THRIVE Funding
Carlow County Council welcomed the announcement of €3.9 million in THRIVE funding to support the redevelopment of the Former Bank of Ireland Premises in Carlow Town. The funding is provided through the Government’s THRIVE scheme (Town Centre First Heritage Revival Scheme), co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund Southern, Eastern and Midland Regional Programme 2021–2027.
For more information on THRIVE and the Southern Regional Assembly, please click THRIVE | Southern Regional Assembly.
The scheme incorporates the core values of the New European Bauhaus – sustainability, aesthetics, and inclusion – and promotes a citizen-centred, community-led approach to planning, design, and project selection under the Town Centre First Framework. THRIVE is targeted at larger urban settlements – cities, regional growth centres, and key towns – and focuses on publicly owned heritage buildings. These are defined as structures with unique architectural, historical, archaeological, or artistic qualities, or those linked to the cultural and economic history of a place
Project Overview
The Former Bank of Ireland premises will be transformed into a vibrant hub for the community and the local authority, ensuring that it contributes to Carlow’s heritage-led regeneration and serves as a catalyst for future investment in the town centre. The careful planning, design, and execution of the works will ensure that the building remains an iconic feature of Carlow’s cultural landscape.
Funding for this Project will be to support the following activities:
- Refurbishment, renovation and adaptive reuse of Former Bank of Ireland, a derelict or vacant heritage building owned by Carlow County Council in Carlow to create a Councillor and local authority public meeting rooms and community meeting space that will have a positive and transformative impact on the urban centre and reduce vacancy and dereliction.
- The Former Bank of Ireland building was identified for regeneration in the Integrated Urban Strategy – ‘What Was, What Is, What If…’ Historic Towns Initiative: Heritage led Regeneration Plan for Carlow Town’.
- The regeneration of the former Bank of Ireland building will promote the values and working principles of the New European Bauhaus by ensuring the regeneration of former Bank of Ireland building will be beautiful, sustainable and inclusive and was conceived and developed with a reinforced citizen and stakeholder involvement.
- The regeneration of former Bank of Ireland building will promote the implementation of circular economy principles and high-quality heritage-led regeneration and conservation outcomes in the built environment
Activities to be Undertaken:
- Renovate and refurbish the original bank building, restoring architectural features, reinforcing structural integrity, upgrading building energy efficiency, and adapting interiors for modern office and community use.
- Renovate and refurbish the non-historic extension to the rear and demolish internal partitions, upgrade building energy efficiency, clear the site, and repurpose materials in line with circular economy principles.
- Build a new small extension (55 square meters) to the left-hand side of the non-historic extension to install a plant room for modern M&E Systems.
- The renovation and refurbishment of the non-historic additions will complement the external architectural style of the original Bank building and will incorporate a new green living wall.
- The project will include sustainable features such as green roofs, green living walls, rainwater harvesting, energy efficient windows, high performance insulation, low energy lighting, passive solar panels, heat pumps, soundproofing and noise reduction measures, low energy heating and cooling, locally reclaimed timber and recycled stone.
- Enhance the public realm with improved boundary treatments, landscaping with pollinator-friendly and native planting, a linear water garden, tree pits and swales, energy-efficient lighting, permeable paving, discreet security systems, and sustainable and age friendly car parking and pedestrian and cyclist access.
Detailed Project Description
The proposal for the renovation, refurbishment, and adaptive reuse of the Former Bank of Ireland premises at Court Place, Carlow with the intended outcome of providing additional office accommodation for Carlow County Council staff, meeting places for Elected members and community use while ensuring the building and its setting contribute positively to the cultural and architectural landscape of the town. The renovation of the building and deep retrofit of non-historic recent additions will be completed, while fully respecting the building’s heritage significance and conservation, sustainability and New European Bauhaus values and principles.
The project will be broken down into key action areas: the renovation, refurbishment and reinstatement of the original bank building, the demolition of substandard and out of date internal partitions in the recent extension to the side and rear of the Georgian/Victorian structures, the construction of some minor new elements ancillary to the existing structures, site clearance, significant deep retrofit measures to bring the side and rear extensions up to modern standards as exemplars of best practice as well as significant improvements to the public realm surrounding the building.
The original bank building will undergo a comprehensive renovation and refurbishment. The project will focus on restoring the building’s distinctive architectural features, including façades, windows, doors, joinery, and decorative elements, using heritage-appropriate methods while preserving original plasterwork and mouldings. Structural integrity will be reinforced to ensure safety and compatibility with modern office use, maintaining historical character. Energy efficiency upgrades, aligned with New European Bauhaus principles, will include deep retrofitting, insulation, energy efficient windows, heat pumps and solar panels, and passive design, improving the BER rating from F to A3 without compromising heritage value. The interior will be adapted for open-plan offices, meeting rooms, and community spaces with reversible partitions to respect the original layout. Mechanical and electrical systems will be modernized for efficiency and sustainability, supporting the building’s long-term functionality.
The project involves the careful demolition of some internal partitions within the non-historic single-storey side and rear extensions, which currently detract from the building’s architectural value. These areas will be retrofitted and upgraded to complement the original structure, enhance the overall aesthetic, and improve public access and communal use. Demolition will follow circular economy principles, prioritising material reuse and sustainable practices in line with the New European Bauhaus vision. After demolition, the site will be cleared and prepared for new works, with recycled materials repurposed where possible to minimise waste and environmental impact.
The existing single-storey side and rear extension will be deeply retrofitted to accommodate a new first-floor plant room and modern office facilities, while remaining sympathetic to the heritage building and its surroundings. The design, guided by New European Bauhaus principles, will use sustainable materials and ensure the extension complements the original structure without overpowering it. Works will include new foundations, structural elements, a new roof structure with a green roof, a living wall, external insulation, and nature-based solutions such as rainwater harvesting, SUDs, and biodiversity planting. The plant room will house essential M&E (Mechanical and Electrical) systems with noise-reduction measures, and the retrofit will incorporate energy-efficient windows, insulation, Mechanical Heat Recovery Ventilation (MHRV), and low-energy lighting.
The project will deliver major public realm improvements, enhance accessibility, appearance, and functionality while opening the site to the public. Boundary treatments will be upgraded to improve permeability, remove the need for separate vehicular access, and allow more soft landscaping with trees and shrubs. A comprehensive landscaping plan will introduce pollinator-friendly planting, rain gardens, permeable paving, and a living wall to boost biodiversity and manage stormwater sustainably. Energy-efficient public lighting will improve safety without causing light pollution, and discreet CCTV will enhance security. A new car park, designed with permeable surfaces and landscaping, will use the adjoining council entrance, enabling the former bank entrance to be repurposed for pedestrians and cyclists, supporting a modal shift in transport.
This proposal for the renovation, refurbishment, and adaptive reuse of the Former Bank of Ireland at Court Place, Carlow, represents a vital step in revitalising a landmark heritage building and supporting Carlow’s cultural quarter. The works will restore its historic character while delivering modern, sustainable office accommodation and accessible spaces for the community and elected members. By integrating heritage conservation with contemporary design and climate-friendly measures, the project aligns with New European Bauhaus principles and will generate long-term social, environmental, and economic benefits. Once complete, the building will become a vibrant hub for the local authority and community use, acting as a catalyst for heritage-led regeneration and future investment, ensuring its prominence in Carlow’s cultural landscape for generations to come.