In the middle of the 19th century Nenagh was affected by the Famine. The Nenagh Co-operative Creamery was established in 1914 providing employment in milk processing and butter-making. Politics and governance The town is part of the nine-member municipal district of Nenagh for elections to Tipperary County Council and is part of the Tipperary constituency. Nenagh was the county town of the former county of North Tipperary. Built heritage The town's historic features include Nenagh Castle, the Heritage Centre and the ruined Franciscan abbey. Nenagh Castle This Norman keep was built c. 1200 by Theobald Walter, 1st Baron Butler and completed by his son Theobald le Botiller c1220. The circular keep is over thirty metres high and its base has a diameter of sixteen metres. It is one of the finest of its kind in Ireland. The crown of crenellations and ring of clerestory windows were added at the instigation of Bishop Michael Flannery in 1861. The intention was that the keep would become the Bell tower of a Pugin-designed cathedral that was never built. Though not true to historic character, these additions ensured the iconic status of the keep, and it now features on the logos of a number of local clubs and businesses including Nenagh Town Council. The castle and grounds were extensively renovated between 2009 and 2013. This project was aimed to position the castle as a key tourist attraction in the area. It is now open to the public. Other historic buildings The old jail, with its octagonal governor's residence, is now an historic monument. Only one jail block remains intact. The Governor's Residence and jail gatehouse house Nenagh & District Heritage Centre. Nenagh Courthouse was built in 1843 to the design of architect John B. Keane. The design was similar to his previous courthouse in Tullamore, which in turn followed William Morrison's designs for Carlow and Tralee. In 2002 the grounds of the refurbished courthouse became the site of bronze sculptures of Matt McGrath, Bob Tisdall and Johnny Hayes, three Olympic gold medalists with Nenagh links. After the county council moved to their new Civic Offices in 2005, the courthouse was subsequently refurbished. Nenagh Arts Centre (formerly the Town Hall) is a distinctive building built in 1895. It was refurbished and now features a theatre and multi-purpose exhibition space. Until 2005 it housed the offices of Nenagh Town Council and up until the 1980s Nenagh