Wexford County Council denies claims that €120m Trinity Wharf project is ‘dead’ and ‘no longer viable’
Wexford PeopleA decade after it first acquired the ten-acre site, Wexford County Council has been advised to “formally acknowledge” that its vision for Trinity Wharf is “no longer viable”.
The €120m project, which, if completed, would feature 200,000 sq ft of commercial office space, hotel accommodation, restaurants and retail units, a 64 berth marina, a new boardwalk linking Trinity Wharf with Paul Quay and the Crescent, and residential apartments, received planning permission in 2020.
However, six years on, the site remains vacant.
Citing changing work practises and increasing construction costs, Councillor Leonard Kelly said WCC needs to move on from its original plans in favour of something more practical.
“I have always supported the regeneration of Trinity Wharf,” he said. “It is one of the most important sites in Wexford town and, if developed properly, it could transform the waterfront and bring major economic and social benefits.
“But supporting Trinity Wharf does not mean pretending that a master plan developed in a different economic climate is still the right answer. In my view, the original vision is now dead and we need to be honest about that.”
When first announced, the Trinity Wharf development had an estimated cost of €110m-€120m with part of that figure coming from the taxpayer. And although the site is currently empty, Cllr Kelly says “substantial public money” has already been “committed to acquiring and preparing the site and providing infrastructure”.
Having conducted his own research, Cllr Kelly has found that WCC had spent a little over €6m on the project by the end of 2023. The project has also received more than €20m in Urban Regeneration and Development Fund support.
“The public investment is significant, and I welcome the Government funding that has been secured. But public funding is not a reason to continue with a particular scheme regardless of whether the market supports it,” he said.
An artist's impression of the proposed Trinity Wharf development.
“We have to make sure that the investment results in a development that is occupied, active and sustainable.”
Cllr Kelly says the plans for the site were devised before an event which changed the economic climate irreversibly.
“This is a plan which was thought up in a different age, in the pre-Covid time,” he said. “That was at a time when it would have made sense to have a large office space included in the project.
“But Covid completely changed the world of work for many companies, people went remote, and now office spaces in major cities are lying empty.
Trinity Wharf in Wexford town. Photo: Jim Campbell. © Jim Campbell
“There is still demand for good-quality offices and Wexford has successfully attracted employment, but that does not automatically mean that the town needs 200,000 sq ft of new office space.
“The site was acquired in 2016 and planning permission was granted in 2020. We are now in 2026 and still trying to determine the best way of delivering the full development.
“That’s a long time in the property market. The world has moved on. Construction costs have changed, financing costs have changed, working practices have changed and the needs of Wexford town have changed.
“We should be prepared to change with them.”
Having repeatedly called for the vacant space at Oyster Lane to be utilised by WCC, Cllr Kelly said the Trinity Wharf site could be used for a variety of purposes while any long-term developments are put in train.
Proposing that it be used as a temporary venue for festivals, outdoor performances, community events, or Christmas markets, he said these were all “relatively low-cost” ideas which could be trialled to make use of the site in the short to medium-term.
“Any reassessment should consider a wider range of possibilities rather than simply reducing the amount of office space,” he says. “This could be a combination of town-centre apartments, a medium-sized theatre, flexible offices for start-ups, restaurants, public spaces, waterfront activities, and the boardwalk.
“We should look at what Wexford actually needs and build the site around those priorities rather than trying to rescue the old plan.”
Cllr Kelly said he still believed in the potential of the Trinity Wharf development but only if the council is “prepared to start again with a more realistic vision.”
“I don’t want Trinity Wharf to become a monument to a failed plan. I want it to become an asset for Wexford.”
In a statement to The Wexford People, the council refuted Cllr Kelly’s claims.
“€20m has been allocated under the Urban Regeneration Development Fund for this. A further €7m has been ringfenced by the elected members of Wexford County Council demonstrating their support for this initiative,” said WCC.
“A core element of the Trinity Wharf project is to work in partnership to secure private sector investment which can underpin the initial public investment of the waterfront site at Wexford Harbour. To secure interested private parties, Wexford County Council launched a Competitive Dialogue process via e-tenders earlier in 2026.
“As of September 2026, private investors with experience of similar scale projects have been shortlisted and over the Autumn a detailed competitive dialogue process will now commence. A preferred investor is expected to emerge from this process by the end of 2026.”