06-08-2025
Funding for 800 homes in Cork with one scheme to include Ireland's tallest building
More than €300m in government funding has been approved to kickstart the delivery of two large and long-awaited social housing projects in Cork City — including one in what will be Ireland's tallest building.
Combined, the two schemes, which have planning, will deliver just over 820 social or cost-rental apartments on two high-profile vacant sites.
The department of local government signed off on the funding packages on Wednesday for both the Railyard Gardens residential scheme, which is earmarked for the site of the former Sextant pub at the gateway to the city's south docks, and for the Creamfields development, which is earmarked for the former CMP Dairies site on the Tramore Road.
The 217-unit Railyard Gardens scheme includes plans for 99 social and 118 cost-rental apartments in a 24-storey residential tower, which will become Ireland's tallest building.
The project, which secured Part 8 planning from Cork City Council in October 2024, will be delivered by JCD Developments for Clúid Housing, with hopes that enabling works could start on site in September. It could take at least two years to build.
The 606-unit Creamfields scheme will deliver a total of 225 social and 381 cost rental apartments on a site opposite Musgrave Park and close to the South Ring Road and Tramore Valley Park.
The former CMP Diary site on Tramore Road, being developed as Creamfields. Picture: Larry Cummins
The project, which secured planning from the former An Bord Pleanála in June 2022, is the largest collaboration yet for Cork City Council's housing directorate.
The scheme will be delivered by Cairn Homes Plc for Respond Housing and Dairygold, in a project that is being facilitated by the council's housing directorate.
Enabling works are already underway on site, and the project could take up to three years to deliver.
The former Sextant site has lain vacant since the landmark pub was demolished almost five years ago for JCD's original 200-unit build-to-rent apartment scheme.
But there was controversy when JCD abandoned that residential project citing the financial non-viability of apartments, switching to an office project instead which was granted planning in March 2022, but never progressed, before it reverted to a residential scheme which became viable thanks to a change in government housing policy.
The Railyard Gardens scheme will consist of a landmark, slender 24-storey tower on Albert Quay/Albert Street, which will step down to 12 floors and then nine floors.
An area on the ground floor will be dedicated to exclusive use by both the local community and the arts.
Cork City Council assistant chief executive Brian Geaney welcomed the funding approval.
The city official, who guided the Railyard Gardens scheme through the Part 8 process, described it as 'a game changer' for that side of the city centre.
'In addition to providing much-needed accommodation for a young workforce, it is adjacent to all transport hubs—it truly ticks all the boxes,' he said.
'Our collaborations with Clúid Housing and the pioneering investment by JCD Developments have been instrumental in modernising Cork, and this project sets a new benchmark for city centre living in the gateway to the Docklands.'
In relation to the Creamfields scheme, he said the project's "scale and ambition" will "make a significant impact on our housing landscape".
