Tag: gort

Major Funding Secured for Purchase of former Gort Convent

Gort Town Team is delighted to welcome the announcement today by Minister Darragh Calleary of €1,000,000 in funding to secure the purchase of the former Gort Convent by Galway County Council. This significant investment marks a key milestone in the implementation of the Gort Town Centre First Plan and signals the beginning of an exciting new chapter for this much-loved landmark, also known as Bridge House.

The historic building, located in the heart of Gort, is a cherished part of the town’s architectural and cultural heritage. Working in close partnership with Galway County Council, the Gort Town Team is committed to transforming the site into a vibrant community hub that will benefit residents of all ages for generations to come. The convent is currently vacant and there has been a strong community drive to secure the building (oulined in Saving the Gort Convent Building- A Critical Moment for Gort’s Heritage)

“This is a long-term project that will require sustained financial investment and strong collaboration to take this project to completion,” said Bernice Forde Carolan, spokesperson for the Gort Town Team said. “But today’s announcement gives us real momentum and confidence as we move forward.”

The vision for the convent building is for it to be renovated into a multi-purpose remote-working,innovation, cultural and community centre which could host an art gallery etc and connect to and extend the Gort River Walk

Gort Town Team extended heartfelt thanks to all who contributed to securing this crucial funding, with special appreciation for Galway County Council’s incredible team of Hazel Fox, Ronan Conway & Brent Mostert, for their steadfast support and invaluable guidance throughout the process.

Gort Town Team representatives with Albert Dolan TD

“This highlights how important the Gort Town Centre First Plan is in helping to secure a vision of Gort for the future – this is all part of the plan, and this announcement shows Galway County Councils commitment to delivering this.” said Forde Carolan.

This project also got strong support from public representatives including Albert Dolan TD Minister Sean Canney and Louis O’ Hara, TD.

‘This funding represents a major step towards transforming Gort’s town centre and building an even stronger, more connected community. ‘ said Albert Dolan TD. The redevelopment of the site will breathe new life into the heart of the town and create a space that supports enterprise, creativity, and community activity all under one roof.”

“This is a very necessary and timely project – transforming a landmark building into a vibrant community hub that will serve the people of Gort for generations to come. ,’ said Minister Sean Canney. “Galway County Council’s vision to retain the Old Convent in community ownership will help breathe new life into the town, ensuring it once again plays a central role in the area.”

As the redevelopment progresses, the Gort Town Team will continue to work collaboratively with Galway County Council and will engage with the community to shape a shared vision for Bridge House.

Saving the Gort Convent Building-  A Critical Moment for Gort’s Heritage

We now stand at another critical juncture in preserving Gort’s heritage for future generations. The beautiful and historic Gort Convent building has started to decline and we need Government support for Galway County Council proposal to acquire it.

In 1985, Gort suffered a major blow to its heritage when the infamous Gort Mill was levelled. This caused deep distress across the town and community, and today, the only remnants of the mill are the large millstones in Canon Quinn Park.

We now stand at another critical juncture in preserving Gort’s heritage for future generations. The beautiful and historic Gort Convent building is in crisis. On November 21st, 2024, the convent officially shut its doors. For a time, it served as a refuge for Ukrainian refugees, who helped keep the lights on after the Sisters of Mercy vacated the building in 2022. Now, without intervention, the convent building is destined for decline. This won’t be the rapid demolition that befell the mill, but rather a slow but assured decay that has already begun.

The Convent of Mercy in Gort, County Galway, has a rich history dating back to the 18th century. Originally known as Bridge House, it was built around 1770 by John Prendergast Smyth, who later became Lord Gort. In 1857, the Sisters of Mercy established a convent there under the leadership of Mother Aloysius Doyle, a veteran of the Crimean War. They expanded the house to accommodate their growing community and made significant contributions to education and healthcare in the area.

After more than 160 years of service, the Sisters departed in August 2022. The building was repurposed to house Ukrainian refugees, continuing its legacy of service.

