- A 3.16-acre former Sisters of Mercy convent complex in Passage West, Cork, was listed at €1.2 million
- It has planning permission for 35 apartments, 13 detached houses and two shops
- The convent dates from about 1870 and is on the national heritage inventory
- Its facade and the former industrial school will be kept
A former Sisters of Mercy convent complex overlooking Cork Harbour has come onto the market with planning permission already in place, the Irish Examiner reported in March 2021. The 3.16-acre site on Main Street, Passage West, was listed at €1.2 million, plus possible VAT, through ERA Downey McCarthy.
The site includes the former St Mary’s National School, the convent, built around 1870, a former industrial school and other buildings. The convent is listed in the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.
Full planning permission covers 35 apartments, 13 detached homes and two retail units. The approved plans include a four-storey block on Main Street with 17 one- and two-bedroom apartments over ground-floor shops, 18 apartments in the converted convent and 13 five-bedroom detached houses to the rear. The convent facade and the adjacent industrial school building, both architecturally significant, are to be kept.
The Passage West Strategic Plan 2018-2022 identified the site as a key regeneration opportunity. Agents Ger White and Seán McCarthy handled the sale.
The listing shows how much value planning permission can add to church-related land. A buyer here was not just buying old buildings but a ready-made scheme for about 48 homes and two shops on a harbour town’s main street. Churches and religious orders in Jamaica with surplus land can raise its value, and the chance of a good outcome, by securing planning permission before selling. For diaspora investors, a permitted scheme reduces the risk of buying land that cannot be built on.
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