Saint Felim’s Hospital in Cavan town has been put on the market by the HSE, with a price tag of just €200,000. The property includes the former fever hospital building, nursing home, convent nurses quarters and other buildings on the site, as well as over 11 acres of land surrounding the site.

The building and site's status as a former workhouse and famine graveyard should be respected. Dating back to the 1840's, it is a worthy part of Cavan's local history and deserves appropriate recognition. The workhouse was completed just 3 years before the great famine, and played a significant role locally throughout. It would be an enormous mistake to sell off this historical state owned asset.

Even if it is to be developed, it is simply bizarre for this government to rid itself of state land in the middle of a nationwide housing crisis which isn’t getting any better. The housing waiting list in Cavan alone is nearly at 1000. 

Selling off this great local and historical asset to private interests for so little is incredibly shortsighted.