Minister Kieran O’Donnell welcomes the completion of works and re-opening of the North Range of Royal Hospital Kilmainham

Kieran O’Donnell, TD, Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works (OPW) today, 3 July, welcomed the re-opening of the North Range of Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin 8, after the completion of essential mechanical, electrical and fabric upgrade works.

The Royal Hospital Kilmainham building as we know it today, completed in 1684, was built as a home for retired soldiers based on the design of Hôtel Les Invalides in Paris. Today, three Ranges of the building are under the auspices of the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) with the remaining range – the North Range - reserved for high-level State events, as well as other events by IMMA.

An extensive programme of works have been undertaken on the North Range including fire and life safety upgrade works such as compartmentation, upgrade of fire doors, alarms, a sprinkler system in the chapel to protect the ornate ceiling, mechanical & electrical upgrade works to include the replacement of ‘end of life’ mechanical (heating and ventilation) systems, and electrical systems. Additional works included background works to existing ducting and service risers throughout the North Range, as well as building fabric upgrade works to include the detailed conservation and restoration of items such as the baroque chapel ceiling, historic timber panelling and historic stained glass.

Minister for the OPW, Kieran O’Donnell TD, said today

“I am delighted to be here today to officially re-open this wonderful suite of rooms here in the North Range of the Royal Hospital Kilmainham. I would like to highlight the wonderful work carried out by my OPW colleagues and the team of Contractors and Consultants who have worked on the programme of repairs and upgrades, which will preserve and safeguard this building and its exquisite interiors going into the future.

Minister O’Donnell continued:

“The conservation and preservation of these wonderful buildings is crucial to retaining our nation’s heritage and history and plays an important role in cultivating pride in our past.”

The twenty-two portrait collection is currently undergoing conservation works and, once completed, will be rehung in their original place within the Great Hall.

Tours of the Great Hall and Chapel, provided by OPW visitor staff, will be part of the tour offering once again resuming after 15 July.

The works were carried out by an extensive OPW design team that included Conservation Architects, Intermediate Project Delivery Unit, OPW Fire & Safety Department, OPW M&E department, together with external consultants including 7L Architects, Cundall M&E Consultants, FLN Fire Consultants, GKCE Consulting Engineers, and Leonard & Williams QS Services and contractors to include Merrion Contracting, Quinn Downes Mechanical, Redmond Electrical, Jones Engineering.

Photography from the launch and images of the recent renovation works will be available after the event from pressoffice@opw.ie . If you would like to find out more about the extensive works or to interview some of the design team, please contact pressoffice@opw.ie

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Notes

The Royal Hospital Kilmainham, completed in 1684, stands on the site of a seventh-century early Christian settlement, replaced in Norman times with a monastery of the Knights Hospitallers. The driving force behind the venture was James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormond, following a visit to the Hôtel Les Invalides in Paris and, together with the architect William Robinson, they developed the classical layout of the building we see today.

The North Range of the Royal Hospital originally comprised of the Great Hall, Chapel, Master’s Quarters and the vaulted cellar with the 19th-century kitchen and the remaining wings provided accommodation for the pensioners.

Following the establishment of the Free State, the Commander-in-Chief of the British Armed Forces officially handed over the building in 1922, however it remained an old soldier’s home until 1927.

Major restoration work commenced in 1980 with three ranges retrofitted as gallery spaces under the auspices of the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) with the remaining range – the North Range –reserved for high-level State events as well as other events by IMMA.

The Great Hall and Chapel will be part of the guided tour offering.

For more information:

website: https://heritageireland.ie/places-to-visit/royal-hospital-kilmainham/

Email rhktours@opw.ie

or contact: 046 9422450