Stepping back in time: Inside Longford's Connolly Barracks ahead of it's €7m facelift

Members of the Town Centre First team were recently given the chance to see inside Connolly Barracks.

Touring a section of the building, as well as its grounds, the team heard of the plans for the impressive future redevelopment of the 18 acre site, which has not been in use since 2009. 

Deputy Chief Executive John Brannigan and Town Regeneration Officer Lorraine O’Connor in the former military lounge of Connolly Barracks

Leading the visit was Deputy Chief Executive John Brannigan and Town Regeneration Officer Lorraine O’Connor both of whom have been to the forefront of the regeneration project from day one and are credited for their immense work on the funding application submitted to the Town Centre First Heritage Revival Scheme (THRIVE).

The application resulted in Longford County Council being granted 100% of the funds for the gargantuan project. 

A member of the Town Centre First Team pulls back a sheet to discover a military schedule template still on the white board from back when the barracks was in use.

The allocation of the €7 million in funding back in September enabled the council to proceed with their  ambitious plans to fully transform the three-storey former army barracks, a protected structure, and its grounds into an incredibly impressive creative makerspace, county museum, meeting rooms, a podcast and recording studio, music rooms, and associated amenities for the town including a coffee shop.   

Speaking to the Longford Leader during the Town Centre First Team's visit to the barracks, Longford County Council's Town Regeneration Officer Lorraine O’Connor, explained the significance of taking the members inside the barracks.   

“We brought members of the Town Centre First Team up to view Connolly Barracks so we could talk about the development of the building and what we're going to do."

Some members of the Town Centre First team

Lorraine added, "Lots of members on the team within the council aren't familiar with (inside) the building itself so this was an opportunity to bring them up to see it; to have a look around to see what the building is currently like, and then to talk to them about the plans, so they have a better understanding of the site and what we're hoping to do with the project.”

“Members of the public, council staff, etc, wouldn't be getting access to the building on a regular basis as it's not used."

"We did have a public consultation here as part of the THRVE consultation in November/December, 2024 and we invited the members of the public in to have a look at where we were at in terms of design and to give information and feedback, but some of the council staff didn't get an opportunity to attend on the night so today was an opportunity just to bring them around and explain what we're hoping to do as we want them to be part of the whole conversation on it."

"They were delighted to see it and to see the history of the building as Connolly Barracks has been such an important part of the town for such a long time.”

THRIVE funding is a €90m nationwide fund aimed at revitalising heritage buildings throughout Irish town centres, with a view to them being utilised for community use.

To be successful, projects had to meet an enormous amount of very specific criteria. The process was certainly an investment in both time, patience, and energy, but it’s one that will now fortunately pay dividends for Longford. 

The project, which is set to go to tender within the coming week, is expected to be opening its doors again, this time to the public, in 2027. 

The former military bar and lounge

Connolly Barracks Reimagined is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the ERDF Southern, Eastern and Midland Regional Programme 2021–2027.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme

Read More: Exciting plans for Longford's Connolly Barracks 

Read More: Longford County Council shares ambitious plans for Connolly Barracks at EU meeting