'Disappointing' derelict Laois convent with planning for apartments put up for sale

A long derelict Laois convent that was recently granted planning permission to become an apartment complex, has instead been put up for sale.

A Laois councillor expressed disappointment, speaking at the Laois County Council October meeting.

Cllr Paschal McEvoy is not happy at the change of plan.

“On derelict buildings, it is disappointing to see that after planning permission was got for Stradbally convent, that it is up for sale.

“It’s going to hold the whole thing up and god knows where it’s going to end up. It’s disappointing to say after all the work that went in to get planning sorted out, that they decided to sell it on.

“Hopefully someone buys it and develops it fairly quickly because it’s actually going to fall down one of these days. It’s a sad state of affairs,” Cllr McEvoy said.

The property is advertised for sale at an undisclosed price, and is offered as either one sale or as three separate lots.

Auctioneer Clement Herron describes it as “an existing former convent and church, together with an associated development site, and benefits from full planning permission for the development of 17 residential apartments.”

The property includes the former convent and a boarded up chapel with rear gardens on almost 1 acre of land.

Planning permission was granted in April 2026, for a conversion of the convent and the chapel, and construction of a new building, to offer a total of 17 apartments, with 22 private car parking spaces. The buildings are both protected structures. The convent is vacant for over three decades and was placed on the derelict sites register in about 2023.

It was designed by Laois architects NKSE Architectural Studio who said they were excited to “get this building renovated and returned to its former glory”.

“Having been left derelict for so long, along with vandalism has seen the beautiful interior of this building destroyed with key features lost. Hopefully, what remains can now be preserved."

The applicant Vesta Construction planned to turn the buildings into 18 one bedroom apartments.

The permission allows the demolition of a two storey and single storey building at the rear of the convent and construction of a new small apartment building..

There would be a renovation and upgrade of the existing convent, and the vacant church next door into further apartments.

There were several submissions made against the apartment plan by nearby residents, concerned about the possible added strain on parking spaces on Main Street, and flood risks.