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.
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:
- Blog: Vision: Realizing Rural Regeneration for South Galway
- Presentation (PDF): Gort Rural Regeneration – The Convent
Gort Town Centre First Plan 