Our Rural Future: Minister Calleary visits Carlow to open The Station House Hub in Hacketstown
- Published on: 5 March 2025
- Last updated on: 12 April 2025
- Minister officially opens The Station House, which has been redeveloped into a remote working and enterprise hub in Hacketstown, County Carlow
- investment of almost €250,000 has been provided through the Town and Village Renewal Scheme to redevelop the historic Station House as a vibrant amenity in this community
Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht Dara Calleary today (Wednesday 5 March) visited Hacketstown, County Carlow, to officially open the new Station House Hub, which was funded through the Town and Village Renewal Scheme.
Carlow County Council received funding of €246,600 under the 2021 Town and Village Renewal Scheme (TVRS) for the redevelopment of the vacant historical building, which was the former fire station ‘Station House’, into a new remote working hub and an enterprise space.
The partners on this project were Carlow Community Enterprise Centres CLG and Carlow County Council.
The investment from the TVRS in the town is consistent with the Our Rural Future and Town Centre First objectives of attracting more people to live, work, invest in and enjoy rural towns.
Speaking at the opening today in Hacketstown, Minister Calleary said:
“It’s great to be in Carlow this morning to officially open this new remote working and enterprise hub here in the heart of Hacketstown. The revitalisation of this historic building will have a positive economic and social impact and lasting benefits for the whole town and the surrounding areas.”
The Minister added:
"This new remote working and enterprise hub, which brings a once vacant and derelict building back and available for use by the wider community is an excellent example of what can be achieved when we all work together to enhance our towns and villages.
“My aim is to ensure that the Town and Village Renewal Scheme continues to have a hugely positive impact in supporting sustainable employment creation and town centre resilience and regeneration in Ireland’s rural towns and villages."
Notes
The Town and Village Renewal Scheme (TVRS) is part of a range of measures to support the revitalisation of rural Ireland. The programme is funded under Project Ireland 2040 as part of Our Rural Future, Ireland's Rural Development policy.
Since the introduction of the Scheme in 2016, over €177 million has been approved for almost 1,800 projects across the country.
Carlow County Council was approved for funding of €246,600 for the refurbishment and development of the vacant historical building which was the former fire station into ‘The Station House’ in Hacketstown, Co. Carlow under the 2021 Town and Village Renewal Scheme.
Works completed during the development included the renovation of the existing fire station, an extension to facilitate two additional offices, a covered entrance area and siteworks to ensure accessibility for all members of the community. This project has breathed new life into the building preserving an important piece of local heritage for the people of Hacketstown and surrounding areas.
The Town and Village Renewal Scheme is administered on behalf of the Department of Rural and Community Development by the local authorities.
For more information, go to: Town and Village Renewal Scheme.