City centre housing project on track to be completed in October

A SOCIAL housing development that will provide new homes at unused, derelict, and vacant sites on Barrack St — including the former Nancy Spain’s bar — is on track to be completed in October.

The site was the subject of extensive local and national interest in 2021, when skeletal remains of six bodies were uncovered.

During the monitoring of ground reductions to the rear of the Barrack St facade of the former Nancy Spain’s pub, human skeletal remains were found just below the construction formation level in that area of the development.

Four of the six individuals were uncovered within a mass burial pit.

Small fragments of bone taken from two of the skeletons to facilitate radiocarbon dating returned dates from the period between 1447 and 1636.

Speaking in relation to the expected completion of the new housing units, Independent councillor Mick Finn said it is welcome that the project is almost concluded.

"This proposed development goes back about five years and has had some major hurdles in the way of progress; it's good to see that the development is almost complete," he said.

Elsewhere on the street, adjoining properties 118 and 119 are also primed for development after city councillors voted last November to sell the long-derelict buildings acquired by the local authority using compulsory purchase order powers in 2021.

Speaking at a council meeting last year, the city council’s director of corporate affairs and international relations, Paul Moynihan, said the properties were deemed unsuitable to be developed as social housing by the council’s housing directorate.

He said the purchaser, a business owner on Barrack St, had a “track record of deliverability” and had proposed a commercial use at lower level with residential above.

Mr Finn said it will be “good to see this [site] brought back to life also”.

The former Lord Mayor also said other social housing units at the nearby Pouladuff Rd are in the process of being allocated.

“I wasn't in favour of the design of these units - they stick out like a sore thumb - but they got through the planning process but have also been empty for over a year since completion.

“Nine of the 11 have been allocated and two more are in the process,” he said.