The Gort Town Team, in collaboration with the Gort Town Regeneration officer presented at Loughrea Municipal District meeting a proposal for converting the Convent building into Delivering a Multi-purpose RemoteWorking, Innovation, Cultural and Community Centre with town centre housing.
Marian Cahill Collins and Annie Rosario from the Gort Town Team, outlined the key opportunities that this proposal offered. The retention and development of this site will :
- Save a historic building from falling into despair and retain it for years to come
- Enable enterprise opportunities via remote-working hub, tourism and increased trade in the town centre
- Offer centralised community services such as Gort Resource Centre and associated activities, potentially incorporating the Department of Social Protection
- Provide cultural spaces (Chapel and grounds) for multi-purpose performance/exhibition spaces, artists workshops etc
- Provide additional housing in the town centre
- Enable accessible community amenities and linkage for local amenity network (cycleways and Gort River Walk) and national amenities (Red Route cycleway
The area councillors unanimously endorsed a funding proposal to acquire and transform the former convent in Gort into a multi-purpose community center and hub.
The heritage building, which dates back to 1770. The building was constructed by John Prendergast Smyth, who later became Lord Gort. He resided there until 1816 when he relocated to the newly constructed Lough Cutra Castle. It then served as the residence of Dr W Mulville, and for two years until 1852, it functioned as a workhouse for girls.
In November 1857, the Sisters of Mercy arrived from Carlow to establish a convent there. It is presently providing shelter to Ukrainian refugees, following the departure of the Mercy Nuns in 2021 after a 164-year ministry.
The Gort Town team has collaborated with Galway County Council to create the Gort Town Centre First Plan, a roadmap for future growth. She stated that the three-story, 1,400 square meter building is an ideal location for a much-needed multi-functional remote working, cultural, and community space.
In 2021, an application to the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) was rejected due to the Department’s assumption that it might be donated to the public under the religious redress scheme.
When this did not occur, the Gorgeous Gort Forum, a collective of 50 community organizations, obtained a written commitment from the Mercy Nuns that Galway County Council would have the first option to buy it.
An application will be submitted in the next RRDF funding round in October to purchase the property and develop a detailed design, including a performance area in the chapel with its beautiful stained glass.
Ms Cahill Collins emphasized the importance of acquiring the building for the community to prevent it from suffering the same fate as a historic four-story mill in the town that vanished over a weekend.
“We are determined to prevent its destruction and save this historic building from falling into disrepair,” she passionately declared.
Annie Rozario, the chair of the Galway Town Team and coordinator of the Gort Resource Centre, stated that the site would be an ideal new location for the resource centre, which has outgrown its current premises.
Councillor Gerry Finnerty remarked that the town was fortunate that a developer had not already purchased it.
Councillor PJ Murphy l noted that Gort now exudes a sense of optimism that was absent in previous years, and this positivity is beginning to yield results.
Liam Hanrahan, Director of Services for Economic Development and Planning in Galway County Council, stated that the current zoning is for community and educational facilities, so residential use would not be permitted unless councillors approved a change.
He expressed hope at the meeting that discussions with the Sisters of Mercy would result in a positive outcome.
“The most suitable course of action would be a donation of the building,” he commented.
Jimmy McClearn, Cathaoirleach of the Loughrea Municipal District, stated that there was unanimous support among area councillors for advancing the project for funding.
Gort Town Centre First Plan 