Victory For Kilcullen: HSE Agrees In Principle To Hand Over Building Restored By Locals To Council

Wednesday, 16 July 2025 15:58

By Martin Osborne

Fine Gael Cllr Tracey O'Dwyer has described the latest developments "as positive news".

Kfm understands that the HSE has confirmed an "agreement in principle" to give Kildare County Council a HSE-owned building in Kilcullen that locals painstakingly restored before learning that it was going to be sold on the open market.

In what is now seen as a dramatic u-turn, the HSE is now expected to hand the building over to Kildare County Council - meaning it will be removed from the open market.

Fine Gael Cllr Tracey O'Dwyer has described the latest developments "as positive news".

She said it proves that locals "have a voice" when they come together.

It is expected that the building will be used as a community drop-in centre in the future after further upgrades are carried out.

Intense late-night talks ran into the early hours between Councillor O’Dwyer, Kildare South TD Martin Heydon, and senior officials from both the HSE and Kildare County Council.

It followed widespread local anger after the HSE reaffirmed its plans to sell the historic property - despite years of community efforts to restore it for public use, including as a potential day care centre.

Locals painstakingly restored the building, sought grants and even set up a 'buy a brick' campaign to inject new life into the building.

The issue was also raised in the Seanad this week by Senator Fiona O’Loughlin.

Kfm spoke to distraught locals after they heard news that the building could be sold, with one man, Ronan Murray, telling us that the building would serve as a lifeline to tackle social isolation.

You can read that story here.

We also revealed how the renewal of a lease was promised to the community by the HSE but never materialised.

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