Calls for 19th-century building in Louth to be brought back to life

A 19th Century building in Drogheda is of huge importance to the town and should be brought back to life to serve locals, a local Aontú rep has said.

Michael O’Dowd says leaving St. John’s Home vacant and allowing it to fall into further decline is a failure of leadership and vision.   

He said: “St John’s Home is a protected historic building that has been left vacant, derelict, and abandoned for far too long. While the main structures remain standing and the roofs are intact, the site has been unused for many years and continues to deteriorate through neglect. This is not acceptable for a building of such importance in the centre of Drogheda.”

Built in 1816 as a charitable home, St John’s along with St Peters Church of Ireland helped define Peter’s Hill, one of Drogheda’s most important civic spaces.

He continued: “It is important to acknowledge that genuine efforts were made in recent years to return the buildings to use, including proposals for refurbishment and town-centre housing. With the best will in the world, those efforts were not successful, and the buildings remain unused.

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“Louth County Council must now take the lead. The Council should bring all relevant parties together, provide clarity on the future of the site, and actively support a plan to restore, reuse, or sensitively redevelop St John’s Home.

“St John’s Home should once again serve the people of Drogheda, and decisive action is now required.”