Ballyfermot Road, Dublin 10 The former Pat the Baker premises at Unit 25 in Cherry Orchard Industrial Estate has come to the market, with Savills guiding €6.5m. Extending to 55,287sq. ft, the vacant property has been in continuous use as a distribution centre and comes with 5,594 sq. ft of offices. Occupying a prime position on Ballyfermot Road, the premises includes a warehouse of steel frame construction with a clear internal height of about five metres, with two automated dock levellers and three automated roller shutter doors at ground level. Developers may be interested in its 2.1-acre site which is zoned as Enterprise and Employment under the current South Dublin County Development Plan, with the stated objective “to provide for enterprise and employment related uses”. It may also appeal to owner-occupiers or investors. Ballyfermot Road is accessible from the M50 motorway at Junction 7 and is well connected to the N4 and N7 national routes. It is within a 30-minute drive of Dublin city centre, the airport and the Port Tunnel. The Irish Independent, 25th September
Baggot Street, Dublin 2 QRE is guiding €3.5m for a multi-let office investment at 142-143 Baggot Street which comes for sale on the instruction of receivers Deloitte with several tenants already in place and generating approx. €202,000 pa in rental income. The property comprises three floors of office space with dual access off Baggot Street Lower and Rogers Lane. Recent leasing activity includes Ryan & Lamb Architects agreeing a new 10-year lease from September 2025 on the third floor and Sony extending their current agreement, which is now an 11-year nine-month lease from July 2015. The first floor, which extends to 3,600 sq. ft is vacant, with the selling agents quoting €39.50 psf. Should a sale proceed at the €3.5m guide, the new owner would be in line for a NIY of 5.27% based on the current rental income of €202,000. With full occupancy and projected rental income of €347,000, the reversionary yield would be 9%. The Irish Times, 24th September
St Stephens Green, Dublin 2 IPUT is understood to be closing in on the purchase of the former headquarter offices of leading Dublin law firm, Ivor Fitzpatrick & Co, at 44/45 St Stephen’s Green. The property, at the junction of St Stephen’s Green and Hume Street, was offered to market in May with the benefit of full vacant possession by Knight Frank at a guide of €10m. 44/45 St Stephen’s Green extends to a net internal area of 16,830 sq. ft, has a mix of open-plan and cellular offices over six floors, with typical floor plates of about 3,150 sq. ft. The property has 15 car-parking spaces. Should Iput complete its acquisition, it will likely explore the options for refurbishment or a full-scale retrofit set out in the feasibility study prepared in advance of the sale by Reddy Architecture + Urbanism. The Irish Times, 24th September
Ballymount Avenue, Dublin 12 Home Store + More has signed a new long-term lease for the entire top floor of Quadrant House on Ballymount Avenue, 500m from Junction 10 of the M50 motorway. While the full terms of the 20-year lease agreement, handled by Lisney and Colliers, have not been released, the company is understood to be paying approx. €20 psf for the 20,000 sq. ft of office space it will occupy. There is a break option in year 10. Lanthorn, the asset manager for the property, oversaw a comprehensive upgrade of Quadrant House, improving both its sustainability and tenant facilities prior to Home Store + More’s decision to base its office operations in the building. The Irish Times, 24th September
South Mall, Cork City The move by private health insurer Vhi from 70 South Mall is likely to spark interest in a major site assembly for hotel, office, residential or mixed-use development. Vhi House, guided at €1.5m by Cohalan Downing, served for decades as the insurer’s public office. It comes to market this week as Vhi relocates 25 staff to new premises at Horgan’s Quay, after closing its South Mall office earlier this month. The 1980s-built Vhi House sits between two properties with development potential: 67–69 South Mall, including vacant offices, and No. 71, a former NIB bank branch. Planning for a 58-bed boutique hotel valued at €18m was granted several years ago at No. 71. The site later sold with planning permission for €3m. The Examiner, 25th September
South Mall, Cork City Immediately west of Vhi House, at 67–69 South Mall by Cook Street, sits Carbery House. Formerly Irish Life offices, it has full planning permission for conversion into 17 apartments. Carbery House, which spans 15,000 sq. ft across seven floors, also goes to market this week with full vacant possession. It carries a guide price of €2.25m through Frank V Murphy & Co, whose client typically buys and upgrades commercial properties but has decided to sell rather than take on the redevelopment themselves. Carbery House was sold off-market in 2022 by Savills for close to €2m. The buyer was Swiss Property Management Ltd, adding to its expanding Cork property portfolio. The Examiner, 25th September
Charleville, Co. Cork Developed in 2007 at a cost of €20m and sold by receivers to the current owners, Solas Financial, for €2.1m in 2018, Charleville Town Centre is back on the market, seeking €3.5m through Sherry FitzGerald. While just two of its 17 retail units were occupied in 2018, today just three of the scheme’s newly consolidated 15 units remain vacant. Charleville Town Centre extends to 45,177 sq. ft and comprises 15 retail units, nine office units and a two-bed duplex apartment. The anchor tenant, Dunnes Stores, along with Elverys Sports, own their own stores and are not included in the sale. The development has a multistorey car park with 450 car-parking spaces, which serves as the primary off-street car park for the entire town and generates footfall through the centre. The centre has an annual average footfall of more than 750,000, according to the selling agent. Total passing income is €520,000 pa. Existing tenants, which are not affected by the sale, include Insomnia, 5th Avenue Hair Salon and RDF Architects. The WAULT to expiry is 10.8 years. Should a sale of Charleville Town Centre proceed at the €3.5m guide price, the purchaser would be in line for a NIY of 12.2%. The Irish Times, 24th September
Swords, Co. Dublin Iroko Zen has paid €24.5m for two car showroom investments in Swords. The off-market sale and leaseback deal for Bright Motor Campus and Unit 4 at Airside Motorpark represents Iroko’s eleventh investment in the Irish property market. Bright Motor Campus comprises four car-showroom buildings extending to 54,930 sq. ft. Bright Motor Group Ltd will take a new 20-year FRI lease, with a tenant-only break option in year 15. The passing rent is €1.502m pa. Completed in 2023, the Bright Motor Campus buildings are A rated. Unit 4, Airside Motorpark comprises 30,000 sq. ft of accommodation, together with surface and basement parking. The property is also let to Bright Motor Group Ltd on a new 20-year FRI lease, including a tenant-only break option at the end of year 15. The passing rent is €458,000 pa. Together, the two assets generate a total passing rent of €1.96m pa, with both leases CPI linked rent reviews every five years. The Irish Times, 24th September
Donnybrook, Dublin 4 Jefferson House, located on a landmark 0.27 acre site at the junction of Eglinton Road and Donnybrook Road, comes on to the market through Savills at a guide price of €10m, with full planning permission for a scheme of 20 large 2,000 sq. ft apartments. The former Smurfit office block, which dates from the 1980s is being sold on behalf of Silver Bloom, a consortium of investors led by Hong Kong-based businessman Fergus Lynch. Designed by OMS Architects, the approved 12-storey Jefferson House scheme is aimed towards the top end of the owner-occupier market and features large winter gardens, roof gardens, high ceilings and flexible internal layouts customised to meet the individual requirements of its residents. Each unit is dual, triple or quadruple aspect to maximise the sunlight and views available for occupiers. The Irish Times, 24th September
Merrion Road, Dublin 4 The Religious Sisters of Charity is preparing to sell a 16-acre site beside St Vincent’s University Hospital, which could raise €50m for the order. The site is allocated Z15, which allows for the provision of healthcare and community uses but is open to the building of residential accommodation. The Religious Sisters of Charity said the order was “in the early stages of planning the disposal” of the site. For more than 100 years, the site housed St Mary’s, a home for the blind and visually impaired. It was later used as a nursing and convalescent home but closed in 2020 when the operating company went into liquidation. In recent years the buildings on the site have been used to house refugees. In a 2022 submission for the Dublin city draft development plan, Avison Young, on behalf of the Sisters of Charity, sought to have the zoning designation changed to Z12, to reflect “future development potential”. There is a range of buildings on the land, including the two-storey St Mary’s home, the main part of which was built in 1866 and fronts on to Merrion Road. Other structures include a single-storey, 11-bedroom building and a disused swimming pool. The institutional buildings are said to be “physically and functionally obsolete”. Any future development would have to accommodate the 19th-century period building, which is on the list of protected structures. The Sunday Times, 28th September
