ENNIS 2040 DAC have acquired the site of the former Ennis National School for €3.1m.
On Tuesday, Ennis 2040 DAC confirmed they had acquired the 4.2 acre site for €3.1m following an independent valuation. The site is zoned a large mixed-use development including commercial, residential, and retail with car parking.
Since 2013, the site has been vacant following the relocation of Ennis National School to a new state of the art facility in Ashline on the Kilrush Rd.
Access to the site of the former primary school had been blocked off but the locked gates were forced open on Saturday with two caravans now in situ at the privately owned 4.2 acre site.
Following a case at Ennis District Court on Friday, three caravans were removed from the green area of Clancy Park. Bail was granted to an Ennis father of five at this sitting on the condition that he refrain from putting the caravans on any residential area in Ennis.
Gerry Cahill, Chairperson of Ennis 2040 DAC, said, “This is a strategic acquisition for Ennis and one that many in the community have called on for development over the years. The site offers significant potential, one where we can make a positive impact, and we are excited about what the development of this site will mean for the future of our town”.
Padraic McElwee, Interim COO of Ennis 2040 DAC, said, “The site opens the door to new possibilities for Ennis, and we look forward to working closely with all relevant stakeholders to shape its future. People will have lots of ideas and it is important that we get this right. This project aligns fully with the Ennis 2040 vision to transform and enhance the town’s offering”.
Any proposed development of the site will be determined following consultation and engagement with stakeholders. Further details on the consultation process “will be announced in due course,” a spokesperson for Ennis 2040 DAC stated.
According to Ennis 2040 DAC, the site aligns with the vision of the Ennis 2040 2040 Economic & Spatial Strategy to strengthen Ennis’s role as a key economic driver and place to live. The purchase of this vacant site is also responsive to public concerns addressing dereliction and activation of vacant sites.
In 2016, the Diocese of Killaloe sold the site, it had been put on the market by the St Flannan’s (Killaloe) Diocesen Trust with an advised minimum value of €1.2m. Prior to this sale, Woodhaven Developments Ltd had been in the process of applying for planning permission which they secured from Clare County Council to demolish the old school building with the consent of the Diocese of Killaloe. Developers claimed a deposit had been paid but contracts were not signed by the Killaloe Diocese.
Planning permission was granted in November 2022 to City Cinemas Ltd for the construction of a car park, subject to eleven conditions, one of which included a contribution fee of €32,680 to be paid to Clare County Council by the applicants.
An illegal encampment pitched up in March of this year at the site, they were later removed. The site has long been identified as a prime strategic development site for future development in the county town.
