Planning underway for Railway Hotel to be renovated into Student Residences

Railway Hotel and neighbouring McEnery’s Shop could see massive renovations as a 116-bed space student accommodation.

The proposed planning would provide 116-bed spaces, six studio apartments and nineteen apartments, a laundrette and a ground floor café

By I Love Limerick correspondent Stella Gordon

The iconic Railway Hotel situated on Parnell Street has been closed since 2016. The closure of the thirty-bedroom 150-year-old landmark hotel resulted in the loss of fifteen jobs, and the hotel was then opened as a derelict sites case in early 2022. Plans are currently being made to revitalise the idle building, where it has been proposed to be renovated for the purpose of student accommodation. The city centre hotel was previously very popular and was visited by many tourists and guests on business.

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Signature Trustees Ltd and Mark McMahon submitted a planning application seeking permission to change the use of the hotel to student accommodation. The desolate McEnery’s XL Stop and Shop, situated next to the Railway Hotel would also be renovated as student accommodation. According to the proposed plans, the building is to be demolished and will then be replaced by a three-storey unit in Parnell Street, with a seven-story unit neighbouring on Davis Street, both to be used as student residences. This planning would provide 116-bed spaces, six studio apartments, and nineteen apartments, a laundrette, and a ground floor café.

Limerick locals are eager to see the Railway Hotel building become populous again. A Facebook user commented, “Sad to see the Railway Hotel in such a bad state, boarded up and paint crumbling. It would be great to see someone renovate it.” The application is still in the planning stage with a decision due to be made by December 16, 2022.

The proposed planning for the 116-bed space student accommodation is positive news amid the student accommodation crisis. A stark survey conducted by UL Student Life found that 35% of students who took part in the survey are unable to find suitable accommodation, resulting in them commuting long distances, paying for hotels, staying in emergency accommodations, or suffering homelessness. The proposed city centre site could help to house students from the three main third-level institutes in Limerick due to its central and accessible location, and proximity to bus stops.

Find out more information about the student accommodation crisis 

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