[1] The building was commissioned in the mid-19th century as a corn exchange by Augustus FitzGerald, 3rd Duke of Leinster, whose seat was at Carton House.

[2] It was designed by Frederick Darley in the Tudor Revival style, built in rubble masonry and was officially opened on 6 October 1857.

[3] The design involved a central courthouse block with a single storey loggia of four bays on either side.

[2] Its use as a corn exchange declined further in the wake of the Great Depression of British Agriculture in the late 19th century.

[10] A major programme of refurbishment works was carried out by local contractors, D. and J. Carbery, at a cost of circa £362,000[11] to a design my Michael Lysaght in the late 20th century: it was officially re-opened by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, John O'Donoghue, on 21 June 2001.