Drogheda, Co Louth A site just 1.3km from Drogheda town centre and extending to 9.39 acres is being offered to the market with full planning permission for 192 new homes by CBRE for €3.8m. The scheme provides for the construction of 42 houses and 150 apartments distributed across six blocks of up to four storeys. The development at Boyne Road also includes a creche, cafe and gym facility and was designed by Plus Architecture. An alternative feasibility study has also been prepared by Plus Architecture illustrating the potential for 113 homes comprising 69 houses and 44 duplexes, subject to planning permission. The site is zoned A2 New Residential under the Louth County Development Plan 2021-2027, with a specific objective to provide for 40% public open space within any future development. The site is less than three kilometres from MacBride train station, which offers direct rail services to Dublin city centre in about 35 minutes. The Irish Times, 24th September
Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow A 55.5 acre residential development site located 1km from Enniskerry village is guiding €13m, and is being sold on the instruction of Declan McDonald of PwC, in his capacity as receiver for Bluetone Properties Ltd. Kilgarron Hill site, as it is known, has a “strong planning precedent” for more than 300 homes across a number of planning applications, according to Savills, and is one of the largest development opportunities to come to the market in the Greater Dublin Area in recent years. The Irish Times, 24th September
Citwest, Dublin 24 Guiding €1m through Savills, the site on Citywest Village Avenue comprises a ready-to-go residential site of 0.54 acres, with full planning permission for 12 homes, a creche and a coffee kiosk. The site, which is being sold on behalf of listed housebuilder Glenveagh, is well connected thanks to its proximity to the Luas red line. The Irish Times, 24th September
Inflation House prices rose by an average of 0.8% in the three months to September, according to the latest Daft.ie property price report. Daft.ie said the average price of a three-bedroom semi-detached house is now just over €421,000. Asking prices are now almost 6% higher than a year ago, and 39% above their pre-Covid levels. Home values have shot up to such an extent in the last five years that they are now just 10% below their Celtic Tiger peak. Prices in the capital were up by 4.5% in the past year, compared with an average of almost 6% across the rest of the country. In Munster prices were up 5% annually, and rose below the national average in Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford. But there were rises of close to 9% in the area outside Galway city, and a rise of 7.2% outside Dublin. The Irish Independent, 30th September
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Elmpark, Dublin 4 TWM, on behalf of the Aviva Irish Commercial Property Fund, is guiding €18.5m for Block A. That price represents a 34% reduction on the €28m which had had been sought when Block A was offered for sale previously in March 2020. Block A comprises a modern seven-storey office building extending to a NIA of approx. 72,000 sq. ft with an adjoining smaller building (known as the Annex), extending to a gross area of 10,000 sq. ft. There are 76 secure basement car-parking spaces included in the sale. Willis Tower Watson Insurances Ltd has a lease on four floors (60% of the building) and is paying approx. €1.2m in rent. There are two vacant floors extending to 29,000 sq. ft. The entire property is currently generating total annual rental income of €1.32m. The Irish Times, 17th September
Lower Mount Street, Dublin 2 Savills is guiding €9.2m for 1 Grants Row, which extends to approx. 15,125 sq. ft over four storeys and basement. It is fully let to law firm Flynn O’Driscoll at a passing rent of €739,035 pa (NIY of 7.31%) and a WAULT of just under 6 years. It also comes with 10 secure underground car-parking spaces. In 2015, the Irish Times reported that Aviva Life & Pensions Irish property fund bought it for €8.3m. It currently holds a BER rating of B3, with a pathway to achieve an A3 rating. The Irish Independent, 18th September
Citywest, Dublin 24 1012-1014 Kingswood Avenue has come to the market through Savills guiding €7.5m. The campus comprises three two-storey blocks with a combined total floor area of 76,314 sq. ft (less than €100 psf). Individual floor areas range in size from 11,522 sq. ft up to 13,575 sq. ft and their layouts allow for flexible subdivision, by block, by floor, or part-floor, supporting both single-occupier HQ or multi-let asset strategies. Originally constructed in 2001 as a purpose-built HQ for SAP, who occupied it until 2022, the property extends to approximately 4.44 acres. Each block has its own access and they offer a mix of open-plan space, private offices and meeting rooms, anchored by a large canteen with a fully fitted commercial kitchen. The Irish Independent, 18th September
Morehampton Road, Dublin 4 Brenson Lawlor House, a fully fitted HQ office building at Argyle Square, just off Morehampton Road, is being offered for sale or to let by Avison Young at a guide price of €2m and a quoting rent of €200,000. Having served as its home since its construction in 1990, PKF Brenson Lawlor has doubled its staff numbers over the past five years and is relocating to larger offices in Ballsbridge next month. The property comprises a two-storey over-basement office property, extending to 6,410 sq. ft, together with five car-parking spaces. The building is fully fitted and furnished and includes a mix of open-plan and private office accommodation. Avison Young expects to see enquiries from various parties including owner-occupiers, investors, serviced-office providers, refurbishment or repurposing specialists, as well as tenants seeking turnkey office accommodation. The Irish Times, 17th September
Maynooth Business Campus, Co Kildare Sherry FitzGerald Brady O’Flaherty is guiding €4m for unit K8 at Maynooth Business Campus. The entire building is let to two international companies, on two 10-year leases from Q3 2022 and is generating a current combined annual rent of €356,608, which equates to a gross yield of 8.9%. Developed by Montane, the office building extends to 17,294 sq. ft over two floors and was completely refurbished to a very high energy efficient standard in 2022. It comes with 28 surface car parking spaces. The Irish Independent, 18th September
Grand Canal Square, Dublin 2 Having paid €230m in 2015 to acquire Meta’s original headquarters at 4/5 Grand Canal Square, Union Investment has commenced work on a substantial redevelopment of the south docklands scheme. The construction works, which are being led by Walls, are expected to take 18 months to complete, and will cost approx. €70m. The redevelopment is getting under way just over two years after Meta vacated the building. Upon completion, 4/5 Grand Canal Square will comprise some 250,000 sq. ft of office and amenity space, all of which will target an A3 BER rating. The German investor estimates that the Grand Canal Square project will result in an 80% reduction in carbon emissions on that of a comparable new build. This will be achieved through the reuse of the existing structure and materials. The completed redevelopment will be powered entirely using wind power. 4/5 Grand Canal Square is currently the only speculative office scheme due to be completed in 2027. The Irish Times, 17th September
Clonskeagh, Dublin 14 Cushman & Wakefield is guiding a price of €1.85m for 2B Clonskeagh Square, a self-contained office building on Clonskeagh Road. The property comprises a two-storey block, extending to a gross internal area of 8,290 sq. ft (€223 psf) along with 33 dedicated surface car-parking spaces. The office is laid out in an open-plan configuration, with canteen and WC facilities on the ground and first floor, along with a number of offices. Clonskeagh Square backs on to UCD’s main Belfield campus and the area is home to a number of big employers including the EPA, Flutter Entertainment, Sims Fertility Clinic and Smurfit Westrock. The Irish Times, 17th September
South Docklands New filings for Claypole Limited, Axa’s holding company for its commercial property interests in Ireland, show it booked a €12.2m loss last year linked to volatility it has faced in the market. The company recorded a 10% valuation hit to its office portfolio in 2024, which has fallen down to a value of €50.7m. At the end of 2021, the firm’s office assets had a peak value of more than €96.6m. A note in the directors’ report for the company said the losses for 2024 were linked to State Street’s plans to vacate the Sir John Rogerson’s Quay block. Axa’s asset management business controls close to 400,000 sq. ft of office space in Dublin with joint partners Kennedy Wilson. Properties in the portfolio include 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, which spans close to 174,655 sq. ft, and offices which form part of the mixed-use Capital Dock development Kennedy Wilson built with Nama. The Business Post, 20th September
Fade Street, Dublin 2 Number 17 Fade Street is guiding €2m through Knight Frank. Extending to approx. 3,000 sq. ft, the four-storey-over-basement redbrick has undergone a restoration, including roof works and new timber sash windows. Its ground and basement levels are occupied by Sitstil, a hair salon on a 25-year lease producing €52,000 pa while the upper floors comprise two spacious two-bedroom apartments and a one-bedroom loft apartment with vacant possession. With a projected total rental income in the region of €155,000, the property offers investors a potential NIY of approx. 7%. The Business Post, 16th September
Drury Street, Dublin 2 33 Drury Street is on offer through Knight Frank, guiding at €675,000. The compact, three-storey-over-basement premises spans approx. 1,050 sq. ft and is home to John Farrington Antiques. The business is secured on a lease running until 2038, generating €42,000 annually and reflecting a NIY of 5.7%, with room for rental growth. The Business Post, 16th September
