In February 2021, The Anglo-Celt carried an article stating that the owners of the former St Felim’s Hospital were concerned about the safety of vandals who had broken into the property and caused damage there. Built in 1841-42, St Felim’s was one of the first workhouses constructed in Ireland by George Wilkinson, and the largest such institution in Ulster, its Tudor-Gothic design typical of the architect. Following the establishment of the Irish Free State, the property was designated as Cavan County Hospital, renamed St Felim’s in 1954. It ceased to operate as a hospital in 2003 and then sat empty and deteriorating for the next 16 years, until put up for auction by the HSE in 2019. In November of that year, the present owners, Pepino Place, a company owned by Paul Elliott from Cavan-based firm Elliott Properties Ltd Construction, bought the buildings on an 11.32 acre site: it had been listed on the market for a sum in excess of €200,000. Since then, aside from assault by the aforementioned vandals, not a lot appears to have happened here and the old hospital, despite being listed for protection, has fallen into further disrepair; yet another instance of our architectural heritage being at critical risk of disappearing forever.
In Sligo a building similar to this has been reconfigured as a Hotel. There is a hospital in Mullingar which is also falling into disrepair. What is it about rural Ireland?
The barge boards are beautiful !
Enabling ruination sometimes is the plan.
I hope the vandals did not hurt themselves when they broke into the building. So good of the owners to be concerned about their safety.
There seems little willingness on the part of County Councils do anything about instances of dereliction of listed buildings.
Where are the Heritage Council whenever they are actually needed to be effectual????