Kerry County Museum is set to begin an exciting new chapter as the historic Ashe Memorial Hall undergoes a major restoration and redevelopment programme under the THRIVE – Town Centre First Heritage Revival Scheme.

The €7 million project will transform the museum’s gallery spaces and ensure exhibitions are fully accessible for future generations, while carefully restoring one of Kerry’s most important heritage buildings.

Co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union and led by Kerry County Council, the THRIVE scheme supports local authorities in revitalising historic buildings and adapting them into vibrant, sustainable cultural and community spaces.

At the heart of the project is a conservation-led restoration and adaptive reuse of Ashe Memorial Hall. Plans include redesigning the internal layout, improving circulation and accessibility, and bringing currently unused areas of the building back into public use.

To mark the beginning of the project, Kerry County Museum will offer free admission from March 14th to March 17th, giving visitors a final opportunity to explore the museum’s exhibitions in their current layout.

From March 18th, the upper gallery and exhibition spaces will close to facilitate the careful decanting of hundreds of artefacts and historic objects. Some items will be returned to the National Museum of Ireland and to private collections as part of this process.

Despite the refurbishment works, visitors will still be able to enjoy two of the museum’s most popular interactive exhibitions throughout 2026 — The Medieval Experience and Bone Investigators.

The museum will also continue its extensive programme of education, community and outreach initiatives. These include a new Mobile Museum, bringing handling collections to schools and community groups; Dig Tralee, a community archaeology project led by the county archaeologist; and the Mindful Museum programme, a dementia- and age-friendly outreach initiative delivered in partnership with Kerry County Council Arts Office.

Looking ahead, 2027 will mark the Year of the Normans, a European-wide commemoration of Norman heritage. With Tralee’s strong historical connections to the Norman period, Kerry County Museum will play an important role in the programme, helping position Kerry as a key destination for heritage and history.

 

A Historic Building with a New Future

Construction of Ashe Memorial Hall began in 1924, and the building officially opened in 1928, making it one of the earliest civic buildings constructed under the Irish Free State. Located in the heart of Tralee, the landmark building has long stood as a symbol of national pride and cultural resilience.

In the early 1990s, the hall entered a new phase of its life when it was redeveloped and opened as Kerry County Museum in 1991/1992, creating a centre dedicated to preserving and sharing the rich heritage of County Kerry.

As the building approaches its centenary in 2028, the current project will honour its historic legacy while preparing it for the future. The refurbishment will transform Ashe Memorial Hall into a multi-purpose civic facility with a redesigned museum, an immersive medieval experience, and a new community roof sanctuary garden offering spectacular views across Tralee and the surrounding area.

Cathaoirleach of Kerry County Council, Cllr. Mike Foley, welcomed the investment:

“I warmly welcome this investment for the sustainable renewal of Ashe Memorial Hall, one of the most recognisable buildings in Kerry. Through THRIVE, we are not only preserving our heritage and the home of the Kerry County Museum but reimagining it as a focal point in the centre of Tralee. This funding is a powerful vote of confidence in the future of our towns and the people who bring them to life.”

THRIVE is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the ERDF Southern, Eastern and Midland Regional Programme 2021–2027. The scheme has been co-designed by the Regional Assemblies and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to address European, national and regional policy objectives.

Further information is available here: www.southernassembly.ie

For more information on Kerry THRIVE, visit: https://www.kerrycoco.ie/town-centre-first-heritage-revival-scheme/