>When the film about the laundries came out, there was a footnote somewhere, that the buildings had been converted into old people's homes, and there, both the old inmates and the nuns were looked after together.

What a lovely thought. The site of the above Cork laundry is being turned into a luxury development of 200 homes. They're keeping the little graveyard, though.

>It is expected that the average price of a two-bedroom apartment at the scheme will be €450,000.
Any of 'em going to be used for social housing schemes, do you think?
Somebody made 20 million out of that bit of real estate.

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Redevelopment of The Good Shepherd, Convent, Cork

200 new homes

The long-awaited redevelopment of Cork's Good Shepherd Convent, a former Magdalene laundry, has been given the go-ahead by An Bord Pleanála. Over 200 high-end residential units will be built on the elevated eight-acre site which is beside Cork City Gaol in the Sunday's Well area of the city...

In 2005 Cork-based developers Frinailla Ltd purchased the site for €20 million. Going against the recommendation of its own inspector, An Bord Pleanála has now granted permission for a large residential scheme, which will see apartments provided in the three listed buildings and further apartments, duplexes and townhouses built on the site.

Apartments will range in size from 51-148sq m (550-1,600sq ft) and townhouses will be around 186sq m (2,000sq ft). It is expected that the average price of a two-bedroom apartment at the scheme will be €450,000.

The developer had originally sought to build 274 units but this has been reduced to just over 200 by the local authority and the planning board.

A graveyard on the site - where more than 300 nuns are buried as well as an unknown number of women who worked in the laundry - will be retained and opened up to the public.