Council under fire for Westport convent site

Neill O'Neill

A Director of Services with Mayo County Council has denied that the local authority are holding back in any way on developing the old convent site in Westport.
Tom Gilligan was speaking at the monthly meting of the West Mayo Municipal District yesterday (Monday), where he said he was disappointed at the critical comments of councillors, who questioned the will of the council hierarchy to get the project moving. The Convent of Mercy site in Westport was purchased by Mayo County Council in 2008 for €4 million. Plans to redevelop it have not yet been implemented, and the building has fallen into disrepair in recent years. The convent grounds are now a known drinking den for teenagers. Scoil PhΡdraig moved from the old school building to the front of the convent on Altamont Street earlier this summer, and the plan now is to relocate Holy Trinity NS from the Newport Road to the site, though it would appear that this is holding up the development plans.
Tom Gilligan told the meeting that while everybody recognises the importance of the convent as a ‘strategic site’ the relocation of Holy Trinity NS is a key issue.
“The Department of Education contacted us and made inquiries as to the land,” he outlined.
“Initially, we were to retain the school building and Holy Trinity were to be facilitated in it, we are in discussions with the Department of Education but the progress is not as swift as we would like on the shape and size of the new school, and issues like car parking, but we have agreed to try and get it resolved.”
Councillors from Westport all spoke on the item, with Christy Hyland stating that the current council offices on Altamont Street are past their ‘sell by date’. Councillor Tereasa McGuire said that two new schools have been built in Westport since the council acquired the convent, and that Holy Trinity NS are providing ‘great education in below par facilities’.
“We are spending a fortune in rent and staff shouldn’t be expected to work there [current offices], I’m surprised there’s not a revolution,” she said, with Christy Hyland saying that there is ‘bushing’ [youths drinking outdoors] going on at the convent and ‘it needs to be sorted out’.
Brendan Mulroy described the convent as an ‘ongoing joke’ and said: “If we are not serious about it lets sell it.”
Tom Gilligan said this rhetoric was disappointing to hear and that it certainly is the council’s intention to move the project forward, and to incorporate a new library there, and that they are dealing with various government departments at present.

NEXT WEEK An online campaign has been launched in a bid to persuade Mayo County Council ‘to save and restore’ the summerhouse situated in the grounds of Westport’s former Convent of Mercy, now owned by the local authority.