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22 Oct 2025
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22 Oct 2025
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Tynan's Bar
Picture postcard pretty and full of character, the facade of Tynan’s Bridge House Bar is an iconic sight in Kilkenny City.
On the face of a 200 year-old building, the shop front is more than 100 years-old, but in recent years locals worried that it was falling into disrepair.
Thanks to a conservation grant under the Historic Structures Fund, however, the facade is on its way to be renewed.
Sometimes, buildings are more than just shop fronts, says Heritage Conservation Officer with Kilkenny County Council, Francis Coady.
“Tynan’s is iconic. It would have been an absolute travesty to allow something like that fall into disrepair.”
The building is the first in Kilkenny to avail of the pilot shop fronts scheme under the Historic Structures Fund. This scheme is running again, in 2022, with a grant available for one English language shop front and one Irish language shop front. Grants can be approximately €10,000 to €15,000, to a maximum of 80% of the cost of works, with 20% paid by the building owner. Applications should be made to Kilkenny County Council before January 26.
Along with the Built Heritage Investment Scheme, any protected building - dwelling, commercial or in community use, may qualify for a conservation grant. Last year Kilkenny County Council funded work on 20 projects across the county.
Tynan’s is part of a terrace of three buildings, built around 1815. The Tynan family ran the shop and lived overhead, until about 20 years ago.
The shop front is the most iconic part of the building, and that was installed around 1908. It’s constructed in a subtle, classical form. The stand-out feature of the corbels are acanthus leaf and delicate flower carvings at the top and a scroll underneath.
The striking bakelite shop front with it’s gold leaf lettering is being cast and will also be reinstated. Work on the name sign revealed a surprise - two earlier business signs underneath! On one the name ‘Darcy’ could be read, behind that was a sign with no discernable lettering but with architectural motifs.
Mr Coady said Kilkenny County Council is working with the building’s current owner and hope to complete the signage by Christmas or early in the new year. He said the schemes are great to encourage building owners undertake renovations, while retaining our heritage and using the buildings as much as we can. “For a small amount of money it makes a massive difference.”
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