Ireland’s oldest motor garage gets makeover

The clock above Ireland’s oldest purpose-built motor garage, on Catherine Street in Waterford City, received a fresh lick of paint last week.

The garage was established under the name W.F. Peare Ltd in 1900, by William F. Peare and Sir William Goff, who bought the very first car sold by the garage, a French De Dion Buton.

Hailing from Glenville, Goff has the distinction of being Ireland’s first car owner.

Prior to the establishment of the garage, the premises had been a coach-building works, however, the old building was demolished and the new state-of-the-art garage constructed in its place.

W.F. Peare used the ground floor as a car showroom with adjoining offices at the back. There were also a number of workshops, which contained the most modern equipment of the time.

During World War One, Peare served as a Captain in the British army and resultingly the company went into decline and was forced into liquidation in 1917.

However, that same year the business was taken over by John Kelly, a local businessman who continued to operate from the Catherine Street site until the business moved to the Cork Road.

Martin Barrett Car Sales currently operate from the building.

A blue plaque was erected at the site by Waterford Civic Trust, in recognition of the building's status as the source of Ireland’s motor manufacturing industry.