‘A sad day for Westport’

DERELICT Mayo County Council announced it and Westport Town Council were buying the old Convent of Mercy building in 2008 for €4 million, but work has yet to start on making the building into council offices.

Edwin McGreal

News that Mayo County Council’s plans for the old convent property in Westport will be further delayed by a funding shortfall has been described as a ‘sad day for Westport’.
Plans to transform the council-owned derelict site into new civic offices for the town were announced in 2010, but extensive delays have meant the project is still not off the ground.

Eight years
Cllr Tereasa McGuire slammed the state of affairs.
“We are no further down the road than in 2010. In fact we’ve gone backwards. There is anti-social behaviour, fires and drinking taking place there. The building is falling into disrepair, and it will cost more to repair now than in 2010.
“Parts of it are ready to fall down. The old convent is a conduit for every form of miscreant and lowlife in this town. Eight years is far too long to be waiting. We should hang our heads in shame,” she said.
Cllr McGuire said that the old Westport Town Council ring-fenced money for each of their last five years. She said that between that money, the rent the council has paid for the last eight years for their current civic offices on Altamont Street, and funding opportunities missed in those years, the project would be over the line if it had been pushed forward.
Cllr Brendan Mulroy said the current council offices are ‘too small’ and described the update as ‘a sad day for Westport’. He questioned if the ring-fenced money was still set aside and, if not, where had it went.
Cllr Christy Hyland said ‘Westport Town Council [abolished in 2014] would have it done by now’.
The convent issue came up for discussion at yesterday’s (Monday’s) monthly meeting of the West Mayo Municipal District in Belmullet.
There, Head of District Padraig Walsh read out a statement from Director of Services Catherine McConnell on the issue.
A detailed proposal was prepared in 2011, she stated. A redraft was prepared in 2014 to include plans for the moving of Westport Library to the old convent. The project went to tender in 2015 but did not progress due to funding issues, the meeting was told.
Ms McConnell’s statement said Mayo County Council is currently in contact with the Department of Rural and Community Development (where local TD Michael Ring is the current Minister) with a view to seeking ‘additional funding’.
The council is due to meet with the Department next week. Ms McConnell added the recent vandalism at the site was ‘most regrettable’. She said council staff have put in place security measures, which have been ‘successful to date’ and that new fencing will also be put in place.
Of the statement, Cllr McGuire said ‘I am as wise now as I was before’.