, tender for the construction of the toilet block will be issued and tender for the Old Barracks will be issued in May. The contracts are hoped to be signed by April for the toilets and June for the Old Barracks.

Then by August, construction must be commenced on the site with the toilet blocks or Old Barracks.

Tender for the Granary building will not be issued until December 2027, with the aim of works commencing in May 2028.

The Council said the building will be required to “generate an energy dividend” in line with their Portlaoise Low Carbon Town Initiative.

Describing the refurbishment of the site, the Council detailed: “The conservation and refurbishment will most likely include careful examination of existing original fabric, both evident and what may have been covered by later insertions, including original joinery, paving etc, full mechanical and electrical retrofit, energy efficiency upgrades in keeping with the status of the building and in line with conservation best practice, accessibility improvements conservation, repair and if absolutely necessary replacement of windows and doors, general upgrading of finishes and the redecoration of the building inside and out.”

They also noted the condition and suitability of the roof of the building needs to be assessed and will form part of the appointed consultants work to inform the decision as to its retention or otherwise.

The Council said that the project will “boost Portlaoise and Laois as a tourist attraction and bring visitors to the town in the future.”

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme