Shee Alms House

Shee Alms House

Three-story stone building with arched doorway

Shee Almshouse in 2007
Shown within Ireland
Basic information
Location Rose Inn Street, Kilkenny,
Ireland
Geographic coordinates 52°39′05″N 7°15′06″W / 52.65145°N 7.25153°W / 52.65145; -7.25153Coordinates: 52°39′05″N 7°15′06″W / 52.65145°N 7.25153°W / 52.65145; -7.25153
Architectural description
Architectural style Tudor
Founder Sir Richard Shee
Completed 1582

Shee Alms House was founded by the Shee family in 1582 'to accommodate twelve poor persons' in the city of Kilkenny. It is a nationally significant Tudor period Almshouse.[1]

House

Sir Richard Shee founded the alms house, originally called the Hospital of Jesus, during the period when the family was a powerful merchant family in Kilkenny.[2] He created the house in 1582 and endowed it in his last will in 1603. Lucas Shee, his son, arranged a royal charter for the Almshouse which was granted 4 November 1609. In 1752 the alms house was sold by his descendent Edmond Shee. The family were dispossessed during the Cromwellian period. However they regained control and power in the 18th century. Sir Nicholas Power O'Shee of Gardenmorris, Co. Waterford took back ownership of the house in 1756 and it operated as an almshouse until 1830.[1][3][4][5]

The house was also used as a Catholic chapel before the 1800s and as a hospital in 1837. It became a shop in the early 20th Century. The Alms house was in 1978 acquired by Kilkenny Corporation and restored to its original condition. It was reopened as the city tourist office in 1981[1][3][4]

The building is a terraced two-bay two-storey gable-fronted rubble stone house, with cut-limestone features, and a half-dormer attic.[1]

Further reading

"Kilkenny Tourist Office". Retrieved October 23, 2016. 

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Shee Almshouse, 26, Rose Inn Street, Kilkenny, County Kilkenny". Buildings of Ireland: National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. Retrieved October 23, 2016.
  2. ↑ "O'Shee family pedigree". Libraryireland.com. Retrieved October 23, 2016.
  3. 1 2 "Shee Alms House - Kilkenny City and County Portal". Kilkenny.ie. Retrieved October 23, 2016.
  4. 1 2 "1582 - Shee Alms House, Kilkenny, Co. Kilkenny - Architecture of Kilkenny - Archiseek - Irish Architecture". Archiseek.com. Retrieved October 23, 2016.
  5. ↑ "63b. Rothe House Museum & Garden, The Tholsel, Shee Almshouse Tourist Information Centre, Kilkenny Ireland images pictures photos photographs". Docbrown.info. Retrieved October 23, 2016.
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