The latest chapter in a story dating back some 400 years was written in Gorey town centre on Friday morning as the sod was turned on the redevelopment of the historic Market House.

Vacant since 2012, the building is to be renovated into a multi-function space which will include a café and a 100-person seating area. An old well discovered during the excavation works will also be repurposed in a modern setting for visitors to enjoy.

While works are now in full swing on the project, the Market House is not expected to reopen to the public until March 2028. But, as chief executive of Wexford County Council (WCC) Eddie Taaffe, explained, getting this far had proved a challenge in of itself.

“There’s been many false dawns in the restoration project of Gorey Market House,” he admitted. “That it has reached this point is down to a combination of the vision of all those involved and, in particular, two people who deserve a special mention.

“The Director of Services for the Gorey Kilmuckridge Municipal District (GKMD), Liz Hore, has really driven this project forward from day one. There has also been someone who has worked very quietly, but also effectively, in the background, Councillor Pip Breen.”

Referencing Cllr Breen’s work on the Southern Region Assembly (SRA) – which manages European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) programmes – Mr Taaffe said the Market House project wouldn’t be where it is today without the councillor’s “support and advocacy”.

That advocacy had seen Cllr Breen travel to Brussels to bang the drum for Co Wexford when it became apparent there were funding opportunities on offer under the New European Bauhaus initiative.

“A few of us went over from the SRA to attend the meeting and I, being a shy fella, put up my hand and said ‘I have a building in Ireland suitable for this project’,” said Cllr Breen.

That building was the Market House and the funding on offer was in the region of €7m.

“That was where Liz Hore and the team at WCC came into play, and that team knew exactly what it had to do,” continued Cllr Breen. “It’s a very onerous job getting money out of the EU, you have to have all your i’s dotted and t’s crossed.”

Having embedded himself in this project, Cllr Breen was well-placed to offer a brief history of the Market House and its importance to Gorey.

“It started out as a market house in the 1600s and was then used as a prison for both sides during the 1798 Rebellion. It was a school, then it was the home of the Gorey council, before it fell into disuse in 2012.

“But it was disintegrating fast, so I want to thank the historical society, they’ve played their part in this, they never let it go.”

The Cathaoirleach of the GKMD, Cllr Mary Farrell, said that rebuilding the Market House with bricks and mortar was only part of the project.

“We all know its history, what it was in the past, but this is also about creating a vibrant, welcoming, and inclusive space in the heart of Gorey,” she said.

“What’s particularly exciting is the potential this has for Gorey, bringing such an important building back into use will add enormously to our Main Street, and to the town centre, and create another reason for people to visit us.”

Thanking Nevin Construction and Cooney Architects for their work to date, Cllr Farrell looked forward to the re-introduction of one of the Market House’s trademark features.

“We can’t wait to see those doors, and those arches, open once more,” she said.

Those views were endorsed by the Cathaoirleach of WCC, Cllr Lisa McDonald, who said those working in the north of the county were setting an example for the rest of Co Wexford to follow.

“The work rate here is an example to us all, when I go about my business as chair these things become pretty obvious,” she said. “You get a sense of how much it means to the people here, there’s so much history attached to this building, so many stories that it holds.

“This is start of another chapter. And, in 200 years time, people will look back on the work we’re doing here now.”

While housing may be the number one priority for Enniscorthy Minister James Browne TD, he outlined how his department, which also looks after heritage projects across Ireland, had helped fund works which will cost €8.6m when complete.

He was also quick to point out that acquiring funding was only half the battle.

“I go to every county in the country, and you don’t see this level of project management and delivery that you see in Co Wexford,” he said. “We have strong local politicians who might not always agree, but there’s a tradition here of putting on the purple and gold and ensuring that, whatever happens, things get done.

“We should remember that while politicians come and go, this is about leaving something behind. The Market House is part of the heritage of Gorey, and it will remain so for generations to come.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.