De Valera’s former Cork school converted into apartments by charity
Centenary House comprises of seven one-bed apartments as well as a three-bed and a two-bed apartment for families.
A former Christian Brothers School in Charleville, Co Cork, has been transformed into nine social housing apartments by the Peter McVerry Trust.
The school, which is on Charleville’s Main St, was once attended by President Éamon de Valera for three years between 1896 and 1898. It is the latest in a list of social housing projects delivered by the national housing and homeless charity which specialises in reusing derelict and empty buildings to create new homes.
Closed in 1972, the building was delisted in 2014, and used by various community groups until it fell into a state of disrepair in more recent years.
The Peter McVerry Trust undertook the project with the support of Cork County Council under the Department for Housing’s Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS).
The first tenants have already moved into their new homes and Centenary House, as the new scheme will now be known, will soon be fully occupied.
The property comprises of seven one-bed apartments as well as a three-bed and a two-bed apartment for families, along with communal garden facilities.
In 2022, the charity worked with more than 12,000 people across Ireland, including 125 people in Cork, and currently supports 77 tenancies across Cork City and county.
The Peter McVerry Trust delivered 48 homes for people experiencing homelessness in Cork last year, and is ramping up its delivery of homes for individuals and families in the city and county in 2023.
Tánaiste Micheál Martin said it is “greatly encouraging” to see a derelict building brought back into use for social homes, particularly one of such historical importance.
“Peter McVerry Trust is a valued partner in the Government’s efforts to tackle homelessness, and I’ve always been impressed by their ambition and expertise in transforming vacant properties right across the country,” he said.
