By Dan Walsh at Enniscorthy Municipal District Council meeting
Eighteen years since fire ravaged Enniscorthy’s much loved and successful Murphy Flood’s Hotel and ongoing negativity about the abandoned site, Enniscorthy Municipal District Council, at its December meeting held today (Monday) in the Council Chamber, Presentation Centre, were informed that complete demolition is planned for the early part of 2024. Cllr John O’Rourke, Cathaoirleach, chaired the meeting and there was a full attendance of members.
The Planning Department at Wexford County Council, in collaboration with Special Projects has developed a strategic plan for Enniscorthy town centre, which was adopted at the Enniscorthy Municipal District meeting a year ago in December 2022.
David Whitty from Special Projects gave a detailed presentation around regeneration works to the Market Square, Enniscorthy Castle Quarter and Templeshannon areas of the town.
Wexford County Council has recently acquired the former Murphy Floods Hotel site, and adjacent derelict properties, in Enniscorthy Town Centre. The Council now seeks to advance a proposal to redevelop this vacant plot, which has previously secured Part 8 consent in July 2022. O’Connor Sutton Cronin Consulting Engineers were appointed in May 2023 to undertake full stage design services for the demolition and site preparation elements of the scheme. A tender competition to appoint a works contractor for the demolition works is ongoing. Tender assessment is underway, with phase 1 works anticipated to commence on site in the first quarter of 2024.
Delays with legal issues and complaints by elected representatives regards “the eyesore in the town centre” has blighted the derelict site for many years, and at recent meetings locally and at county level questions were tabled as to when the old Murphy Floods site would be redeveloped.
Murphy Floods Hotel was gutted by fire in 2005 and has remained static ever since. In March 2023 the site and adjoining property was acquired by Wexford County Council who announced an €8 million plan to develop a new library building, retail units, 18 apartments and underground parking. The next step is to demolish the existing buildings and commence the new development.
Also at today’s meeting it was stated that the Part 8 process for Market Square and town centre street enhancement commenced recently on October 4th and was designed by Moloney O’Beirne Architects & Roughan & O’Donovan Consulting Engineers. Preliminary design work on the Enniscorthy Castle Quarter project has now also commenced and it is intended to submit a Part 8 planning application for this in the early months of 2024.
ODKM Architects have been appointed to undertake concept master planning design services for the Templeshannon Regeneration Project.
It looks like Enniscorthy will be transformed in 2024!
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