The home of a 16th century merchant in Kilkenny is to be restored thanks to a local businessman.
Rothe House dates from 1594 and was the home and business premises of wealthy Kilkenny merchant John Rothe Fitz-Piers.
A restoration programme undertaken by the Kilkenny Archaeological Society in conjunction with the Board of Works has seen this elegant Elizabethan building partially restored to its former glory.
One of the longstanding occupants of Rothe House was James Brennan who ran his butcher’s shop from a section of the building.
Selling his portion of the house to Kilkenny Archaeological Society for less than market value means that their goal of restoring Ireland’s only intact late mediaeval merchant house will become a reality.
A grant from Kilkenny County Council to assist with the purchase price will also help.
Margaret Phelan from Kilkenny Archaeological Society explains that this is a particularly significant project, as Rothe House is the only surviving merchant townhouse in Ireland. The building included the house and courtyard, and beyond that in the past there were have been orchards.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 19 September 1980. The reporter is Michael Ryan.
