Under the Derelict Sites Act 1990, dereliction is defined as any land or structure that detracts, or is likely to detract, from the amenity, character, or appearance of land in the surrounding area. This includes buildings that are structurally unsound, left unmanaged, visually unattractive, or neglected, with potential negative impacts on neighbouring properties.
Owners of registered derelict sites may be liable for an annual levy of 7pc of the property’s valuation. Figures from the latest register suggest potential levies could range from €120,000 to €339,000 for the sites. However, more than half of the sites listed by Galway City Council had no valuation available.
A total of 107 sites across the city are listed as derelict, as vacant and neglected buildings continue to stand idle amid the Galway’s housing crisis.
Among them, several sites stand out:
Home on Whitestrand Road in Salthill
Oldest: 47 Whitestrand Road, Salthill
The oldest property on the current register is a four-bedroom, two-bathroom home in Salthill. It has been on the derelict list since April 2019 and is valued at €475,000. The house was purchased in 2014 for €250,000. In 2025 presentation, the council estimated potential revenue from levies at €21,000.
Newest: Estelle, Tuam Road
A house on Tuam Road was listed as derelict in March 2026. Planning records show a 12-apartment development application submitted in 2020, which received permission following an appeal with several modifications. No valuation is recorded on the derelict register.
Highest valued: Amhra House, Bóthar na mBán
Valued at €3.7 million, this former student accommodation complex was added to the register in April 2025. The four-storey building contained individual student apartments, with the owner unknown. One apartment was sold in July 2025.
Sales listing for apartment in Amhra House in 2025
HSE owned: Former Nurses Building, University College Hospital
Built in the early 1930s to house hospital nurses, the building is now used for office and training space. Comprising 12 bays over three storeys, it was recognised as a heritage building by the National Built Heritage Service in 2008.
Old Nurses Home ay UHG hospital
It was placed on the derelict register in summer 2025, valued at €3.5 million.
Most central: Finnegan’s Pub, Market Street, H91 E8N5
Finnegan’s in Galway city. Image: daft.ie
Finnegan’s Pub, claimed to be located in Galway’s oldest medieval building, features a lattice window façade, stonework, and a cosy interior. Although it was listed for sale in September 2025 for over €1 million, its doors remain open. The property was also included on the derelict register, valued at €800,000.
Victoria Place (National Educational Psychological Service)
The regional office of NEPS in Galway was placed on the derelict list in July 2025, valued at €2 million. NEPS provides educational psychological support to schools around the country.
Council-owned sites
Galway City Council owns two registered derelict sites: a farmhouse at Ballindooley Cross, added February 2025, and housing land on Merlin Park Lane, Doughiska, added September 2025. Neither site has a recorded valuation or eircode.
Funding schemes like the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant (VPRG) assist properties in refurbishments to make them habitable. Earlier this year, Leonard Cleary, Chief Executive of Galway City Council said €2.5 million had been invested into nearly 50 properties.
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting scheme.