What's The Building Opposite Corrib Village?

O.P.H

It's directly across from the main entrance to Corrib Village. It looks like some type of official government building or convent or something. I think someone told me its now a bunch of apartments but that it used to be used for something else before that, like a psychiatric ward I think. Any ideas?

biko

Not sure. Pic

O.P.H

Ya thats the place. Its my mission in life now to find out wtf that place is and was

TristanPeter

AFAIK it's basically a ghost estate. I remember them being for sale a couple of years back by "appointment only".

Madame Razz

It was a new build a few years ago, was it not?? Built to look old, so to speak. Don't think that there was anything of note there beforehand, but I'm not 100percent on that.

TristanPeter

TristanPeter wrote: »

AFAIK it's basically a ghost estate. I remember them being for sale a couple of years back by "appointment only".

Nah you have it all wrong...... ghosts are like travellers.

Iwannahurl

I've seen that building and wondered too.

"Built to look old" is a good description. When I saw it first I thought it must have been there for yonks and I'd just never noticed. Then I looked closer.

Could it be called Georgian in style? It does have an austere institutional feel to it.

TriBarry

Its a New Science & Research Building for NUI Galway. It was being built by McNamaras before they went bust. The building is gone back out to tender again.
See http://www.nuigalway.ie/buildings/projects.html

Mrs OBumble

TriBarry wrote: »

Its a New Science & Research Building for NUI Galway. It was being built by McNamaras before they went bust. The building is gone back out to tender again.
See http://www.nuigalway.ie/buildings/projects.html

I think you're thinking of something else. See the pic that Biko has linked too ... this one is on the other side of the road from the university.

I'd always thought it looked like ugly new build to look old apartments.

When I walked around the area looking for stuff to put on the neighbourhood map, there were no signs anywhere that told me what it was, so I left it out.

TriBarry

Oh Yes....sorry, I should have looked at the pic first.

No idea.....looks like another block of NAMA apartments. Amazing how something like that ever got planning. the architect probably got an award for it as well!!

nikkiplc2001

They are a load of apartments that were build approx 5 years ago, they were supposed to be state of the art, old georgian kinda thing, think they were trying to sell them at well over €500,000. The only thing that was there before was a grass hill, there used to be horses kept there!!

O.P.H

Oh right, cheers for that!

Sponge Bob

It is a ghost estate owned by some bank since the developer went bust some years back. It was called Bun na Leaca or Bun an Leaca. The same developer was caught with a load of townhouses at the back of the 12 in Barna too.

Iwannahurl

http://www.hennellyauctioneers.com/ShowProperty.aspx?id=37&type=R&propertyid=42

http://www.galwayindependent.com/local-news/local-news/%26euro;6.5m-orders-against-clarin-bridge-builder/

http://www.sbpost.ie/news/ireland/family-builders-ordered-to-pay-10m-to-aib-52456.html

Madame Razz

When they were launched, there was a huge feature on them in one of the Sunday papers. They seem to have pumped major cash into them in terms of finish etc and as I recall none of the original asking prices was below 600k or something mad like that. The most expensive was around the 850k mark I think. They launched them just a few months before things started to get wobbly. I don't think any of them sold.

And now they just sit there. No doubt they will be sold off in a fire sale at some stage.

snubbleste

O.P.H wrote: »

I think someone told me its now a bunch of apartments but that it used to be used for something else before that, like a psychiatric ward I think. Any ideas?

As another poster pointed out, it was a hill with grass before it was flattened and built on.

Mrs OBumble

snubbleste wrote: »

As another poster pointed out, it was a hill with grass before it was flattened and built on.

Ahh, sure, but seeing as it's there now, we may as well get a story to tell the tourists.

Sponge Bob

JustMary wrote: »

we may as well get a story to tell the tourists.

Tell them it is haunted. In their mad rush to erect the property and sell the housheens for €1m each they concreted 6 Polish lads into the foundation after they fell asleep working 24 hour shifts and nobody noticed.

