OPW confirms 'temporary café' will be provided at Clonmacnoise

A temporary café service, to include picnic tables with parasols, will be provided at the Clonmacnoise heritage site this year, according to the Office of Public Works (OPW).

Last month, the Offaly Independent reported that there was currently no cáfe or shop for visitors at the ancient monastic site, which is one of the top tourist attractions in the Midlands.

The OPW subsequently advertised a tendering process for a mobile café at the site, the closing date for which was originally April 30 but was then extended to Friday last, May 16.

In a statement on Monday, a spokesperson for the OPW said a temporary café service would be provided at Clonmacnoise, "including picnic tables with parasols, offering shaded seating complemented by tasteful landscaping".

A spokesperson said these temporary features would be designed to "enhance visitor comfort while full construction works are ongoing".

Details of who would be providing the service, or of when exactly it would commence, were not yet available. "We will issue a statement once a service provider has been appointed," the OPW said.

A major redevelopment project at Clonmacnoise, backed by the EU Just Transition Fund, is due to get underway later this year.

The OPW said this redevelopment "will transform the Clonmacnoise Visitor Centre into a modern, sustainable and fully accessible facility, significantly improving interpretation, energy efficiency, and overall visitor engagement."

It added that it "fully recognises the importance of providing appropriate retail and catering facilities at Clonmacnoise," and that it "remains firmly committed to ensuring a café service is available throughout the redevelopment phase".

The former Fáilte Ireland building at the site is due to serve as a temporary ticket desk during the works.

"Short-term improvements such as deep cleaning, repainting, and installation of interpretive materials will soon begin to make the space accessible for public use," said the OPW.

"Looking to the future, this building will be permanently adapted to include a dedicated education space, a Changing Places (accessible toilet) facility, and new interpretive displays, ensuring a strong legacy from the redevelopment programme."

In a statement on Friday last, Offaly TD Carol Nolan said it was imperative that a permanent coffee shop was reinstated at Clonmacnoise.

"I accept that work is being done to eventually provide interim café services, but I am somewhat concerned that no specific mention was made regarding the re-opening of the coffee shop that has operated at the site for many years," said the Independent TD. "It would be inconceivable for the redevelopment to exclude a permanent café, and I do not want to assume at this point that it will not be re-opened, although that is the fear that has been expressed to me repeatedly.

"That is why I will be seeking definitive clarity on that matter from Minister of State Kevin 'Boxer' Moran,” Deputy Nolan's statement concluded.