Derelict city centre houses set to be brought back to life

A proposal to bring two derelict 18th Century city centre properties back to life as four-bed homes has been submitted to Galway City Council.

Robert Conneely has sought permission for the renovation of numbers 4 and 5 Market Street, which are on the list of Protected Structures, and are in very poor condition.

Part of the roof to the rear of the building is in danger of collapse, according to the applicant.

The plans involve the complete renovation of the buildings to become 2 four-bedroom homes, each over three storeys.

The front residence will be accessed from Market Street and a rear access via the side, while the rear unit will have access from the side. Parking will be on-street.

The application reads: “The property is currently vacant and in very poor condition. One June 25, the render to the front collapsed onto the street and for health and safety reasons, the remaining of the render was removed [the following day].

“The render was cracked, bulging and very brittle. For these reasons, it was considered safer to remove the remaining render as it was also liable to fall into the street.

“The roof to the rear part of the building is in very poor condition and has deteriorated very significantly over the last six months such that much of it has collapsed in on itself.

“It is not safe to enter and the south-western wall of the rear building is currently at risk of collapsing into the rear yard/adjoining property. Therefore, the applicant is very anxious to progress with the renovation works as soon as possible, in the interest of safety and to protect the remaining structure.

“It is proposed to bring it back into use which is imperative for the future survival of the building. The condition of the building fabric is such that considerable intervention and alteration will be necessary to make it habitable or useable.”

According to an Architectural Impact Assessment included with the application, the property appears to date to the late 18th century and was original a single house, but divided in two on the ground floor.

The properties were bought separately by the applicant’s grandfather in 1929 and the 1930s and the sub-division was removed. The building had to be substantially rebuilt following a fire in the 1950s.

A decision is expected from Galway City Council by the middle of this month.