Plans for Lenaboy ‘creative hub’ to progress this year

The local authority has committed to advancing plans to redevelop Lenaboy Castle into a ‘creative hub’ for young people.

Chief Executive of Galway City Council, Brendan McGrath, said that plans for Lenaboy, handed over to the city by the Sisters of Mercy four years ago, would be progressed later this year.

The proposal to transform the facility on Taylor’s Hill into a hub for children was announced several years ago.

James Harrold, the city Arts Officer, has included the building in his action plan 2021-2024.

In it, Mr Harrold includes a pledge to “establish a creative hub at Lenaboy Castle for children and youth during the lifetime of this plan”.

“Galway City Council will invest in repurposing Lenaboy Castle as a dedicated creative and cultural hub and focal point for the delivery of arts and cultural experiences for all Galway city’s children and young people and as an incubator for developing and testing new creative ideas,” Mr Harrold said.

Meanwhile, the leaking roof in Galway’s city centre municipal art gallery will be repaired this year, the Council has confirmed.

Mr McGrath said that water ingress and a leaking roof at Galway Arts Centre at Number 47 Dominick Street needed emergency repairs.

Head of Finance, Declan Smyth indicated that funding of €250,000 was earmarked for 47 Dominick Street and €450,000 for Lenaboy. The projects have not yet been costed.

Mr McGrath said that when the City Council took over Lenaboy in 2017, it had to spend money on safeguarding the building, as it had been targeted by thieves and suffered damage to the roof.

The project would require substantial funding but he said that the €450,000 would be put aside and added to as ‘match’ funding to draw down national grants.