Naas Road, Dublin 12 The former headquarters of John Sisk looks set to be demolished and replaced by hundreds of new homes following the sale of the property by BNP Paribas for €5.25m to an Irish developer. The Wilton Works site contains the original two-storey office building occupied by John Sisk since 1964, along with an interlinked, modern three-storey Grade A office building which was constructed in 2002. The total combined floor area extends to a gross internal area of 38,578 sq. ft together with 96 on-site car parking spaces. The development has a C3 BER rating. Although the office buildings remain suitable for use, any occupation is likely to be on a short-term basis while the new owner seeks planning permission for a residential development on the 2.43 acre Wilton Works site. The Irish Times, 17th September
Shankhill, Dublin 18 Lurganbrae, a period residence on a 1.7 acre site located on the Old Dublin Road, is guiding €2.25m through Lisney. The site offers the potential to accommodate between 26 and 41 new homes (subject to planning permission), according to a feasibility study prepared by EML Architects. The site is zoned “Objective A” under the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Development Plan 2022-2028. The aim of this designation is to “provide residential development and improve residential amenity while protecting existing residential amenities”. Lurganbrae is located about 1.5km from Shankill village. The Irish Times, 17th September
Terenure, Dublin 6 An Coimisiún Pleanála (ACP) has granted planning permission to Granbrind Terenure Ltd for a 60 unit apartment block scheme despite opposition from local residents. The 1.18 acre site on Rathfarnham Road houses an Orthodox Jewish synagogue, which has occupied the plot since 1952. ACP has granted planning permission after concluding that the scheme “would provide for a compact and sustainable form of urban development at a highly accessible location”. A letter lodged with the application on behalf of the Dublin Hebrew Congregation stated it fully supported the application. The ACP inspector said that the synagogue building “is not a protected structure and has not been assessed as being of architectural or historical significance and is unsuitable for repurposing and reuse”. The Irish Times, 17th September
Dublin City Council The Peter McVerry Trust (PMVT) is transferring dozens of apartments and houses, worth almost €8m, to DCC under a deal to repay €15m of Government funding that kept the charity afloat when it was struck by financial crisis. The properties, some of which already have residents living in them, will be used for social housing. PMVT properties, used for its housing and homeless services, were valued at €162.33m at the end of 2022. The rescue package was agreed on the basis that the Government would recover the value of the €15m with the transfer of “unencumbered” properties to local authorities from the PMVT. The Department of Housing said: “PMVT own 54 such properties and 27 of these properties, with a total value of €7.9m, are in the process of being transferred to DCC.” The remaining 27 properties were being prepared for transfer to local authorities elsewhere, the department added. “When all such properties are transferred from PMVT to the local authorities the State will have recovered the €15m of emergency funding,” the department said. “For privacy reasons we do not give specific address identifiers but I can advise they are located in Dublin 3, 8, 12, 7, 11,” according to a spokesperson. The Irish Times, 17th September
Q2 Planning Permission There was a decrease of 12.5% (8,513 to 7,447) in the total number of dwelling units approved for planning permission in the second quarter, according to new data from the Central Statistics Office. Houses accounted for 63% of all dwellings granted permission, while apartments made up the balance. The number of houses granted permission fell by 6.4% when compared with last year, while apartment approvals – seen as a crucial element in solving the housing crisis, decreased by 21.4%. The number of multi-development houses that got planning permission declined by 7.5% annually, from 3,852 units to 3,565. Across the four local authorities in Dublin, there was an annual decline of 35.5% in the total number of dwelling units approved. The Irish Times, 16th September
Blarney Business Park, Co. Cork Merck, the German science and technology company, has opened a new €150m filtration manufacturing facility at Blarney Business Park. The site is Merck’s first manufacturing facility designed for full climate-neutral operations, powered entirely by renewable electricity. The approx. 33,000 sq. ft facility, which will produce filtration products used in the manufacturing of therapies including vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, and new modalities such as cell and gene therapies, will create up to 200 jobs by 2028.The Blarney facility is part of Merck’s largest life science investment to date in Ireland, with €440m committed across its Cork operations in Blarney and Carrigtwohill. The Business Post, 18th September
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Dublin Landings, Dublin 1 IPUT, the biggest office landlord in Dublin, said it had leased approx. 80,000 sq. ft at No 3 Dublin Landings. This includes 47,000 sq. ft on the second, third and fourth floors to Mediolanum International Funds, who will move its Irish headquarters to the new location in January 2026. No. 3 Dublin Landings is 119,000 sq. ft in total. Bought by IPUT in 2020, it holds a LEED Platinum accreditation and a BER A3 energy rating. Mediolanum originally took 8,000 sq. ft in IPUT’s Shelbourne Buildings in 2014, before moving to The Exchange in 2019 where they occupied 20,000 sq. ft and the company is now again more than doubling its leased space at No 3 Dublin Landings. The company also said that an additional 30,000 sq. ft of available workspace has been reserved at No 3 Dublin Landings, with details of lease agreements to be announced shortly. Rte.ie, 15th September
Cabra, Dublin 7 A neighbourhood retail centre in Cabra has been launched on the market with Savills guiding €7.3m. Known as The Maple Centre, it is located on a corner site on the Navan Road/N3 and next to Tesco. It is fully let and produces €526,500 pa in passing rent (6.55% NIY). It is anchored by fast-food retailer McDonald’s and Polonez, the Polish supermarket. Both have recently signed new long-term leases so the weighted lease term averages 4.6 years to break option. Other tenants are: EuroGiant, Maple Pharmacy, Café Enzo, O’Brien’s Wines and Millennium Chinese restaurant. The private vendor purchased the centre after it was offered for sale in 2021 with a €7.1m asking price. At that time, during the Covid pandemic, it was generating €550,023 in annual rent, including from a former ATM. The current vendor succeeded in attracting Polonez and Café Enzo as tenants. The Irish Independent, 11th September
Parkmore West Business Park, Co. Galway French investor Atland Voisin has purchased Building 1 in Galway’s Parkmore West Business Park for €7.2m. The price paid represents a discount of 4% on the €7.5m which had been guided by Cushman & Wakefield when it offered the property on behalf of M7 Real Estate in March of this year. The asset was originally acquired by M7 in early 2022 as part of its EREIP VI fund. Building 1 comprises a modern manufacturing and warehouse unit with a total gross external area of 61,903 sq. ft. Loading access is provided by one dock leveller and one grade-level door. There are 70 car-parking spaces located to the side of the building, which sits on a 2.25 acre site. The subject property is fully let to electronics manufacturer Celestica Inc until July 31st 2030, and is generating a passing rent of €519,812 a year. The Irish Times, 10th September
City Gate, Co. Cork City Gate Park has added three new tenants to its line-up this year, with a total of 44,000 sq. ft being signed for across the scheme. City Gate, which is owned by ILIM, comprises a mix of offices, medical accommodation and retail space distributed across a total area of 300,000 sq. ft, along with more than 500 car-parking spaces. It occupies a suburban location next to the Mater Private, Mahon Point Shopping Centre and Mahon Retail Park. Veonet, a provider of comprehensive ophthalmology services, has signed for 13,000 sq. ft of space in Block A. Block B has also seen significant office letting activity, with John Sisk & Son having recently completed a fit-out of 11,000 sq. ft on the first floor to facilitate the establishment of their Cork HQ. Infineon, a provider of automotive, power management and energy-efficient technologies, is also set to open for business in Block B, having recently signed a long-term lease for the fourth floor of the building. Infineon’s new office will extend to 20,000 sq. ft and fit-out works are in train. The Irish Times, 10th September
Connacht/Ulster Disposals The HSE is stepping up its campaign to dispose of properties around the country. In order to accelerate the process, it is offering eight of them for auction on September 19th through auctioneers O’Donnellan & Joyce. Located across six counties in Connacht and Ulster, they include former town centre buildings as well as residences in Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim, Donegal and Cavan, some of which could appeal to homebuyers seeking opportunities to convert them to residential properties with the help of government grants. The most valuable of them is a three-storey building on Main Street, Loughrea, Co. Galway with a €280,000 guide price which could have commercial potential. The Irish Independent, 11th September
