Athlone accounts for almost half of Westmeath’s derelict sites

Seventy properties are currently listed on Westmeath County Council’s official Derelict Sites Register, with almost half of them located in Athlone.

The latest register shows a long-running problem with vacant and derelict properties across the county, with entries dating back more than three decades to 1991.

Athlone accounts for 32 of the 70 properties on the register, almost 46% of the county total. Moate follows with eight properties, while seven are recorded in Kilbeggan. Mullingar and Kinnegad each have five properties listed.

The figures come as members of the Municipal District of Mullingar-Kinnegad were told at their most recent meeting that Westmeath County Council is currently monitoring 15 properties on the Derelict Sites Register within the district.

Cllr Michael Dollard asked how many derelict sites, both commercial and residential, were currently registered in the Municipal District. The District Office said it was “actively monitoring and enforcing instances of dereliction” under the Derelict Sites Act 1990.

Of the 15 properties currently registered in the Mullingar-Kinnegad area, 12 are residential and three are commercial.

Across the county, the register provides a picture of properties that have remained vacant or in poor condition for lengthy periods, alongside newer cases where the council has taken statutory action.

The register, created on August 10, 2026, contains properties dating from 1991 through to this year and records addresses, locations, statutory notices and details of works required or completed.

The 2010s saw the biggest expansion in the register, with 41 entries recorded during the decade. There were four entries in 1991 and a further four during the 2000s.

There have been 21 entries during the 2020s to date, including a notable cluster of activity in Athlone during 2026, as well as new additions in Mullingar and Delvin.

The figures also highlight the extent of enforcement action being taken by the local authority. Section 11 “Works Required” notices have been served in 19 cases, representing more than a quarter of all properties on the register.

Examples include properties on the Mullingar Road and Dublin Road in Kilbeggan, Clara Road and Toorvalley in Moate, and a number of residential properties in Athlone.

A Dangerous Structure notice was also issued in respect of a property on Main Street, Rathowen, in April 2017, highlighting the public safety concerns that can arise from buildings falling into serious disrepair.

Athlone has seen particularly strong activity in 2026, with a number of properties added to the register in residential areas and along established streets.

Properties on Sarsfield Square, MacDiarmada Road, Pearse Street, O’Connell Street, Connaught Street, Lower Road and Bower View feature among the Athlone entries.

The register also includes a number of larger or former industrial sites, including the former Hammond Lane and former Texas Oil premises at Bellaugh, Athlone, which were entered in 2023. The former Athlone Glass site at Clonown Road, Doovoge, was added in 2018.

In Moate, the Clara Road area and Toorvalley Estate feature among a number of long-running cases, while Kilbeggan has several properties listed along the Mullingar Road and Main Street, as well as other premises including Brewery House and commercial properties.

Mullingar has five entries, including properties at Railway Terrace, Ardmore Road and Old Ballinderry, as well as an entry at the Springfield Housing Development in 2026.

Kinnegad’s entries include properties at the Tanyard, Trim Road and Mullingar Road, alongside historic and more recent cases.

The register also indicates that the council has been moving more quickly in some recent cases from the initial “Intention to Register” notice to the formal entry on the register.

In several Athlone cases during 2026, that process has taken just a matter of months.

For local communities, the issue is not simply one of appearance. Derelict buildings can become a source of safety concerns, affect the visual appearance of town centres and residential areas, and contribute to a sense of decline.

At the same time, derelict and vacant properties can represent opportunities for refurbishment, reoccupation or redevelopment at a time when demand for housing and commercial premises remains strong.

The concentration of almost half of Westmeath’s registered derelict sites in Athlone makes the town the clear focus of the county’s current register.

However, the figures show that dereliction remains a countywide issue, affecting towns and villages from Mullingar and Kinnegad to Moate, Kilbeggan, Rathowen, Delvin, Killucan and Castletown.

With the register continuing to be updated, the latest figures suggest that tackling long-standing dereliction remains an important part of efforts to improve the appearance, safety and regeneration potential of communities across Westmeath.