Restoration job gets underway at Market House

Restoration work and essential repairs are currently underway on the clock tower of the Market House.

In a statement to the Westmeath Examiner, Westmeath County Council said that the works are required because some of the leadwork on the southern face of the clock tower has slipped.

“Several of the timbers are heavily weathered and some have become decayed. The works will repair the lead and the timbers. Where timbers are decayed beyond repair, new sections of hardwood will be spliced in. These works will ensure the stability of the structure and prevent any further deterioration.”

Westmeath County Council has been awarded a grant through the Historic Structures Fund from the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht for these works.

The Market House was designed by Richard Caldbeck and built in 1867, on the site of an earlier Market House.