Shee Alms House, Tudor almshouse in Kilkenny, Ireland

The Shee Alms House is a terraced, two-bay, two-storey gable-fronted rubble stone house with cut-limestone features and a half-dormer attic, located on Rose Inn Street in Kilkenny. Its gable front and limestone dressings mark it as a Tudor-period almshouse.

Sir Richard Shee founded the Hospital of Jesus in 1582 and endowed it in his will of 1603. His son Lucas obtained a royal charter on 4 November 1609. Sold by Edmond Shee in 1752, it was recovered in 1756 by Sir Nicholas Power O'Shee and ran as an almshouse until 1830.

The building shows how wealthy merchant families in the 16th century expressed their responsibility toward poor people through architecture and social action. Walking past it today, you can see how this kind of generosity shaped the street and the community around it.

The building sits on a central street and is easy to reach on foot when walking through the town center. Today it serves as a tourist information office, so visitors can step inside during regular business hours to get oriented and learn more about the area.

The building now houses a tourist information office, making it an unexpected place to gather information while stepping inside a structure that is over 500 years old. This dual purpose brings together history and modern-day visits to the town in an interesting way.