Funded by the Arts Council and Wicklow County Council, the Courthouse is a multi-disciplinary non-profit arts centre, dedicated to artistic excellence and actively nurturing the creative and cultural life of this region. Visit the website for a flavour of the varied programme of arts and cultural events presented, including musical and theatre performances, visual arts exhibitions and installations, arthouse and foreign cinema.
The Courthouse in Tinahely was built in 1843, but by the 1950’s it was used as much for community activities, such as dances and movies, as for court sessions. By the 1980’s it had fallen into complete disrepair and disuse, and had become, moreover, a serious eyesore in the village; so a local committee formed to take on the task of restoring the building. With the aid of grants from FAS (the Training and Employment Authority) which enabled hiring and training local youths to carry out the work, and local fundraising for the cost of materials, the courthouse was restored in time to open as a centre for arts, culture and heritage in January, 1996. It is now a beautiful heritage building and one of the main landmarks in the town.