EASKEY GARDA STATION OFFERS HUGE POTENTIAL
THIS SIX- BED PROPERTY IN EASKEY VILLAGE COULD BE A HUGE TOURIST MAGNET WITH THE RIGHT HANDLING
A former RIC and Garda barracks in Easkey is offering an exciting prospect for potential buyers interested in a quirky project.
The property was bought at an OPW auction in March 2016 by its current owners. Auctioneer Carol Kelly of CK Properties told The Sligo Champion it had been idle since the mid- eighties before that.
The property consists of the Garda station to the front, with a six bedroom Sergeant’s residence to the rear. Positioned at the Ballina side of Easkey village, it’s an opportunity for an investor interested in doing up the rest of the property for the tourism sector.
“It’d attract an owner not looking to move into it as a primary residence. It’d have potential to develop something like Enniscrone and the glamping village,” said Carol.
“It’d need to be renovated at the rear, perhaps in keeping with the theme of its history. It’s big enough to do that because there’s plenty of parking,” she said.
The current owners have renovated the Garda station and turned it into a one- bedroom “house- style” apartment which comfortably sleeps up to four people and is now available for rental as a holiday let on Airbnb.
“They’ve done a wonderful job renovating Phase 1 of the restoration. It’s a big job to take on board,” she said.
Interest is strong since it came on the market two weeks ago, with two offers to date. The guide price is currently at 150,000 but the owners are not entertaining offers below that figure. “They’re quite adamant about offers in excess of 150,000 or higher,” said Carol.
“I’m sure for the people of Easkey they’d love to see it renovated properly,” she said.
The year it was originally built has not yet been determined but CK Properties have been able to verify that the building was used first as an RIC ( Royal Irish Constabulary) Barracks and with the dawn of Irish Independence, was converted into a Garda Barracks in 1926.
It consists of a detached three- bay- two- storey rendered police station, with the Sergeants living accommodation at one end and the police station at the other.
It’s got immense character, contrasting markedly with the typical architecture of the town with its hipped roofs, multiple chimney- stacks and sprocketed eaves.
With it’s prime location on the Wild Atlantic Way it has huge potential for tourism. A truly unique property steeped in Irish history.