Of a night one can hear the plaintive wails of "Nienawidzę betonu" as one walks past.

fatleomessi

that place does have a strange story behind it..

I'm not going into details here though,

pm me if you like

padraig71

Sounds like it would make a good squat.

Iwannahurl

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Tell them it is haunted. In their mad rush to erect the property and sell the housheens for €1m each they concreted 6 Polish lads into the foundation after they fell asleep working 24 hour shifts and nobody noticed.

Of a night one can hear the plaintive wails of "Nienawidzę betonu" as one walks past.

And "Czy kurwa recesja skończyłeś?"

TheCosmicFrog

I always thought the biggest problem with Bun na Leaca is the fact that it's basically a small housing estate with standalone-like houses.

Or to put it another way, if you have that much money to spend on a house, wouldn't you build a much larger one on its own grounds a few miles out the road?

NomdePlume

If you mean Bun na Leaca, it's just a block of terraced houses and maybe apartments, built only a few years ago. Although it looks like a Victorian orphanage imo.

gaeilgegrinds1

They were 700,000ish, cos my brother was looking at them, madness! I wonder when they'll be sold off, such a waste! Saw inside them, plush is not the half of it.

Lapin

Iwannahurl wrote: »

"Built to look old" is a good description.

Could it be called Georgian in style?

Try pastiche muck for a more accurate description.

JohnCleary

They look quite nice inside, although a bit cramped. Looks like the furniture does not suit the size of the units

HeisenbergBB

Anyone have links showing the interior? Or any idea what the name of the appartment block is?

Just saw iwannahurl's links. Never mind!

snubbleste

I looked up the planning for the site and it says planning (ref 0070) was granted to a Brian Walsh in 2001. Is this the former Cllr. or is it a common name?

The planning was appealed by local residents to An Bord Pleanala and then withdrawn - wonder why? http://www.pleanala.ie/casenum/122975.htm
The property was then developed by Michael Fitzgerald Properties

Sponge Bob

The developer is in a spot of bother this week, usual story really. Blogger gets off his hole and produces fine blog posting.

http://zxcode.com/2011/05/the-mill-apartments-ballisodare/

Lazy journalist plagiarises blog as news.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/apartments-built-on-banks-of-famed-river-lie-in-ruin-2644505.html

Head The Wall

snubbleste wrote: »

I looked up the planning for the site and it says planning (ref 0070) was granted to a Brian Walsh in 2001. Is this the former Cllr. or is it a common name?

The planning was appealed by local residents to An Bord Pleanala and then withdrawn - wonder why? http://www.pleanala.ie/casenum/122975.htm
The property was then developed by Michael Fitzgerald Properties

Looked up the planning website for this application and there doesn't seem to be any documents available on it, just 203 pages of empty file markers and a few pages from another planning reference from Gerry Barrett. Could be a mistake but I would think otherwise

It does say though that it's for a Brian Walsh and gives an address of 21 Eyre Square Galway, anyone know had he any connection to this address in 2000.

Thats you I'm asking (all seeing and knowing) Sponge Bob

I see the other planning application I had mentioned in another thread in relation to Brian Walsh was granted. There is no mention of Brian Walsh on the representation list now even though he was on it earlier, it would make you wonder, must call the council and see what's the story with his name being taken off it and why there is no correspondence for 0070

Sponge Bob wrote: »

The developer is in a spot of bother this week, usual story really. Blogger gets off his hole and produces fine blog posting.

http://zxcode.com/2011/05/the-mill-apartments-ballisodare/

Lazy journalist plagiarises blog as news.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/apartments-built-on-banks-of-famed-river-lie-in-ruin-2644505.html

Build cost E12,000,000

74 x 320000 = E23,680,000

Thats a 100% markup if all the apartments were the same price. It was nice money if you got it.

Sponge Bob

Head The Wall wrote: »

It does say though that it's for a Brian Walsh and gives an address of 21 Eyre Square Galway, anyone know had he any connection to this address in 2000.

Thats you I'm asking (all seeing and knowing) Sponge Bob

No idea at all, could have been a solicitors office and a dead letter drop.