Monaghan County Council has today signed a contract for a €7 million grant.
The funding will go towards the St. Louis Chapel redevelopment project.
The contact was signed by the Council's Chief Executive, Robert Burns and the Northern and Western Regional Assembly at the Peace Campus in Monaghan.
Funding was provided for the project under the Town Centre First Heritage Revival Scheme, and aims to transform the derelict former St Louis Chapel into a versatile community hub.
Speaking to Northern Sound, Monaghan County Council CE Robert Burns explained how the restoration will work.
Mr. Burns said: "Specifically what we are working on here is the restoration and the adaptation of the old chapel on the site, which is an interesting project in itself.
"Its a protected structure, so we are looking at doing a sensitive restoration around that, making it available as a community space.
"Its also on a beautiful campus. People wouldn't be aware that there is 30 acres of parkland and a lake right on their doorstep. Its great that land has come from St. Louis Convent Order as well.
"The first stage is this building, and bringing it back into use," Mr. Burns added.
Monaghan MD councillor Seán Conlon outlined the importance of the project.
"Its all around recreation and amenity. That was the grounds in which the transaction took place between the Convent and the County Council. It would not be turned into a development of housing, it wouldn't be developed out of character of its history and heritage.
"It is more focussing on the 28 acres acquired by the Council. It will require large tranches of funding to progress projects such as this. This €7 million is a great injection at the get go," he added.
The redevelopment forms a central component of Monaghan County Council’s long‑term vision for the St Louis Lands, a 21‑acre publicly owned heritage campus acquired by the Council in 2024.
The site includes the former convent, nursing home, national school, lake, and forest grounds, making it one of the county’s most significant heritage clusters and an important opportunity for cultural, social and economic renewal.
It will also see the historic chapel sensitively restored and brought back into active use, transforming it into a centre for creativity, innovation and community activity.
This will include multi‑purpose performance, event and meeting spaces, exhibition areas, a café, ancillary facilities and improved internal circulation designed to welcome visitors and support a wide range of uses.
The project will follow a conservation led approach that honours the building’s historical and architectural significance while adapting it to contemporary needs. It will also enhance pedestrian connectivity between the St Louis Lands and Monaghan Town Centre, strengthening the cultural and community spine of the area.
