Former Capuchin Friary (Carlow)
Former Capuchin Friary on Dublin Street, Carlow, run as a Department-operated IPAS centre (contracted capacity 50; 43 present on 24 February 2024). Families moved in during January 2024 under Garda escort. A Department of Justice inspection (reported May 2026) flagged a red-priority mould issue and overcrowding and proposed cutting capacity to 44.
Capacity
50
people (reported)
Per night
€84
per person (benchmark)
Annual
€1.5m
estimated
Background
The site is at Capuchin Friary, Dublin Street, Carlow. Irish international protection accommodation is provided through IPAS (the International Protection Accommodation Service), under the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. For how the system works and what it costs, open the cost panel on the interactive map with Ireland selected.
Incidents & reporting
Only events reported by named outlets and explicitly tied to this site are listed. Charges are allegations, not convictions — the presumption of innocence applies.
- Jan 2024Peaceful protest
Protests as residents move in
Per The Irish Times, protests took place as up to 14 applicants moved into the former friary under Garda escort in mid-January 2024; an earlier protest had been attended by several hundred people. There were no arrests.
The Irish Times · source
- Jan 2024Peaceful protest
March blocks traffic
Per The Irish Times, a march of up to 100 people blocked traffic on 27 January 2024 and some banged on the windows of a TD’s constituency office. Gardaí described it as peaceful, with no arrests.
The Irish Times · source
- Feb 2024Regulatory finding
Inspection flags mould and overcrowding
A Department of Justice inspection (reported May 2026) found a red-priority mould issue, overcrowding, food stored in bedrooms and non-working bathrooms, and proposed cutting capacity from 50 to 44. This was a regulatory finding.
Carlow Nationalist · source
Cost
Irish IPAS accommodation is funded by the State. At a blended benchmark of about €84 per person per night (the 2024 whole-system average reported by RTÉ), the 50 people reported here imply roughly €1.5m per year. This is an order-of-magnitude figure for context only, not a site-specific invoice — over 90% of IPAS accommodation is commercially provided and emergency rates run far above State-owned centres.
Sources
Carlow Nationalist · May 2026. View source
Coordinates geocoded from the published address/town via OpenStreetMap; status reflects the cited reporting and may have changed since.