ROBIN LEE ARCHITECTURE have been appointed by TIPPERARY COUNTY COUNCIL to develop the Dan Breen House located in the Murgasty area of Tipperary Town., County Tipperary.

Built as a rectory to accommodate the rector of the nearby St. Marys Church the historic building is believed to have been constructed circa 1841 and is listed as a Protected Structure. The building is recorded in 1901 census as having 6 outbuildings and the house as having 15 rooms. Two of these outbuildings remain including a large stable and coach house.

In the 1980’s Dan Breen House was adapted and served as civic offices and public library however the buildings have been vacant for a period of approximately ten years and in this period the condition of the building deteriorated. 

The buildings are now to be repurposed as a Youth, Education & Training Centre. On completion Youth Work Ireland Tipperary and Tipperary Education and Training Board will be the main tenants and users of the building.

The project is seen as a flagship development as part of a wider effort to revitalise Tipperary Town and its hinterland, which has been suffering decline for some time with high building vacancy, high unemployment and welfare dependency, low educational attainment, and other socioeconomic issues. The project will provide training and personal development opportunities for young people and those removed from the labour market.

Project partners, Youth Work Ireland Tipperary, Tipperary Education and Training Board, Tipperary County Council and Tipperary Town Revitalisation Task Force have come together to facilitate the repurposing and transformation of Dan Breen House into a youth services, education and training hub providing high quality, fit-for-purpose multi-functional spaces.

The grounds of the former rectory will be developed to reinstate a garden setting to the foreground of the historic building while a new courtyard is proposed to create a secure and private outdoor space for training and educational purposes.

Robin Lee Architecture secured planning approval for the scheme in 2023.