Wexford

Change county

Provision of student accommodation at Wexford convent enters design phase as €400,000 contract signed

Georgia Southern University aim to have students studying all year round in Wexford from 2026

Back row L-R Liz Hore Wexford Co. Council, Julie Connell Director USA & Canada Unit Dept. Of Foreign Affairs, Trip Addison Georgia Southern University, Minister James Browne, Dr. Howard Keeley Georgia Southern University, Brian Flynn Politik Director Dept. Of Foreign Affairs, John Coleman Savannah World Trade Centre. Front Row L- R Thomas Bradshaw Stephen Carr Architechts, Cllr. George Lawlor Cathaoirleach Wexford Co. Council, Dr. Kyle Marrero President Georgia Southern University, Tom Enright Chief Executive WCC, Van Johnson Mayor of Savannah.

The old Adoration Convent in Wexford town.

thumbnail: Back row L-R Liz Hore Wexford Co. Council, Julie Connell Director USA & Canada Unit Dept. Of Foreign Affairs, Trip Addison Georgia Southern University, Minister James Browne, Dr. Howard Keeley Georgia Southern University, Brian Flynn Politik Director Dept. Of Foreign Affairs, John Coleman Savannah World Trade Centre. Front Row L- R Thomas Bradshaw Stephen Carr Architechts, Cllr. George Lawlor Cathaoirleach Wexford Co. Council, Dr. Kyle Marrero President Georgia Southern University, Tom Enright Chief Executive WCC, Van Johnson Mayor of Savannah.
thumbnail: The old Adoration Convent in Wexford town.
Pádraig Byrne
© Wexford People

While visiting Wexford this week, the President of Georgia Southern University (GSU) has signed contracts worth in the region of $400,000 to progress the refurbishment of old Adoration Convent Building in Wexford town with the goal of converting the historic building into student accommodation.

GSU President Kyle Marrero was part of a “high-powered delegation” from Savannah, Georgia, whose arrival in Wexford coincided with the arrival of 65 students who will attend the American university’s Wexford campus for the next four weeks.

Over the course of that four weeks, the students will stay in hotel accommodation around Wexford, however, the goal for GSU remains to students attending their Wexford campus in the old county hall all year round by 2026 and, as a result, the provision of student accommodation is vital.

The Savannah delegation, which included Mayor Van Johnson and various financial backers of the University, took a tour of the old convent building on Monday, before signing the contracts with Stephen Carr Architects, who will get to work immediately on the design.

Although the plans for the historic Wexford building have been delayed for various reasons, among them a global pandemic, Cathaoirleach of Wexford County Council George Lawlor was able to provide an updated timeline after this week’s developments.

"Work on the design will start almost immediately,” he said. “I would expect that a full refurbishment of the convent building will have taken place by late 2024 or early 2025. This is not only a great move in terms of providing vital accommodation for students of Georgia Southern, but it also secures the future of a historic Wexford building and ensures that it will be restored and well maintained.”

In terms of the funding of the project, Cllr Lawlor said it was his understanding that Wexford Council would take on the initial outlay, in the region of €4 million, with the money to be recouped in instalments from GSU.