Hopes that Tallow Alms houses will be brought back into use

Calls were extended on Monday for Waterford City and County Council to bring the Alms houses in Tallow back into use.

Speaking at the Dungarvan Lismore meeting, local councillor John Pratt sought an update from the council regarding the houses located near the church, asking whether they will be brought back into use.

Responding to the query, Waterford City and County Council Director of Housing Ivan Grimes, said: “Both the Alms houses are under review. Work is progressing”.

Speaking with The Avondhu, Cllr Pratt stated that the houses haven’t been used in many years and that he hopes to see the council purchase the properties from the diocese with a view to bringing them back into use as social housing.

In 2019, new residents moved into Alms houses on the Youghal road in Tallow which the Church of Ireland had turned over to Waterford Council. The four properties, built in 1830, had been disused for approximately a decade and were refurbished and brought back into use by the council. Known as ‘ Boyce Cottages’, the houses were originally sponsored by John Boyce of Tallow as accommodation for ‘aged couples’.

Alms houses are a charitable form of self-sufficient, low-cost community housing that is held in trust for local people in housing need and, traditionally, are managed and run by alms house charities made up of local volunteers.

It is hoped that a repair and lease scheme may get underway on the remaining two Alms houses in Tallow, seeing the homes refurbished and added to the council’s housing stock.