Killarney, Co. Kerry The Coyne family has engaged CBRE to find a buyer for the International Hotel, which is guiding €18m to €20m. It has been over a decade since a major Killarney hotel last came to the market. In 2014, the 172-bedroom Malton Hotel was sold by Nama to the owner of Cork’s five-star Hayfield Manor for over €15m (€87,209 per key). The recovery in the wider economy and more specifically in the tourism sector since then is reflected in the price per key expected to be paid for the 98-bedroom International Hotel. Should a sale proceed at the guide of €18m to €20m, the price per key would come in between €183,673 and €204,081. The four-star property has benefitted from substantial investment and is recognised for its consistently strong trading performance, with year-round occupancy at a high level. The hotel also features Hannigan’s Bar and Restaurant, along with a range of event and lounge spaces. The Irish Times, 10th September
MacCurtain Street, Cork City Cork is set to get its second Premier Inn, after it was given planning permission for a new hotel on the Leisureplex complex site on the northside of the River Lee. The city council has granted permission for the development, which had seen Premier Inn seek the green light for a 173-room hotel along with a public bar and licensed restaurant on site on the corner of MacCurtain St and Brian Boru St. Its parent company Whitbread PLC acquired the Leisureplex site in February 2024, shortly after it opened its first Cork City hotel on Morrison’s Quay. That site south of the city centre comprised a €30m 187-bed hotel with this new development set to employ a further 40 staff. The Irish Examiner, 15th September
Stoneybatter, Dublin 7 Cushman & Wakefield, on behalf of Marlet Property Group, is selling The Residence, a purpose-built 193-bedspace scheme. Located on Prussia Street and in close proximity to TUD’s Grangegorman campus, the complex is guiding €42m (€217,000 per bedspace). Arranged across seven low-rise buildings, the A2 BER-rated development comprises a mix of single (4%), double (87%), and twin ensuite rooms (9%) arranged across 33 own-door clusters. The scheme’s amenities include a gym, games area, study spaces, lounge room, and landscaped courtyard gardens. The Irish Times, 10th September
Amiens Street, Dublin 1 Sea Strand Properties is seeking a buyer for the site of the well-known Top petrol station on Amiens Street. Having failed to secure a sale of the 0.4-acre property at a price of €12m in 2022, when it had full planning in place for a 177-bedroom hotel, the company sought and secured approval earlier this year from DCC for a 246-bed-space PBSA scheme on the site. The property has now returned to the market and is guiding at a price of €11.5m through Knight Frank. The approved scheme comprises a building ranging in height from six to nine storeys over a lower ground floor. The bed spaces comprise 204 single bedrooms within 27 cluster model units, and 21 twin studio units incorporating 42 bed spaces, all with en suites and shared kitchen/living/dining areas. The grant also allows for the scheme to be used for short-term tourist or visitor accommodation outside of academic term times. The Irish Times, 10th September
Global Student Accommodation (GSA) Portfolio GSA has paused the sales process for five Irish assets due to uncertainty surrounding the government’s changes to rent control laws, according to senior executives at the company. The company, which entered the Irish market in 2014, has developed a portfolio of 4,000 student bedspaces across 11 assets following an investment of nearly €1bn. Earlier this year, the company started a process to sell or recapitalise part of its Irish portfolio valued at €500m. GSA told the Business Post that in the middle of that process, the government came out with their announcement on rent pressure zones (RPZs), but unfortunately, they didn’t say anything about PBSA, and it created uncertainty. The changes by government expanded RPZ rules nationwide, which means rent increases will be limited to 2% or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower. James Browne, the housing minister, also announced relaxed rent caps for new-build apartments, but no guidance has been issued on how student housing would be impacted. The Business Post, 14th September
Santry, Dublin 9 Ardstone has agreed a deal to acquire a 180 build-to-rent apartments in Birchwood Court. The company has confirmed it has paid €79m (5.25% NIY). The 180 apartments are currently vacant with Ardstone planning to bring the units to market for letting in November. The sale of the development has come after Castlehaven Finance appointed Receivers over the project earlier this year. The appointment of Receivers was made after Urbeo, the housing investor, sought a High Court order to wind up Linbiz Limited. Urbeo previously agreed to acquire apartments in the Birchwood Court complex, but the €82m deal was terminated. The latest two deals by the company now mean Ardstone has control over a portfolio of more than 3,000 residential homes, both houses and apartments, across the greater Dublin area. The Business Post, 10th September
Dawson Street, Dublin 2 The Royal Irish Automobile Club (RIAC) has instructed JLL to seek expressions of interest for its longstanding home at 33/34 Dawson Street. While a guide price has not been set, offers are expected to be in the region of €10m. The Irish Times understands that the RIAC is open to a range of deal structures including joint ventures. Located directly across from the Mansion House, the subject property comprises two five-storey over-basement Georgian buildings extending to a combined area of 19,871 sq. ft. The overall site meanwhile extends to 0.45 acres, with both buildings listed on DCC’s Record of Protected Structures. Two feasibility studies prepared in advance of the sale suggest the site offers scope for the development of either a five-storey over-basement, 54-bedroom hotel with two rental suites extending to 32,500 sq. ft, or a five-storey office development 27,500 sq. ft. The Irish Times, 10th September
Rathmines, Dublin 6 Developed by Bain Capital in partnership with Lugus Capital, and with Grayling Properties currently acting as operator, Rathmines House comprises a 110-unit co-living scheme complemented by a range of on-site amenities including a large gym, co-working space, communal lounges and roof terraces. Located on Lower Rathmines Road, the seven-storey property is guiding €37.75m through Knight Frank. The building, which opened for business as a co-living scheme in 2023, is now fully occupied and generating a gross annual income of €2.7m (NIY of 5%). Almost 60% of the building’s residents are under 30 years of age. The Irish Times, 10th September
Balbriggan, Co. Dublin Ballymore has agreed a deal with the LDA to deliver hundreds of affordable, cost-rental and social homes in Balbriggan, with construction set to get under way within weeks. Located on a site of 62.6 acres on the southern edge of Balbriggan, the Hampton Demesne development will, upon completion, comprise 817 homes along with a range of amenities. These will include a new public park with a playground, multi-use games areas and landscaped green areas for residents and the wider Balbriggan community. The first phase of the Hampton Demesne development has a timeline of three years and will involve the construction of 259 homes along with necessary infrastructure works. The Irish Times, 10th September
North Wall Quay, Dublin 1 Greystar is considering the sale of Quayside Quarter. The US residential sector investor moved into the Irish market in 2019 and now has a portfolio of close to a thousand rental homes in Dublin. Greystar’s first move into Ireland was its €175.5m deal to acquire Quayside Quarter from Ballymore, six years ago. The Business Post understands that the company is now considering the sale of the 268-unit apartment complex, located beside the Central Bank’s headquarters. Property industry sources said Greystar has appointed JLL to advise the company on the sales process. They added that the process for Quayside Quarter is at a very early stage. It is understood the property could be listed for a guide price of close to €180m and Greystar is not exploring a recapitalisation but would be open to staying in place as operator of Quayside Quarter post-sale. A source familiar with the matter said the potential deal to sell the apartment block is not part of plans by Greystar to exit the Irish market. The Business Post, 10th September
Bishopstown, Co. Cork Plans have been lodged for nearly 250 new homes near Bishopstown, across the road from where another large housing scheme has been constructed. Bridgewater Homes has submitted a bid for planning permission to Cork City Council for 143 houses and 103 apartment units on 12.7 acres at Waterfall Road in the townland of Ardarostig. The mix of one, two, three and four-bed housing units would be accompanied by a creche for up to 140 children in the envisaged Waterfall Manor development. While it is opposite the Waterfall Heights development where permission for 276 homes was granted by An Coimisiún Pleanála in 2021, it is also located near another Waterfall Road site where plans for 164 new homes were declined by the council earlier this year before the planning board later granted permission. The Irish Examiner, 10th September
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Rathcoole, Co. Dublin Kennedy Wilson has engaged CBRE to find a buyer for Units 502 B & C at Greenogue Business Park. Extending to a total area of 43,551 sq. ft and sitting on 1.75 acres, the site comes to market guiding €10.5m (5.2% NIY). The two units are leased to Capital Switchgear Limited, a data centre industry specialist, on two co-terminus 20-year FRI leases from March 2025, with break options in year 10. The investment is generating annual rental income of €598,827, which equates to €13.75 psf. Post a recent extensive refurbishment programme, the two units each come with a 12.5m clear internal height, three dock levellers, two grade-level doors, 40m yard depths and 71 car-parking spaces in total. The wider Dublin logistics market meanwhile continues to perform strongly with prime rents now being forecast to reach €14.50 psf by the end of 2025. Prime yields remain stable at 5%. The Irish Times, 3rd September
