A building once described as a flag of dereliction for lower Main Street is soon to become a state of the art beacon of development thanks to a highly experienced doctor with local links and ambitious plans for the property.
A special meeting of Longford County Council has today approved the purchase of the Providers building on Main Street, following a proposal submitted by Councillor Peggy Nolan.
The purchase of the council-owned building was made by Dr Neil Healy, a GP and managing partner of the Bellview Clinical Group in Mullingar, which he runs with his wife, Dr Paula Donnelly, who is a GP, lecturer, and a leading figure in the provision of female healthcare.
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Dr Healy – the son of Mr Tim Healy, a retired teacher at Moyne Community School and Mrs Marie O’Flaherty, a business woman from Arvagh – spent his early childhood in Ballymahon, where his family ran the Newcastle House Hotel.
He was educated locally before attending Moyne Community School after which he went on to study medicine in Trinity College, Dublin, graduating with a McCarthy Gold Medal in surgery having completed surgical training in the west of Ireland.
Together with his wife Dr Paula Donnelly, Dr Healy went on to co-found the Belleview Clinical Group, which has become an established primary care network that operates across Longford and Westmeath, serving thousands of patients across the Midlands.
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The proposal regarding the sale was agreed at a meeting of the municipal district two weeks ago before being formally ratified today, a necessary step as approval from the full county council is required before any council-owned property can be sold on.
Speaking to the Longford Leader following the meeting, Cllr Peggy Nolan – who originally proposed the sale to Dr Healy – said the sale and redevelopment of the Providers building was the beginning of a new era for that particular section of the town which has suffered from an element of neglect in recent years.
Said Cllr Nolan, “This is something that the town needs and I believe it will raise Longford’s profile as well. I have met Dr Healy several months ago when all of this was ongoing.”
“It was ratified this evening without any objection and I believe that this is the first step, a major step, in the development of the bottom of Longford town, which is long overdue, but well worth waiting for.”
“This is something that the town needs and I believe it will raise Longford’s profile as well. I have met Dr Healy several months ago when all of this was ongoing.”
“I’m delighted that I proposed it and I’m delighted to have been engaging with Dr Healy over the last number of months, but all of this is down to the endeavours and the determination of John Branigan, the Director of Services with Longford County Council.”
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Dr Healy is understood to be planning to convert the building into a medical facility with consultation rooms and a dedicated research space.
Said Cllr Nolan, “The building is a proper fit for Longford; it’s a great fit for the bottom of the town. It will bring great footfall, hundreds of people, to that part of the town, and it will raise the profile of Longford and raise our profile as a business town; that Longford is a great place to do business.”
“We’re not standing at the edge of a precipice any more, we have overcome it and now Longford is returning to the business town of the Midlands that it once was.”
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Councillor Kevin Hussey said it was encouraging to see positive steps finally being taken with that particular section of the town given the long term neglect it had suffered. He said the development of Connolly Barracks, along with progress on the Providers site, marks what he believes is the beginning of real revitalisation in this part of Longford.
He added, “Those working there and attending services, will be travelling into Longford each day, bringing more life and energy into the town and supporting local businesses. It’s a great news story for Longford.”
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