I was interested to see a new advertisement for “student accommodation” in Maynooth containing the picture on the left. It’s a new development called The Duke, which was formerly a bar and nightclub called The Duke and Coachman and, before that, The Leinster Arms. It is a prime location on Main Street, and had been empty for a while, so it is good to see it being put to use.
I was walking past the place this afternoon so took a picture of it (right). As you can see, the reality is quite different from the advertisement. I think someone has been doing a bit of photoshopping! In fact the development is nowhere near finished; the area behind it is a construction site. That’s why the advertisement has no photographs of the interior.
I didn’t post this because of the photograph, however. The point is the price. A double room will cost €1500 per month (after you’ve paid a €800 letting fee). That seems very pricey for student accommodation!
Apparently there will be 90 rooms in this development. While accommodation is much needed, 90 rooms represent a drop in the ocean when there are over 15,000 students at Maynooth University, and the management wants that number to keep increasing so it can afford to pay for the legions of new managers it has appointed.
