Calls to have Mayo ghost estate place on derelict sites register

Mayo Co Council officials have said that efforts to deal with a Castlebar ghost estate are ‘complex’.

Previously dubbed the ‘Taj Mahal of dereliction', the Waterways estate on the Ballinrobe Road has long been an eyesore and monument to Celtic Tiger excess. There had been plans to construct more than 60 houses on the site but all that remains is a dozen dilapidated buildings.

Cllr Michael Kilcoyne raised the issue at last week's meeting of Castlebar Municipal District, noting: “It’s entering its third decade now and it’s time to deal with it one way or another."

“I believe there are deposits on some units, and it is complicated, but it is derelict and anyone can see that. It is the Taj Mahal of dereliction in Mayo,” Cllr Harry Barrett told a previous council meeting.

Cllr Kilcoyne queried why the estate is not on the county’s derelict sites register, adding: “Does somebody feel it’s not derelict enough?” 

Director of Services David Mellett told the meeting that ownership issues surrounding the estate are ‘complex’ with a number of stakeholders involved over the years.

“Some of the commitments and expectations haven’t materialised. The step now is to move forward and put it on the derelict sites register,” said Mr Mellett.

The estate remains abandoned while Castlebar continues to battle a homelessness crisis.

At the end of 2025, a total of 50 households in the Castlebar Municipal District Area were residing in emergency homeless accommodation. This cohort was made up of 22 children and 63 adults.

• Published as part of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.