Ambitious Laois housing plan at historic Portlaoise school

A former historic Laois primary school is to be turned into a council housing development.

Maryborough national school in Portlaoise, which was vacated in 2015 when the school got a new building, is planned to be turned into an estate of 11 small single storey homes. 

There will be three types of house, two with 2 bedrooms, one with one bedroom and seven also with two bedrooms.

The Church of Ireland school on the Stradbally Road in Portlaoise was built in 1897, with two classrooms, and a third later added. The school moved to a new building at the Summerhill campus in 2015.

It was rented out to a local sports group since its closure.

The building could have become a medical centre. In early 2018, planning permission was granted to Trovatore Limited, whose directors are pharmacist Marcus Breslin and Jayne Breslin, 86 Main Street, Portlaoise, to turn it into a medical centre and pharmacy with two storey extensions added. That permission has since expired.

No council plans are drawn up yet, but it could be a similar project to that carried out in Clonaslee where the school was converted into two adjoining social houses and more built behind it.

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Laois County Council revealed the plan at the June council meeting in its management report.

They state that they will be carrying out the construction, and that Stage 1 which is an outline funding application, will be made to the Department of Housing between July and September this year.