Church Street, Cahir, County Tipperary, Ireland Tel: +353 (0) 52 7441473

The Craft Granary is a registered charity committed to supporting the development and success of designer/makers and artists working in the creative sector in Counties Tipperary, Kilkenny, Carlow, Waterford and Wexford

We promote the excellence of modern Irish craftsmanship through exhibitions of contemporary jewellery, ceramics, glass, applied art, textiles and limited edition prints, paintings sculpture and contemporary fashion.

We provide the opportunity for members of the public and business to become involved in craft and design through workshops, events and commissions.

Through the sponsorship of FAS, a Community Employment Scheme is run in the Craft Granary giving people the opportunity to work in jobs such as retail, craftwork, gallery management and bookkeeping.

The Granary building, located in Church Street, was built in the nineteenth century, as part of the improvements of Lord and Lady Cahir. Lord Cahir was a Trustee of the Linen Industry, and in 1809, under the auspices of the newly formed Cahir Local Association, a linen factory was established here. In November 1820, through the sponsorship of Lord Glengall, one hundred and eighty spinning wheels were installed, and a spinning school was begun in the building for the conversion of flax into linen. An annual grant by Lord Glengall expanded the industry, and a weekly market for the sale of linen and yarn was established on October 10th 1823. This all took place in that half of the building nearest the Post Office. The bleaching of Linen was also carried out behind this building, and this area became known as the Bleach Green. By the mid 1840’s, linen manufacture had declined, due to a decrease in markets.

As in many areas of the South, corn milling and flour production became the trade of town and district. The building was considerably enlarged, and it was at this point that the part now housing the Regional Crafts Centre was built. One part of the enlarged building was leased by Richard English for his corn milling business, (hence the Granary name) and the other part by Samuel Burke & Co., as a General Store. The building continued to be used for various adaptations of this type of business throughout the twentieth century, until it was gutted by fire in 1985. Since restoration, it displays some exemplary stonework and contributes much to the beauty and streetscape of the town. Most appropriately, one half of this listed building now contains the South East Regional Craft Centre-the only one in this country to incorporate space for training, production and sale of crafts under one roof. The photos of the building on this page show the wonderful restoration that was done. This restoration came about through the local community working closely with South Tipperary County Council.

A great debt of gratitude is owed to all involved who saved this beautiful building for future generations to enjoy.