East Wall, Dublin 1 The Beckett Building has returned to the market. Having first been offered for sale on behalf of receivers Grant Thornton in May 2024 at an already heavily discounted price of €35m, the building was on the verge of being acquired by London-based Roundstone Capital. That transaction fell through in late August however. Roundstone’s withdrawal comes more than one year after another party, Irish-headquartered real estate and investment manager BCP Capital, reversed its own decision to buy the Beckett Building for approx. €35m. The property is now being brought for sale by Colliers at an even lower price of €25m. The figure represents a reduction of 69% on the €80m that had been mooted when CBRE first offered the building for sale in January 2023, and an even steeper discount of 75% on the €101m South Korean Kookmin Bank paid when they acquired it in 2018. Although Meta has now vacated the property, the social media giant remains responsible for its annual €5.75m rent until the break option of its lease on July 31st, 2027. The Beckett Building extends 188,228 sq. ft and is laid out as modern grade A office accommodation over six floors, together with 400 designated bicycle spaces and 77 car parking spaces. The Irish Times, 3rd September
Limerick City The Talbot Collection hotel group is the frontrunner to buy the four-star Absolute Hotel in Limerick city, in a deal that could be worth in the region of €15m. The acquisition of the 99-bedroom Limerick property will bring the number of hotels under the Talbot Collection’s ownership to seven. The group is owned by Wexford’s Pettitt family. Hotels in its stable already include the Talbot Hotel in Wexford town, as well as five other Talbot-branded hotels in locations including Cork, Dublin, Clonmel and Carlow. It also owns the Talbot Suites self-catering apartments in Wexford town, and Newbay House in the county. The Absolute Hotel was put up for sale earlier this year alongside its sister hotel, the Kilkenny Ormonde Hotel. Estate agent JLL was guiding a total of €50m for the two hotel properties, which were being sold either individually or as a pair. The Irish Independent, 5th September
Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 DCC has refused planning permission for a planned luxury boutique hotel on a site at 166a Shelbourne Road, as the scheme would constitute over-development of the site. The scheme by Badlands Developments Ltd for the six-storey 24-bedroom Windjammer Hotel resulted in widespread local opposition, with concerns being expressed over the scheme by 4 different associations. In response to the planned hotel on the site of a former Ulster Bank branch, the Council has refused planning permission as the scheme “would have an unreasonable overbearing and visually dominant effect on adjoining sites”. The council has also refused planning permission as the development “is located on a heavily trafficked road” where several roads converge at the junctions of Pembroke Road, Shelbourne Road, Merrion Road, Ballsbridge Terrace and Elgin Road. The Irish Independent, 4th September
Little Britain Street, Dublin 7 Hospitality giant Eurostars Hotels has reached a deal to open its first Irish venue on a site which is on the corner of Little Britain Street and Little Green Street. The company controls six hotel brands operating worldwide including Aurea Hotels, Exe Hotels and Ikonik Hotels. The firm has agreed a deal to open its first Irish location near Jervis Shopping Centre on a site which currently contains a disused warehouse but has planning permission for a 195-bed hotel. An Irish subsidiary of the Gold Tree Group, a Swiss property investment firm that owns the site, has said Eurostars Hotel Group has committed to operating a hotel from the site when construction has been completed. Last week, Gold Tree Group’s Irish subsidiary Gold Tree Hotels Dublin 2 Limited applied for permission to DCC to make internal reconfigurations to floor layouts of the approved hotel project that would result in a reduction in the number of bedrooms from 195 to 149. The Business Post, 6th September
Donnybrook, Dublin 4 European-wide tech-powered hospitality provider Bob W is set to make its first foray into the Irish market where it is planning to operate a 143-bedroom aparthotel. Planning documents lodged by Red Rock Donnybrook Ltd with DCC show the firm is seeking to construct a seven-storey aparthotel at the Circle K petrol station at the junction of Donnybrook Road and Brookvale Road. The move comes almost one year since the then An Bord Pleanála refused planning permission to Red Rock Donnybrook for a 10-storey 225-bedspace student accommodation on the same site. In a letter of support lodged with the application, Bob W requests the city council to grant planning permission, and confirmed that Bob W seeks to become the long-term operator of the proposed aparthotel. The Irish Times, 9th September
Finglas, Dublin 11 A mixed-use investment is being offered for sale on Jamestown Road through Ray Cooke Auctioneers with a €1.6m guide price. Located at Gofton Court, it is currently generating €110,900-a-year in rental income (6.3% NIY). The rental income could be increased by converting two vacant first-floor office units to residential apartments. This would boost rental income to between €179,300 and €185,300 pa. The total floor area of the combined units extends to 8,970 sq. ft. It has three ground-floor retail units which are currently occupied by Expert Home Renovation Centre, Dream Hair Salon and Finglas Vape Store. These range in size from 653 sq. ft to 2,927 sq. ft. The first floor extends to 2,829 sq. ft in size. The Irish Independent, 4th September
Clonskeagh, Dublin 14 St Brigid’s Novitiate, a 35-bedroom property of 31,405 sq. ft on a site of 3.5 acres on Roebuck Road and adjacent to UCD has come to market through Avison Young guiding €10m. The site is being sold by Little Sisters of the Poor, who intend to remain on site in their house and to continue operating the Holy Family Residence Nursing Home, which is to the front of the campus. The St Brigid’s Novitiate building and its site are zoned Objective A – Residential with an institutional tag in the DLRCC Development Plan 2022-2028. A feasibility study prepared in advance of the sale by Henry J Lyons Architects and CJ Falconer & Associates suggests the property has the potential to accommodate a PBSA scheme comprising approx. 460 bed spaces across four blocks, including the renovation and extension of the Novitiate building. This property comprises 35 bedrooms on the first and second floors, with potential for expansion. The ground floor includes a variety of spaces, such as reception rooms, offices, dining rooms, a chapel and a library, offering scope for a range of uses. The Irish Times, 3rd September
Croí Cónaithe Scheme The state’s scheme to subsidise the construction of apartments for sale has received applications from developers to build close to 6,000 homes this year. The Croí Cónaithe Cities scheme provides subsidies of between €25,000 and €144,000 per unit to bridge the gap between how much it costs to build an apartment and the price people can afford to pay. In June, James Browne, the housing minister, issued a fresh call for applications to the scheme. Martin Whelan, chief executive of the Housing Agency, recently told the Beauchamps Housing Conference that the Housing Agency has received close to 40 compliant submissions under the latest call for expressions of interest, which closed on August 15th. He said the submissions contained plans to deliver more than 5,800 apartments. The bulk of these applications were for the Dublin region (4,600). The remainder have been mainly in Cork (600), Galway (200) and Waterford (200). The Business Post, 2nd September
Purchasing Managers Index Irish construction activity continued to fall last month, according to AIB’s latest Construction PMI. The headline seasonally adjusted figure fell to 45.9 in August, down from 47.1 in July. It is the fourth successive month where the Construction Total Activity Index was below the key breakeven level of 50. The report said output was down across the housing, commercial and civil engineering categories. Purchasing activity was also scaled back, but AIB said companies continued to increase employment, “in part due to positive expectations for the future”. The report said the latest fall was “marked and the sharpest since January 2024” and for the first time in a year and a half, all three categories of construction saw a drop in activity last month. Rte.ie, 9th September
Cork Airport PJ Hegarty has won the contract for the DAA’s €200m Cork Airport development plan. Work on the new mezzanine floor will begin this month and will house an expanded security screening area and a larger executive lounge. The new mezzanine floor will extend over the existing arrivals concourse and feature a larger passenger security area equipped with the latest C3 EDS technology. It will allow passengers to keep liquids, gels, pastes and large electronic items in their cabin baggage. A dedicated fast-track lane will also be added. The arrivals area will include a new café-bar and upgraded car hire facilities. The mezzanine will also accommodate a new executive lounge with 30% more capacity and an expanded Cork Airport Duty Free shop. The Business Post, 5th September
Greater Dublin Drainage Project The €1.3bn Greater Dublin Drainage Project will be delayed after Wild Irish Defence filed a judicial review challenge against An Coimisiun Pleanála (ACP) and several others, in an attempt to block the development. The case is due to come before the High Court on September 15th. It comes after ACP granted Uisce Éireann planning permission for the project in July. Once operational, it will have the capacity to provide wastewater treatment to around half a million people. The Business Post, 5th September
