BREAKING: Unique town centre residential project to expand after property purchase

The McAuley Place residential development in Naas is set to expand.

It’s understood that centre management have agreed to buy adjacent properties and land - which would facilitate a significant extension.

The property is owned by the O’Loughlin family, who are well known locally and have strong links to the community. The house served for a time in previous years as a Presbyterian church.

It’s located at Sallins Road, just off Poplar Square.

The deal is believed to include a house occupying just over 2,300 square feet as well as three terraced cottages each occupying 700 square feet and the property.

It’s thought the entire lot was sold for €1.8m.

The property was due to go under the hammer yesterday (July 19) but was withdrawn from the public market. It is accessible by vehicles from Sallins Road.

The house served for a time in previous years at a Presbyterian church.

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McAuley Place, which opened in Spring 2011, consists of 53 self-contained apartments and  is a managed service providing  housing for older people who are capable of independent living. 

The project is well regarded locally.

The setting offers the comfort of home with easy access to shops, restaurants, the church, the post office and other services. Each apartment comprises one bedroom with a fully equipped kitchen/sitting room and a bathroom with a level-access shower. It is an attractive alternative to institutional residential care. 

The project's ambition was to create “an intergenerational and creative environment, in the heart of the town where older persons would choose to live if they could no longer remain independent at home but did not need full nursing care..”

McAuley Place says it is “values driven with respect as the core value” and it aims to  “reweave the tapestry of the generations.”

In a statement  McAuley Place said was established in 2000 and is a voluntary non-denominational, not for profit,
housing association with charitable status.

"Our vision is to bring older persons to the heart of a vibrant community. The facilities at McAuley Place are today’s real representation of that vision. We place huge emphasis on promoting opportunities for lifelong learning, - the arts are central to this policy - and on ensuring social inclusion for residents and for the wider community.

"We rely on the generosity of the community and a core group of fifty volunteers to keep the vision alive.

"The organisation through its housing, community centre, tea rooms, arts/culture centre, together with its Luisne Centre and Woodland Garden brings intergenerational activities to the residents of McAuley Place and the people of Naas and its environs.

"There is accommodation for 53 residents which is currently full and has a substantial waiting list. Together jointly with Kildare County Council and the support of the wider community this facility is striving to grow.

"In the endeavours  to grow and extend its facilities we can confirm that we have purchased the adjacent Beaufort residence together with its attached cottages for the purpose of extending our facilities.

"Our plans are to extend our facilities for the elderly by extending our existing accommodation in line with our current model, that has been very successful and renowned by all, including the President of Ireland, as being an exemplar of facilities for the elderly.

"We look forward to commencing the works in this regard in the not too distant future and having an extended facility that will perfectly link-in with our existing facilities in what was the former Convent of Mercy."