Looking for information on Kildare orphanage from nearly 50 years ago

A woman who is now living in the UK is visiting the Monasterevin area in coming weeks.

She was seven years old when she lived in The Hulk orphanage for six months from 1959 to 1960.

She is looking to make contact with anybody who can help her with information on the building.

Planning permission was turned down earlier this year to build a nursing home on the site of the 18th Century building.

A developer wanted to convert part of the three-storey premises - which was a former Protestant school -  into a craft shop, cafe, museum and artists' studio.

Proposed on the site was a two-storey 60-bed nursing home along with a car park.

A two-storey creche was also on the plans submitted to Kildare Co Council.

“The Hulk” was a Charter School set up in 1758 to educate orphaned Protestant children.

The building was later used as a warehouse and there were subsequent plans to develop the property which never came to fruition.