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Dungloe Bay, Co. Donegal The Waterfront Hotel, a four-star, 65-bedroom hotel on the west coast of Donegal, is up for sale for €4.9m through Savills and TDL Horizons. The hotel has 49 newly refurbished en-suite bedrooms and 16 suites, which will have to be refurbished by the new owners. The site also features a function room, a gym, and extensive grounds with parking and a playground. Dungloe, within the Gaeltacht region, is 13km from Donegal Airport. The hotel was previously known as the Óstán na Rossan, when it was bought by Chicago-based businessman Kevin Boyle in 2015. The Business Post, 27th August
Aston Quay, Dublin 2 Willie Aherne, owner of the Palace Bar on Fleet Street, has bought Fitzgerald’s Bar on Aston Quay. Aherne bought the Victorian-style bar, which overlooks O’Connell Bridge, for an undisclosed sum. The pub was put on the market by Lisney in February with a guide price of more than €2.5m. The four-storey over-basement premises extends to approx. 5,500 sq. ft, including a lounge bar and public bar at ground-floor level serviced by kitchen facilities. The property was sold by Lennie Fitzgerald who ran the bar since the early 2000s, although the business has been trading since the 1880s. The Business Post, 26th August
Aughrim, Co. Wicklow Two of the founders of the BrookLodge & Macreddin Village resort in Wicklow are set to check out, as hoteliers Ray Byrne and Sheila O’Riordan buy into the business. Brothers Bernard, Evan and Eoin Doyle put the spa hotel and wedding venue on the market in September last year through JLL with an asking price of €17.5m. The deal will see Eoin Doyle retain part ownership of the hotel, with Byrne and O’Riordan coming on as co-owners through a new entity, Wicklow Hotel Opportunities. Byrne owns Wineport Lodge in Glasson, Co Westmeath, and is already a business partner of Eoin Doyle. BrookLodge is an 86-room, four-star hotel on 16 acres. Macreddin village has a pub, café, Italian restaurant and Macreddin chapel. The Sunday Times, 31st August
Drury Street, Dublin 2 Balrath Investments Unlimited has received planning permission for a 273-bed city centre tourist hostel despite local business objections. Maryland House sits in the city’s South William entertainment quarter on Drury Street. It was previously reported that it was sold for over €10m in the early 2020s. Dublin City Council has now given the green light for the 44-bedroom hotel which will have capacity for 273 bedspaces. The council also gave permission for a new restaurant and basement bar in the building. The Currency, 1st September
Dawson Street, Dublin 2 54 Dawson Street is guiding €2.85m through Colliers. The 4,882 sq. ft four-storey over-basement property is fully let and generating €189,650 in annual rental income from four tenancies. It has a WAULT of 2.46 years to break and 7.82 years to expiry. The ground floor and basement level are let to Carebrook Partnership Ltd, trading as Pret A Manger, on a 15-year lease commencing February 2022, at €110,000 pa, with a tenant-break option in February 2029. The first floor is occupied by Fusion Recruitment on a five-year lease commencing July 2021 at €27,000 pa. The second floor is let to Paulson Management Ireland Limited with annual mutual-break options at €27,000 pa. The third floor is home to Deighton Infrastructure Management Limited on a five-year lease commencing March 2024 at €25,650 pa, with a tenant-break option in March 2027. The Irish Times, 27th August
O’Connell Street, Dublin 1 Colliers is guiding €3.1m for 30-31 Lower O’Connell Street. The property, a four-storey over-basement building of 8,617 sq. ft comes for sale fully let to two tenants and is generating overall annual rental income of €270,000 (7.67% NIY). The property sits three doors down from the redeveloped Clerys Quarter and almost directly opposite the GPO. The ground floor and basement, comprising a total floor area of 5,598 sq. ft, is let to Mountain Warehouse on a 10-year lease commencing September 2019, at a rent of €215,000 pa with a tenant break option in May 2027. The upper floors, which extend to approx. 3,019 sq. ft over three floors, are in office use and fully let to Element Pictures, on a 20-year lease commencing November 2018, at a rent of €55,000 pa, with a tenant break option in October 2028. The property has a WAULT of approx. 2.07 years to break and 5.92 years to expiry. The Irish Times, 27th August
IFSC, Dublin 1 JLL is guiding €24m for Macken House on Mayor Street Upper. The property, which is owned and managed by Tetrarch ICAV on behalf of the ESB Pension Fund, comprises a six-storey building of 51,347 sq. ft with 42 basement car-parking spaces. The first to fifth floors comprise office accommodation and are let to Italian luxury jewellery brand, Bulgari, and FM104 owner, the Wireless Group. The ground floor includes an office unit of 15,635 sq. ft let to Virgin Media, along with two retail units with a total combined space of 3,717 sq. ft. The retail space is fully leased to Insomnia and Mulligans Chemist. The three office leases account for almost 90% of the total passing rent of €2m. Following various regears, Macken House now provides a WAULT of 5.7 years to earliest break. The guide price of €24.5m reflects an initial yield of approx. 7.5% and a capital value of approx. €477 psf. The Irish Times, 27th August
IFSC, Dublin 1 Susquehanna International Group is set to purchase La Touche House. The company is already the owner-occupier of the office block next door, having purchased the former AIB treasury building for close to €35m in 2013. La Touche House was placed on the market by Axa Investment Manager Alts in May for just over €25m with Susquehanna believed to be paying close to the asking price. The approx. 110,000 sq. ft property was one of the first buildings to be completed in the IFSC, in 1993, and was once the headquarters of Bank of Ireland, which paid IR£32m for the offices as a new build. The seven-storey office is in need of refurbishment. Axa bought the building for nearly €84m in 2020, with BCP Capital acting as its local partner. A number of potential buyers are thought to have run the rule over the building, including one party that considered turning it into a hotel. The Sunday Times, 31st August
Dublin Residential Portfolio The Georgian Collection, a portfolio of 13 residential rental properties, is being offered to the market by Savills guiding €30m. The portfolio is fully let and generating a total of €2.145m in annual rental income (6% NIY). It comprises 91 dwellings consisting of a mix of studio, one-bed, two-bed, three-bed and four-bed units located in areas such as Clontarf, Glasnevin, Drumcondra, Phibsborough and Stoneybatter. Numbers 25 and 27 North Circular Road in Dublin 7, two adjoining period houses close to the entrance to the Phoenix Park, comprise a total of 16 residential units. These produce an annual rent roll of €420,060, or an average of €2,188 per unit per month. In terms of their sustainability, the units carry a mix of A and B BER ratings. The Irish Times, 27th August
The Liberties, Dublin 8 German asset manager MEAG has agreed to acquire the 18 Newmarket Square BTR project for close to €80m, according to Green Street News. MEAG, which is the asset manager for reinsurance giant Munich Re, is in exclusive talks to acquire the asset from the development joint venture of Revelate Capital and Valpre Capital. The German investor is advancing the deal for one of the few BTR complexes to come to market in Dublin this year, which had been expected to attract widespread investor interest, and the purchase price reflects a NIY in the region of 5%. Newmarket Square totals 134 apartments and includes 79 one-bed units, 46 two-bed homes, seven three-bed homes and two studios. The asset will be a nearly zero-energy building. CBRE is advising Revelate Capital and Valpre Capital. Bisnow, 1st September
Dungarvan, Co. Waterford A large scale development of 155 residences and a creche have been given the green light in Dungarvan, following a decision by An Coimisiún Pleanála, who upheld a decision by Waterford City and County Council granting permission to S&K Carey Ltd for the project. The site extends to over 10 acres and is located at Duckspool to the northeast of Dungarvan town centre. The development consists of detached, semi-detached, and terraced houses, along with 42 apartments in four three-storey apartment blocks. It was given the green light by Waterford planners on April 16th, subject to conditions. The site is accessed via a link road between the N25 Waterford to Cork road and the R675 Clonea road between Abbeyside and Clonea. The Irish Independent, 29th August
Waterford/Kilkenny Border Permission has been granted for a new Dunnes Stores-led project at Ross Road, Ferrybank, on the northern outskirts of Waterford City. Better Value Unlimited Company applied to Kilkenny County Council on July 1st for planning permission, which is to be constructed in Ferrybank Shopping Centre. The development consists of the change of use and amalgamation of the centre’s unoccupied car showroom and adjacent fire service corridor. The reconfigured anchor unit will have 32,000 sq. ft of convenience floorspace. The total gross floor area of the anchor unit will be over 81,000 sq. ft, including basement and ground floor levels. The first floor of the retail anchor unit, approved for the sale of comparison goods, will be repurposed into a separate leisure unit measuring approx. 34,000 sq. ft, marking a change of use from retail to leisure use. The Irish Independent, 28th August
