Specialist ‘Bat Tiles’ have been put in place in the roof of Kilrush Courthouse to allow Natterer bats to continue to live in their Maternity Bat roost there.

The spend on the ‘Bat Tiles’ is part of an estimated €198,000 remedial works to the building that is now once more staging courts after a gap of eight months.

Welcoming the return of court sittings to Kilrush, a spokesman for the Courts Service said on Tuesday “the protection of this roost will ensure that the Natterer Bats and their pups can continue to reside there”.

At the first sitting of the court since last July, Judge Mary Larkin told the court “I hope the bats are happy upstairs and they are adequately provided as we are here”.

Judge Larkin said that she was “delighted” that court sittings have resumed in Kilrush, she added, “Justice needs to operate locally and be seen to operate locally.”

She stated, “It is terribly important for people in this part of Clare that they can go into their courthouse and see their judge and see law and justice operating locally because if not, it becomes something that goes on in Ennis or Limerick or somewhere else.”

Local solicitor, Gearoid Williams also welcomed the re-opening. Mr Williams told the court that the danger “is if the court house was lost then the centre of law practice in west Clare would have been removed”.

He said: “That does have a great effect in that it would reduce the amount of work for practitioners, and reduce the number of practitioners and the service to the community further reduces.”

The building works were delayed after the discovery of the Natterer bats last Summer. The Natterer Bat is one of the rarer Irish bats and the Courts Service has installed the bat tiles to allow Natterer bats to access the attic space where the bat roost at Kilrush Courthouse is located.

Last August, the Courts Service informed court users that Kilrush Courthouse would be out of use for September, October and possibly November after personnel made the rare bat discovery during a course of roof repairs.

However, the Courts Service only sanctioned the first court sitting in Kilrush since last Summer last week after delays to the project that was estimated to cost €105,000 at the outset of the restoration works.

A Courts Service spokesman said today that the effects of Covid-19, inclement weather, structural difficulties and the presence of the bats all contributed to the extended time spent on the project.

The spokesman said that the Courts Service is pleased that the works to remedy the roof structure and maintain the presence of maternity Bat roosts in Kilrush Courthouse is now complete.

He said: “We dedicated time, energy, and money to using the correct approach in undertaking this work”.

The spokesman said that the presence of this maternity roost of Natterer’s Bat in such an iconic building in the centre of Kilrush was not entirely unexpected, and the support and commitment from the Office of Public Works (OPW) to the protection of this roost was excellent throughout.

The Courts Service confirmed that it has paid in the region of €14,000 to environmental consultants and they monitored the works throughout the construction period.

Related News

34_CCC - Boat Launch_250625
Addition of €28k rescue boat a major upgrade to fleet of Clare Civil Defence
madden furniture 1
Landmark Ennis business Madden Furniture to close this month
tablet smartphone laptop 1
Man (58) in South-East Clare charged with having 1544 images of child sex abuse
alan o'callaghan conor ryan tony o'brien pat burke pat hayes 1
'We are the envy of the county' - Hayes says Killaloe MD Cllrs have best working relationship

Advertisement

Latest News
galway greyhound stadium
Double feature win for Long & Collins
micheál murray 1
Mint performance from the Murrays helps Miltown win O'Gorman Cup for second time
tablet smartphone laptop 1
Man (58) in South-East Clare charged with having 1544 images of child sex abuse
waterford v clare camogie 05-07-25 jennifer daly orla hickey 2
Waterford relievedly Rockett to last four following Clare scare
alan o'callaghan conor ryan tony o'brien pat burke pat hayes 1
'We are the envy of the county' - Hayes says Killaloe MD Cllrs have best working relationship
Premium
éire óg vs ballyea 04-07-25 david reidy paddy smyth 1
Éire Óg retain Division 2 League title in derby decider
killaloe canal 1-2
Teenage girl 'scared & angry' after boy (14) 'humped' her from behind in Killaloe
1 DSC_9129
Clare will have 'one hell of a shot' in quarter-final with Waterford - Carmody
inagh kilnamona v clonlara 05-09-21 30 kevin hehir paraic o'loughlin
Inagh/Kilnamona chase first senior title & Clonlara aim to regain silverware
east clare memorial pat hayes
Hayes accusses Tipperary councillor of spreading 'misinformation' on Killaloe to Ballina pedestrianisation

Subscribe for just €3 per month

If you’re here, you care about County Clare. So do we. Did you rely on us for Covid-19 updates, follow our election coverage, or visit The Clare Echo every week for breaking news and sport? The Clare Echo invests in local journalism and we want to safeguard its future in our county. By becoming a subscriber you are supporting what we do, will receive access to all our premium articles and a better experience, while helping us improve our offering to you. Subscribe to clareecho.ie and get the first six months for just €3 a month (less than 75c per week), and thereafter €8 per month. Cancel anytime, limited time offer. T&Cs Apply. www.clareecho.ie.

Subscribe for just €3 per month

If you’re here, you care about County Clare. So do we. Did you rely on us for Covid-19 updates, follow our election coverage, or visit The Clare Echo every week for breaking news and sport? The Clare Echo invests in local journalism and we want to safeguard its future in our county. By becoming a subscriber you are supporting what we do, will receive access to all our premium articles and a better experience, while helping us improve our offering to you. Subscribe to clareecho.ie and get the first six months for just €3 a month (less than 75c per week), and thereafter €8 per month. Cancel anytime, limited time offer. T&Cs Apply. www.clareecho.ie.

Advertisement