Wexford County Council provide update on Adoration Convent student accommodation plan

IT’S now over three years since the Adoration Sisters packed up their belongings and left the large convent building which had been home to the order for nearly 150 years. Despite some small surveying work, the imposing building next to Bride Street Church seems to have remained almost untouched in that period.

This is despite major plans to convert the historic building into accommodation for students travelling to Ireland from Georgia Southern University to study at the American university’s European campus, situated in the old County Hall buildings in Wexford town.

Before Christmas, Chief Executive of Wexford County Council Tom Enright said that, despite appearances, things were “progressing” behind the scenes. He stated that the university remained fully “committed" to the project and that architects had been engaged, before providing a timeline of spring 2023 for tender documents to be signed, with construction starting on site by summertime. 

In the latest Chief Executive’s Report circulated in advance of the February meeting of the council, it appears that this timeline may have been revised once again.

It states: “A design team appointment is imminent. It is intended to tender in Q2 with works to commence before the end of 2023.”

While the Chief Executive was not present at the February meeting, in his absence, Cllr Barbara Anne Murphy asked how confident the officials were in meeting this timeframe. Having travelled to Savannah, Georgia herself last year, Cllr Murphy stressed the importance of getting the delivery of student accommodation over the line.

In response, Director of Services Liz Hore said: “Detailed costings have now been submitted. Georgia Southern University are funding the design element themselves, so as soon as they give the go ahead, things will be able to move forward another step.”

Ms Hore noted that representatives from the US university were in town as the meeting was taking place and was hopeful that the project would see significant progress in the coming months.