The convent is a significant Gort landmark. It reflects the town’s evolving story—from private residence to religious institution, to a centre for community life, and most recently, a place of refuge.

The Plan

Over the past eight years, the idea of transforming the convent into a multi-purpose community hub was progressively developed by local community enthusiasts and activists into a proposal, backed by the Gorgeous Gort Forum, culminating in a submission to Galway County council in 2021. (See blog post here). An application was submitted to the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) to purchase the convent, but it was rejected due to uncertainty over whether the building might be donated under the religious redress scheme.

In 2022, during the development of the Gort Town Centre First Plan, the convent was identified as a critical asset for the town’s regeneration. The final plan, released in November 2023, highlighted the convent as an ideal location for a much-needed remote working, cultural, and community space. At the plan’s  launch, Galway County Council Chief Executive Liam Conneely assured the community that when things progressed from paper to plans, the funding would follow.

Galway County Council’s Chief Executive Liam Conneely  with Gort Town Team

The convent project is also a key objective in the Gort Local Area Plan 2025–2031.

In February 2025, Galway County Council submitted a second application to the RRDF to acquire the convent building.

This time, it simply has to happen. Without funding, the convent building—and its chapel, gardens, and historic grounds—will rapidly deteriorate into a shell.

What needs to happen?

The funding decision now rests with the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, under Minister Dara Calleary. We need strong support from our public representatives: Minister Seán Canney, Louis O’Hara TD, Peter Roche TD, and Albert Dolan TD as well as our county councillors:  Cllr. Geraldine Donohue, Cllr. PJ Murphy, Cllr Paul Killilea, Cllr. Martina Kinane, Cllr. Gerry Finnerty,  Cllr. Ivan Canning, Cllr. Michael Regan, Cllr. Declan Kelly, Cllr. Moegie Maher and  Cllr. Jimmy McClearn.

Galway County Council has brought the project this far. Now, we need a clear decision from the Minister to secure this heritage treasure for future generations.

We recommend you reach out to these people and ask them to contact Minister Dara Calleary to highlight the priority of this project.

More Information:

Gort Streetscape Enhancement Event

Gort Town Team and Galway County Council invite Property Owners & Tenants and tradespeople to an information evening on the Gort Streetscape Enhancement Measure 2024 in Gort Town Hall, Tuesday June 25th 2024.

Gort streetscape enhancement is one of the projects in the Gort Town Centre First plan. The key aspects of this measure are :

  • Up to 80% of grant funding per property to enhance façade
  • Open to commercial, residential and vacant premises
  • Property Owners or Tenants (with Owners Permission) can apply
  • Properties to be prioritised must be within the mapped eligible boundary.
  • Clusters or Groups of Adjacent Properties Applying is preferable but Standalone
  • properties will be accepted on a case by case basis.

Focus area:

The focus of the Gort Streetscape Enhancement Measure is to support the
upgrade and enhancement of shopfronts and street facades of defined areas in
Gort Town Centre. The scheme boundary is indicated on the map &
consists of the Market Square, Crowe Street, Bridge Street, George’s Street,
Barrack Street and Church Street. This focus area is highlighted on the map below:

Eligible Works

Notes:

  1. The maximum amount of Grant Aid available for activities listed above 3 and 4 is at 70%/80% of verifiable costs, to a maximum of €3,500 euro. This is for one individual activity or a combination of any of these type activities.
  2. The maximum amount of Grant Aid available for activities 5,6 is €4,000. This is for one individual activity or a combination of any of these type activities.
  3. The maximum amount of Grant Aid available for activity 7 is €7,000
  4. The maximum amount of Grant Aid that can be made available for a combination of activities (1 to 7 above) for one property is €8,000.

Applications:

  • Apply On Line From June 26th to July 26th 2024
  • Register on Our Submit.com site then upload photos, your details and quotes for works. Galway County Council (submit.com) https://galwaycoco.submit.com
  • Contact Galway County Council, Town and Village Renewal : Phone:
  • (091) 509396, (091) 509334 or email : tandv@galwaycoco.ie.