Exciting plans for the refurbishment of the Old Mohill Station House

Mohill Town Team have exciting plans for the Old Mohill Station House which has lain semi-derelict and uncared for since it closed in 1959.

In 2012 the old building was secured by a group of visionary local trustees who recognised its historical significance and wanted to see it preserved for present and future generations. They raised the necessary finance to purchase the building and many members of the local community also made a generous financial contribution to the fundraising efforts.

In the intervening years some work has been ongoing in the background to develop plans and to source funding.

Mohill Town Team is made up of representatives from the local business and community sector. In partnership with Leitrim County Council in 2019 they developed a five year Economic Development plan for the town.

A Mohill Station House Working group which is part of the Town Team successfully led an application for government funding under the Department of Rural and Community Development Town and Village Scheme and secured the maximum funding of €500,000 towards the refurbishment of the Station House. Minister Heather Humphreys announced the funding in Mohill on February 25, 2022.

The Old Mohill Station House has a very interesting history. It was an important part of the Cavan and Leitrim narrow gauge railway that ran from Dromod to Mohill and onto Ballinamore and Belturbet for over 100 years.

It first opened its doors on 17th October in 1887 initially for the transport of goods and one week later on 24th October for passengers. It operated as a busy transport route for many of our ancestors until it sadly closed on April 1st 1959.

It was a class 2 intermediate level manned station and had two timber platforms with buildings similar to those at Dromod on the down side.

Many local people have great memories and great stories of travelling on the narrow gauge and there was great sadness when it closed.

Noel Smith Architects were appointed last year to oversee the refurbishment project. They have prepared a detailed design and planning permission has been secured. Work is well underway to proceed with the transformation of the old Station House into a heritage/tourism/ community space with a coffee shop and one self catering accommodation unit.

Leitrim County Council have been hugely supportive of the Town Team in progressing this exciting flagship development for the town. The Town Team believe that it will become the ‘go to’ place for locals and visitors alike and will be the catalyst for many other positive developments in the town. However a condition of this funding is that the local community have to raise 10% of the cost of the project.

Mohill, like most other small towns, has suffered badly over the past number of years with businesses closing and many of our young people having to leave for work but one of its greatest strengths is the powerful community spirit that exists in the town.

The Mohill Town Team and the Station House Working group are now reaching out to everyone who cares about the future of our beautiful town to fully support the successful completion of this very valuable project.

A Mohill Station House bank account has been set up in Bank of Ireland Mohill account number: 94904923 IBAN: IE34BOFI 90541694 9049 23. BIC: BOFIIE2 or you can donate directly on the Old Mohill Station House redevelopment GoFundMe page.

All contributions received will be gratefully acknowledged.

If anyone would like more information you can contact the Mohill Community Enterprise Centre on 071 9632024, check out Mohill Station House video on youtube or email mohillstationhouse@ outlook.com