A planning application has been submitted to Leitrim County Council for the conversion of the former Convent of Mercy on Convent Road, Aghadark, Ballinamore, Co. Leitrim into a 12-unit aparthotel, with café and restaurant use on the ground floor, bringing a long-vacant heritage building back into active use.

The Irish Independent reported that the application, submitted on 1 May and currently at pre-validation stage, seeks permission for the change of use of the former convent building, chapel, and outbuildings, with aparthotel accommodation on the first and second floors.

The proposals include the construction of a new lift and a single-storey kitchen extension to the rear of the building, along with a glass porch and a covered outdoor seating area adjacent to the proposed café on the south elevation. A link corridor connecting the convent building to existing outbuildings is also proposed.

The application includes provision for 19 on-site car parking spaces.

The former Convent of Mercy dates from the 1800s and extends to approximately 990 sq m, set on almost 2.4 acres of grounds in the centre of Ballinamore overlooking the Shannon-Erne Waterway. The building has been vacant for several years.

Local councillor Gary Prior welcomed the planning application, saying it was encouraging to see anything that attracts new businesses and brings a derelict building back into use, particularly one with historic importance. Prior described Ballinamore as a tourist town with significant footfall and noted that local walkways and festivals have driven a substantial increase in visitor numbers to the area in recent years.

The Ballinamore application is one of several adaptive reuse proposals currently advancing across Co. Leitrim, reflecting growing developer interest in converting vacant heritage and commercial buildings into hospitality and residential use across Ireland's rural towns.

Read the full report on the Ballinamore convent aparthotel planning application.