City building to be named after the 'Arthur Guinness of Kilkenny'
Known as ‘Building 7’ in planning documents, the proposed future Abbey Quarter landmark will officially be named ‘Edmond Smithwick House’
Elected members of Kilkenny County Council have approved a proposal to rename the proposed ‘Building 7’ in the Abbey Quarter development to ‘Edmond Smithwick House’.
The proposal was formally adopted at the most recent plenary meeting of the local authority following a recommendation from the council's Infrastructure Naming Committee.
Speaking during the debate, Cllr David FitzGerald, a member of the committee, said he was pleased to propose the name, and remarked that Edmond Smithwick was the ‘Arthur Guinness of Kilkenny’.
He told councillors that Edmond and the Smithwick family had made a significant contribution to the social, economic and cultural life of Kilkenny over many generations and that it was fitting that their legacy should be recognised.
The proposal received support from Cllr Seán Ó hÁrgáin, who welcomed the recognition being afforded to a family whose name has long been synonymous with Kilkenny.
Council members subsequently approved the proposal without opposition.
The council's naming policy states that names should reflect the history and context of an area and recognise significant people and events associated with the locality.
SUBJECT SITE
‘Edmond Smithwick House’ is planned to be located directly east of the new Brewhouse Building in the Abbey Quarter.
Its development will consist of the delivery of a new mixed-use building varying in height from four to five storeys.
The development’s gross floor space is stated as 5,176 sq m, intended for commercial use and consisting of four floors of office above and ground-floor retail, office, reception and support space.
PLANNING TIMELINE FOR EDMOND SMITHWICK HOUSE
Plans for the development of ‘Edmond Smithwick House’ were originally lodged by the Kilkenny Abbey Quarter Development Partnership back in May of 2022.
The decision by the local authority to grant conditional planning permission almost a year later was appealed to An Bord Pleanála.
An Bord Pleanála subsequently granted planning permission, subject to revised conditions in July 2024.
Back in March of this year, Kilkenny County Council announced plans to seek to borrow up to €24 million to outrightly purchase the designated plot on the Abbey Quarter and subsequently manage the delivery of the building.
It was originally set to be developed by Kilkenny Abbey Quarter Development Partnership, a 50:50 partnership between Kilkenny County Council and funding partner Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) but due to factors including rising construction costs, the ‘overall return [on investment] required by ISIF’ was ‘not achievable in the current market’.
Putting the proposal before elected members at the time, Head of Finance Martin Prendiville explained that Kilkenny County Council planned to consolidate their own operations in the building by occupying at least 50% of the planned office space.
Whilst the council still plan to remain in County Hall, their presence in various other commercial buildings in the city would change as they move those operations to ‘Edmond Smithwick House’ in the Abbey Quarter.
Mr Prendiville further added that the council are in discussions with a prospective tenant in relation to potentially occupying a further 24% of the office space in building seven.
He noted that third party tenant rental income would assist in repaying the loan, and that this income would be supplemented by savings the council would make from ceasing to pay rental costs currently being accrued by their tenancy agreements in other commercial buildings.
The remaining balance, Mr Prendiville estimated, would be approximately €150,000 - €200,000 per annum.
With that sum in mind, Mr Prendiville drew elected members’ attention to the fact that a number of existing commitments currently being repaid by the council will have expired by the end of 2027.
Once those commitments have been paid off, it is envisaged that the council would have ample capacity to fund the loan repayments.
“It may not be €24 million,” Mr Prendiville clarified. “But we need headroom.”
EDMOND SMITHWICK’S KILKENNY LEGACY
Smithwick's Brewery was founded by John Smithwick in 1710 however following his death, the brewery temporarily fell out of his family’s hands.
John’s great-grandson Edmond Smithwick (b. 1800) bought the brewery land back freehold and worked to reshape its future.
He finally got the Smithwick name over the gate in 1827 and under his leadership, trade increased massively in ten years from 5,000 barrels to 40,000 barrels in 1860.
According notes from a talk given at Kilcreene Lodge to the Kilkenny Archaeological Society (Old Kilkenny Review): “[Edmond] was four times Mayor of Kilkenny and for eight years ran the Kilcreene Harriers, and was also at one time a local Director of the National Bank, Limited.
“In the famine year of 1847 he collaborated with Richard Sullivan in setting up a soup kitchen at Sullivan's Brewery to relieve distress. He purchased the freehold of the brewery in the Court of Chancery about the year 1827. At this time, it was both a distillery and a brewery.
“Edmond was a great personal friend of Daniel O'Connell and Daniel O'Connell stayed many times at Kilcreene House.”