Concerns emerge as historic convent in Limerick town goes ‘sale agreed’

AN HISTORIC Limerick building and protected structure that has suffered significant dereliction in the last 20 years has been listed as sale agreed.

The former St Mary’s Convent building, on Convent Street in Abbeyfeale, which covers 12, 713 square feet and is zoned as an “education and community facility” in the Local Area Plan was previously listed at an asking price of €95,000.

Mayor Francis Foley (FF) told a meeting of the Newcastle West Municipal District that the building is “part of our history and heritage” and that the people of the town have a “strong affiliation” with it.

The building, which was first constructed in 1878, is laid out over three floors, with the west side educational block containing two ground floor classrooms and three further classes on the first floor.

The east of the building contains a single-storey chapel, laid out in an “L” shape, which divides the nun’s chapel operated by the Sisters of Mercy from the public chapel.

Externally, the main building sits on a regular shaped site, bounded by a school and partially bounded by a burial ground, with the latter portion not forming part of the property for sale.

Limerick councillors expressed their concern, lamenting that while the building would be cheap to sell it does not account for the millions that would need to be spent on refurbishment works.

“It was one of the finest buildings in West Limerick of its generation but unfortunately, is not even safe enough to walk into these days due to parts falling down,” Cllr Liam Galvin (FG) outlined.

He asked council management if the protection order could be removed from the external building, but not from the church inside, in the hope of reducing the cost.

He also asked that the council liaise with the current owners, the Limerick and Clare ETB, as to whether rumours that it could be demolished after being sold are true.

Cllr Galvin added that the building should be given back to the parish of Abbeyfeale for a new use.

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Gordon Daly, Director of Community, Tourism and Culture with Limerick City and County Council stressed that the local authority currently has a derelict sites file open on the building.

“The principal barrier isn’t that it is a protected structure. Removing it wouldn’t make it any cheaper. Nobody can invest and bring a building back into use, unless there is a purpose for it,” he began.

He stated that he would not be in favour of its demolition and that he would take it up with the Limerick and Clare ETB as to what the status of its sale and future use would be when the sale is completed.