Boreenmanna Road, Cork City A former Cork private school that sold for just over €2m in May as a development site is being offered on a short, three-year span. The former Rockboro School, pitched as being ideal as an educational facility, language school, a training base or other similar use given its layout, currently in 14 classrooms. It is understood the undisclosed buyer is a developer who will seek planning permission for a medium/high density residential development on the approx. 1.55 acre one-time quarry site. ERA Downey McCarthy are quoting a rent of €15 psf/€145,000 pa. It comprises a solid main building of 7,400 sq. ft, with adjacent 2,230 sq. ft prefab structure. It is likely the new owner will seek permission to develop 40 or more units, in several blocks, subject to planning approval. The former school was sold by BidX1 with a guide price of €1.2m, finally selling for €2.01m. The Examiner, 28th August
Kinsale Road, Cork City Dairygold has sold its Creamfields development property in Cork to Cairn Homes for €25.6m. The sale of the site comes after Dairygold received full planning permission for the development of 606 residential units and multiple commercial units in 2022. According to the co-operative, Cairn Homes is set to commence work on the development in Q4 2025, and it’s expected that it could take three years to complete. Dairygold had already partnered with Cairn Homes to deliver the residential element of the development prior to the sale, while both parties collaborated with Respond to deliver social and cost rental units. When completed, the development will be comprised of 225 social and 381 cost-rental apartments on the site, which sits opposite Musgrave Park. The Business Post, 26th August
Housing Commencements The average number of housing commencements across Ireland has been steadily declining since the end of last year. Department of Housing data published by the Central Statistics Office has shown that the number of residential starts recorded between January and July were down 80% on the same period in 2024, with just 7,384 commencements over the seven months this year, compared to 36,320 in 2024. The most significant decline was recorded in April, with 1,027 commencements, down 95% on the 18,700 starts in the same month a year prior. March was also a weak month with an 85% drop in commencements year on year, followed by February, when the figures were down 73%. The Business Post, 1st September
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Exchequer Street, Dublin 2 JLL and Eastdil have been approached by Deutsche Finance International (“DFI”) and BCP Capital to sell the former Central Hotel. One source said the agents plan to put the hotel on the market for around €100m. In July 2019, DFI and BCP acquired the Central Hotel from the Gerry Conlon-led Bridlewood Family Trust. Financial details of the acquisition were never disclosed however the property had been put on the market in October 2018 for €40m. At the time, it had 70 rooms across four floors. DFI and BCP planned to refurbish the building, adding rooms and improving its food and drinks offering. In 2022, DFI and BCP agreed a long-term deal with hospitality group Ennismore to operate the hotel as the country’s first Hoxton hotel. The plan would see the hotel renovated and restored, including its famous Library Bar, and extended to 129 bedrooms. The Sunday Independent, 24th August
Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin Downton Ventures Limited has sought planning permission to develop a new REZz hotel near the Dún Laoghaire seafront. The company has applied to DLRCC for permission to change the use of the lower floors of various buildings in the Century Court complex from office to hotel accommodation. The application applies to the first, second and third floors of blocks A and B in the complex, as well as the second and third floors of blocks C and D, a total of approx. 17,500 sq. ft with 71 bedrooms. According to the application, no demolition works would be necessary. An Post, along with several others, are current tenants in the complex, however Downton Ventures stated in the application that these would be unaffected by the change of use, and added that the residential apartments building would also be unaffected. The Business Post, 24th August
Pub Conversions Local authorities have received notification of more than 150 developments turning vacant pubs into housing units since the need for planning permission for such conversions was dropped. In 2018, the Department of Housing introduced new rules removing a requirement to secure permission to convert certain vacant commercial buildings into residential units. In 2022, the exemption was extended to include vacant former pubs. Between 2018 and 2024, local authorities received 1,457 notifications to convert vacant commercial properties into housing units, of which 154 relate to vacant pubs. These 154 conversions could create up to 459 new homes, the department said. The Irish Times, 19th August
Little Island, Co. Cork Unit 1 Nova Business Park has come to market for sublet at an annual rent of €127,195 (€10.55 psf). Unit 1 is one of eight warehouses in Nova Business Park given a comprehensive makeover by Kennedy Wilson after the US investor bulk-bought the units around four years ago, from O’Connell Transport Warehousing, in what was then known as O’Connell Commercial Park. Sherry FitzGerald is acting on behalf of tenant Fáilte Solar, who are subletting the A rated Unit 1. The location is just minutes from the M8 Cork/Dublin motorway via the upgraded Dunkettle interchange (3km away) as Cork city centre. Unit 1, which extends to 12,045 sq. ft, consists of a high-quality ground floor warehouse (11,084 sq. ft), ground floor office (480 sq. ft) and first floor open plan office accommodation (480 sq. ft). The Irish Examiner, 21st August
Harcourt Street, Dublin 2 Kennedy Wilson (KW) has lodged new plans for a nine-storey “mixed-use office-led campus” at KPMG’s current office on the corner of St Stephen’s Green and Harcourt Street that could hold more than 3,000 office workers, as well as a folk music club and refurbished apartments. In the new planning application, KW Investment Funds ICAV is seeking revisions to its office scheme that was granted planning permission at Stokes Place in January 2023. At the time, An Coimisiún Pleanála (“ACP”) granted planning permission to demolish the existing office complex, and to construct an eight-storey office block. In the new scheme, the applicants are seeking permission to add a 9th floor. The new application will add 38,000 sq. ft of office floor space to bring the office space to approx. 439,000 sq. ft. The applicants are also proposing that a permitted retail space of a cafe/restaurant be replaced by an event/entertainment space and “a reimagined 95 Folk Club for young and established folk musicians” is proposed. In addition, nine of the existing Russell Court apartments are to be refurbished as part of the proposals to provide a residential component. The Irish Times, 20th August
Parliament Street, Kilkenny City A bank branch let to Bank of Ireland has been bought by a private investor for its €4m guide price. Generating a passing rent of €263,387 pa, the price equates to a net initial yield of 5.98% which is a keener yield than those achieved for prime Dublin shopping centres at 7.75%. A key attraction for investors in the property is that its lease allows the landlord to receive upwards-only rent reviews with the next due in December 2026. The 0.22 acre site includes a small car-park with frontage on two sides offering future development potential. The building itself extends to about 9,550 sq. ft over two-storeys and a basement, and its layout comprises an open-plan customer banking hall at ground level, open-plan and cellular offices on the upper floor, and ancillary accommodation at basement level. There are also 13 car-parking spaces. The Irish Independent, 20th August
Westland Row, Dublin 2 Colliers has launched 35 Westland Row to the market with a sale price of €3.25m or €45 psf to lease. This four-storey over basement period building, directly opposite Trinity College, has been refurbished in recent years and extends to 5,629 sq. ft. Features include a modern, open-plan floor plate at the rear, which is suitable for co-working, collaboration and event functions. The central location will also appeal to commuters as it is within a minute’s walk of Pearse Street Dart station, a few minutes walk from both Green and Red Line Luas stops and a host of Dublin Bus routes. While primarily suited for office use, its flexible layout could also accommodate educational or medical purposes, subject to the necessary planning permissions. The Business Post, 24th August
Dublin City Conversions Almost €3m was spent by DCC buying two commercial buildings that have been left vacant due to a lack of resources to convert them into social housing. The two 19th-century buildings were bought as part of the council’s “adaptive reuse” programme, a city regeneration scheme designed to combat dereliction and provide homes through the reuse of vacant properties. The adaptive reuse unit was set up by the council in October 2022 and had already assessed more than 500 buildings’ suitability for conversion into homes. Feasibility studies were prepared for 15 conversion projects and the first three properties were bought at a total cost of €6.35m. However, the scheme has been radically curtailed and just one project is proceeding, the adaptation of a Ringsend office block at 14-15 Fitzwilliam Quay, which is attached to a larger apartment scheme. The council paid €3.55m for the offices and plans to convert them into 15 apartments. The council bought Kerr House, a protected structure at 114-116 Capel Street, for €1.7m last year. The top two floors were to be converted into four apartments with the ground floor retained for commercial use. The Bank of Ireland at 371-373 North Circular Road in Phibsborough closed in 2021. The council bought it for €1.1m early this year, with the intention of converting it into four apartments at ground and first-floor level. The Irish Times, 25th August
