11-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Full details of €20m Lucan House park project revealed
The master plan would transform the old house and surrounding forested lands into a flagship park project for SDCC, which acquired the 30-acre site last year from the Italian government for around €10m.
A spokesperson for SDCC said the plans would balance 'heritage conservation, environmental protection, and community use' within a 'much-loved landscape'.
Following extensive community involvement through workshops and online submissions, existing structures such as the manor house and stables will be upgraded.
Once works are complete, the main Lucan House will be opened for events and exhibitions on the ground floor, while the first floor will have co-working spaces, a lounge area and various community and heritage uses.
A boathouse and storage area will be constructed in the basement of the building, which sits alongside the river Liffey.
A natural amphitheatre will be created near the main house, overlooking the river, along with a new 200-person capacity pavilion on the rear west lawn, for events too large for the main house.
Stables on site will also be renovated, with retail and a café proposed on the ground floor with space for 60 people.
Two gate lodges, to be refurbished as part of the works, will contain public toilets and a security office.
The project will also link to the nearby St Catherine's Park with a new set of trails, and is set to include a 95-space car park on the eastern end of the site with a new car access proposed.
It will also have several picnic areas, with riverside walking trails and forest play zones dotted throughout.
Chief executive of SDCC, Colm Ward, said: 'This project is a flagship for sustainable, community-led regeneration.
'It responds directly to what we heard during extensive consultations: people want open access, heritage experiences, vibrant cultural programming, and a beautiful natural setting.'
Initial costings for the plan, which will be carried out in phases, are estimated at €20m.
Funding for the scheme will be provided by the Government and the EU under the ERDF Southern, Eastern and Midland Regional Programme 2021 to 2027.
In a recent briefing, the council said priority works would begin in the second quarter of next year and main construction would last until 2028.
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
