The long-vacant former Dick Conroy Tire Service premises in Tullamore has been purchased by the council. Council agrees to buy eyesore Tullamore siteFive years after calls were made for the demolition of a long-standing derelict building in Tullamore, Offaly County Council has completed the purchase of the premises formerly known as the Bridge Garage on William Street. Offaly County Council has secured €2m from the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) to specifically address vacancy and dereliction in Tullamore town, and Cllr Leahy said it was the intention of the elected representatives and the council executive to "work together to tackle this issue head on". The former Bridge Garage was listed as being a protected structure in the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH), but members of Offaly County Council were successful in their bid to have it removed from the register during their discusssions on the draft Offaly County Development Plan for 2021-2027. Cllr Sean O’Brien said if elected members were looking at "the future of the town" they could not continue to maintain premises such as the Bridge Garage which he added "don’t really have any architectural value."

Source: Irish Independent January 24, 2026 13:33 UTC