Despite years of false dawns there appears to be a new hope on the horizon for the development of Armagh Gaol.
The Gaol, which sits prominently at one end of the Mall – the courthouse at the other – operated primarily as a women’s prison until its closure in 1986.
The then Armagh City Council acquired the building in 1997 for an undisclosed sum and have since been trying to redevelop the site.
To date, those endeavours have borne little fruit but renewed efforts to squeeze revenue from the historic site are currently underway.
For ABC Council have set themselves a deadline of summer 2026 to publish an outline business plan.
Armagh I understands the Department of Communities has taken a real interest in having this site redeveloped – and as such, Council – according to a draft tourism, arts and culture business plan recently put before councillors – will compile a new business case specifically for Armagh Gaol.
When questions were put to Council on what this business case might look like, officers remained tight-lipped, stating they were not ready to release any information to the public at this stage.
So it remains unclear whether the site will be developed as a hotel – such was the ‘most recent’ interest from the Osborne Group – however, according to the draft tourism plan, “new hotel accommodation at 4-Star and above standard is required to be developed in the Borough”.
The draft plan added: “Potential developers will need to be supported though to delivery of a project. Two existing hoteliers have met this threshold, but further developments will be needed.”
In terms of funding, Council are looking at the Mid South West (MSW) Growth Deal as a “significant opportunity for transformational change” and that the Department “will play a significant role in the Armagh Gaol project”.
Movement on the Gaol redevelopment will be welcomed but scepticism will remain, given that next year will mark 40 years of dormancy.
The History
In 2008, the council put the Gaol on the market, seeking proposals for redevelopment into a mixed-use city centre project, including potential uses such as a hotel, residential apartments, offices, community or leisure facilities, specialty retail space, or restaurants and bars.
In 2009: the old Armagh City Council entered into a partnership with the Trevor Osborne Property Group and the Prince’s Regeneration Trust to redevelop the gaol into a boutique hotel and heritage centre.
The proposed £25 million project included a 4-star hotel with 80 rooms, spa and treatment rooms, a restaurant, conference and banqueting facilities, a heritage centre, 22 residential apartments, and 10,000 square feet of retail space.
Planning permission was granted in July 2013, with hopes to open the development by 2020, however, the project faced delays due to funding challenges and political instability, particularly the suspension of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Since then ABC Council have reiterated their intention to redevelop the site providing funding is secured.
Time will tell if this building finally awakes from its slumber or if it’ll be another false dawn.
