Shee Alms House was founded by the Shee family in 1582 'to accommodate twelve poor persons' in the city of Kilkenny, Ireland. It is a nationally significant

Tudor period The Tudor period occurred between 1485 and 1603 in England and Wales and includes the Elizabethan period during the reign of Elizabeth I until 1603. The Tudor period coincides with the dynasty of the House of Tudor in England that began wit ...

Almshouse.

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. He created the house in 1582 and endowed it in his last will in 1603. Lucas Shee, his son, arranged a

royal charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, but s ...

for the Almshouse which was granted 4 November 1609. In 1752 the alms house was sold by his descendant Edmond Shee. The family were dispossessed during the

Cromwellian Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in History of England, English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 ...

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

House

See also

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Further reading