*An artist’s impression of the site.
PLANS are to be lodged in September for a multi-million euro development at the site of Our Lady’s Hospital in Ennis to result in the construction of 160 new homes, commercial space and community amenities.
Walsh & Sheehan Investment Groups headquartered in Kilkenny with a strong Waterford base have this week released details of their plans for Páirc Mhuire which are to cost in the region of €35-40m.
They have said the “landmark project” will “breathe new life into the historic site, transforming the underutilised former HSE buildings into a dynamic and sustainable community hub”.
Design for the project has yet to be completed but the mechanical services company have confirmed they will be lodging a large-scale residential development with Clare County Council for the Gort Rd site. It will be a mix of one, two and three-bedroom properties. The homes will be within and around the existing structure of the former hospital.
A spokesperson for Walsh & Sheehan told The Clare Echo it will be “the largest adaptive re-use project of its kind in Ireland to date will feature more than 160 new homes comprising a balanced mix of housing typologies across several buildings, both existing and new. The development will also include over 20,000 sq ft of commercial space, providing a range of local amenities, including a crèche facility”.
An existing church building on the grounds will be adapted into a community building with a sensory playground area and significant restoration works intended to be carried out.
According to Walsh & Sheehan, “The proposed homes will be designed to a high standard with careful interventions within the existing buildings helping to deliver unique living spaces and a strong sense of community. The development will respect the site’s long-standing historical links to Ennis and the wider Clare community while delivering contemporary, energy-efficient homes and facilities to help meet the growing housing demand in the region”.
CEO of Walsh & Sheehan Investment Groups, Owen Sheehan told The Clare Echo, “We are incredibly proud to unveil this project. The former Our Lady’s Hospital served the community faithfully for decades. However, in recent years the property has unfortunately fallen into significant disrepair and has become associated with increasing levels of antisocial behaviour. With Páirc Mhuire, we are building upon an incredibly strong foundation, one that has not received the care, respect, or investment it deserved for many years, despite several previous proposals for the site failing to materialise.
“Given its exceptional location within walking distance of Ennis Town Centre, this development represents a unique opportunity to revitalise a landmark site while delivering meaningful benefits to Ennis and the wider community. Páirc Mhuire will provide much-needed high- quality housing, new commercial amenities, employment opportunities, and a vibrant new neighbourhood that will support the continued growth and vitality of Ennis for generations to come. Our ambition is to create a place where people can live, work, and belong within a thoughtfully planned and sustainably designed environment that respects the history of the site while looking confidently to the future”.
Sitting on a 6.74 hectare site, the former psychiatric hospital has changed hands several times since the hospital closed in March 2002, the most recent buyer acquiring the lands in November 2024.
Valued at €1.25m in 2015, the site was sold at an online auction in Febuary 2018 for €750,000 and was put back on the market in October 2019 for €850,000. The hospital was designed by William Fogerty, it opened as the Ennis Asylum in 1862, it became Ennis Mental Hospital in the 1920s and was renamed Our Lady’s Hospital in the 1950s.
In February 2013, planning permission was granted at the site for the development of a healthcare facility comprising a four storey over basement building to provide a full range of medical and related services including 97 in-patient beds, recovery cubical, consultants suites, administration office accommodation, pharmacy, shop, catering facilities, crèche, energy centre, plant rooms and all ancillary accommodation.
