Temporary catering facilities open at Clonmacnoise

A new temporary café service has opened at Clonmacnoise heritage site.

The move was announced by the Office of Public Works (OPW) today.

The café will provide tea/coffee and snacks to the public and includes picnic tables with parasols for the public to relax and soak up their surroundings and enhance the visitor experience while redevelopment works are ongoing.

The move comes after strong criticism was voiced, in this newspaper, earlier this year of the absence of any catering facilities at the popular tourist attraction.

Following the controversy, the OPW advertised a tendering process for a mobile café at the site.

Clonmacnoise Visitor Centre is one of the top tourist attractions in the Midlands. The visitor centre is set to undergo a significant redevelopment project, funded through the EU Just Transition Fund.

Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW, Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran stated:“I am delighted to be here today to see the opening of the much anticipated café service to the visitors at Clonmacnoise. The provision of catering services at the site will enhance the overall visitor experience where visitors can enjoy the beautiful historic and picturesque landscape whilst enjoying a coffee and a snack.

"The OPW is delighted that Clonmacnoise has been selected for redevelopment under the Just Transition Fund and is fully committed to transforming the Clonmacnoise Visitor Centre into a modern and fully accessible centre that caters for all needs and enhancing visitor engagement”.

"Works to the Visitor Centre are due to commence in late 2025, the redevelopment will provide a permanently adapted visitor centre that includes a dedicated education space, a changing places facility and new interpretive displays.