Kimmage, Dublin 12 Planning permission for the construction of 145 apartments at the Carlisle site in Kimmage has been granted by DCC. The apartments, which will be spread across five blocks ranging in height from three to partially-five storeys, are set to be built to the side of the BD Gym. The apartments will be made up of 70 one-bed and 75 two-bed apartments, which are intended to be built to be sold, the applicant said. A creche will be included in the development as well as 89 car parking spaces and more than 400 bicycle spaces. The planning application was submitted by Lioncor Developments subsidiary, 1 Terenure Land Ltd, whose ultimate parent company is Oaktree Capital Management LP. This is the third planning application for the site. An application for 208 units at the site was quashed by the High Court in May 2025, a further application at this site was granted by the council and upheld by ACP on appeal but is subject to a judicial review. Some 17 planning objections were submitted by residents of the area. The applicants will be required to pay a sum of €1.33m to the council as a contribution to the cost to public infrastructure from the scheme. The Irish Times, 23rd August
Ballymun, Dublin 9 Plans have been submitted for a major new housing development on a site in Ballymun that was once home to some of the area’s most recognisable tower blocks. Tuath Housing Association has lodged a large-scale residential development application with DCC for the construction of 463 new homes on a 7.6 acre site along Coultry Road and Ballymun Road. The proposed scheme includes a mix of apartments and duplex units spread across 10 separate blocks, ranging in height from three to six storeys. The development will include 190 one-bedroom, 226 two-bedroom, and 47 three-bedroom homes, along with community facilities and a crèche. As part of the plans, four existing residential units at Nos 62-65 Coultry Gardens are to be demolished. In addition to housing, the proposal includes a crèche and a cultural or community space. A total of 144 car parking spaces and over 1,000 cycle parking spaces are proposed, alongside green roofs, landscaped open spaces, balconies and terraces. The Irish Independent, 19th August
Wilton, Co. Cork The LDA has been given the green light by Cork City Council to proceed with a major housing scheme, set to deliver 348 affordable homes. The development, on land transferred from the ESB at its Wilton site, will include 296 cost-rental apartments, 16 two-storey affordable townhouses, and 36 social housing units. The site, just off the Sarsfield Road roundabout, was handed over to the LDA in August 2024, with planning lodged in April of this year. The project, which features several five- and six-storey apartment blocks, will also include a crèche, podium gardens, parking, and pedestrian and cycling links. On Wednesday, CCC granted planning permission subject to 51 conditions. The LDA has said that, pending no appeal, construction could begin in early 2026, with the first homes due in late 2028. However, the decision may still be appealed to ACP, which could cause delays. The Irish Independent, 22nd August
Glasnevin, Dublin 11 The number of homes planned for a new suburb at the former Dublin Industrial Estate opposite Glasnevin Cemetery has been revised upwards by 40% to a potential 8,500. DCC last April published the Ballyboggan draft master plan for the development of 6,000 homes within a 185 acre zone, the largest industrial land bank to be regenerated since the Dublin docklands. However, the plans were criticised for lacking ambition in the midst of a housing crisis, with landowners and State agencies seeking the highest possible densities to ensure the maximum number of apartments are built. The area, just 3km from the city centre, is surrounded by the established suburbs of Glasnevin to the east, Cabra to the south, Finglas to the north and the expanding neighbourhood of Pelletstown to the west. More than 140 submissions were made to the council on the draft master plan, most of which called for increased housing density and height on the lands. Many of these were from existing industrial landowners, though Irish Rail and the National Transport Authority, as well as several members of the public, called for maximum densities to be pursued on the site. The Irish Times, 23rd August
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Kevin Street, Dublin 8 Orange Capital Partners, the Dutch investment firm, has been selected as the preferred bidder for Camden Yard, the troubled Dublin development that was placed into liquidation earlier this year. In May, CBRE brought the mixed residential and commercial development site, located at the former DIT campus on Kevin Street, to market on behalf of joint receivers John Boland and Nicholas O’Dwyer of Grant Thornton. A guide price in excess of €90m was attached to the property project, which upon completion, will deliver 299 apartments and 407,000 sq. ft of office space on a 3.57-acre site. The Business Post understands that Orange Capital Partners has been selected as the preferred bidder of eight groups vying for the property. The Dutch property investment firm is understood to have bid slightly above the €90m guide price. The Business Post, 15th August
Whiddy Island, West Cork A quirky mix of farmland and properties totalling 226 acres on the 5,000-acre Whiddy Island, a 10-minute ferry ride from Bantry has been brought to market by Sherry Fitzgerald guiding €4m for the entire lot. Largely in one block with other, separate sites, it has water frontage to Bantry Bay, facing east to the mainland and towards Bantry airstrip, with a pier/slipway. The sale includes up to ten houses, including a restaurant/bar (Bank House) along with archaeological remains, a ruin with planning for conversion and a military battery built in 1804 to defend the bay from French forces. The unique mix of heritage, houses, land, and buildings could suit as a wellness retreat, tourism/hospitality, private retreat, or mixed farm-and-accommodation venture. The Irish Examiner, 14th August
North Wall Quay, Dublin 1 An Coimisiún Pleanála (“ACP”) has upheld DCC’s rejection of RGRE’s planned 17-storey development in the docklands. In February, RGRE firm NWQ Devco Ltd sought a 10-year planning permission for the redevelopment of Citigroup’s current European headquarters at 1 North Wall Quay. The scheme involves the demolition of Citigroup’s existing six-storey office building and the development of four buildings in its place, ranging in heights of nine storeys to 17. ACP found that the scheme’s excessive height, bulk, massing and form would constitute an overly dominant and isolated tall building, one that would be at odds with the surrounding context and would seriously injure the amenity of the Liffey quays and views along the river corridor. The Irish Independent, 14th August
Clonskeagh, Dublin 14 TWM is guiding €7m for Block 9, a vacant 35,869 sq. ft office building located in Richview Office Park, Clonskeagh. Richview Office Park is one of Clonskeagh’s three principal office developments, and is home to a mix of high-profile occupiers, including Flutter, Smurfit Westrock, the Environmental Protection Agency and University College Dublin. Positioned directly off Clonskeagh Road, the park offers strong transport connectivity to both the M50 and N11. Block 9 is centrally located within the park and comes with a minimum of 85 surface car parking spaces. The building’s B2 BER-rated accommodation is arranged over multiple floors and features a modern fit-out with glazed partitioning, two passenger lifts and a large reception area that could serve as a welcoming client-facing space. The Business Post, 18th August
Cork City, Cork Service station and energy provider Corrib Oil is to create 50 jobs and open the first Wendy’s fast food restaurant in Cork. The restaurant will open in Mahon Point Shopping Centre in October, and Wendy’s will use Irish beef and chicken across its menu. Founded in 1987, Corrib Oil currently operates 40 convenience stores with forecourts and 20 fuel depots across 17 counties. The partnership with Wendy’s is a key part of its expansion strategy in Ireland, which aims to more than double its national footprint to 100 locations by 2030 and continue to grow its home heating distribution and fuel card business. The company recently announced the franchise deal with Wendy’s about six months ago. It will see 10 locations open in the next two years with about 300 jobs to be created. The US fast food restaurant chain first opened in 1969 and has grown to more than 7,200 restaurants. About 1,200 of these are located in more than 30 markets outside of the United States. The Irish Times, 18th August
North Docklands, Dublin 1 Spencer Place Residential, a Ronan Group development in Dublin’s north docklands, has been sold to Ardstone for €177m. The transaction is the highest-value residential investment deal in Ireland this year and suggests a higher level of confidence in the sector. Ronan Group acquired the six-acre mixed-use campus in 2016, and subsequently secured the tenancy of Salesforce, in what was described as the largest pre-let ever achieved in the Irish market. Ardstone is now acquiring the development from Spencer Place Development Company, which is a joint venture between the Ronan Group and Fortress Investment Group. Spencer Place Residential represents the final phase of the campus, with 360 private units in two buildings, that include build-to-rent apartments and co-living spaces. The development features a 24-hour concierge, gym, cinema and top-floor lounges, and was designed to support a community of over 700 residents. The Irish Independent, 13th August
Blackrock, Co. Dublin Cairn Homes is to lodge new plans for 252 residential build-to-sell units for one of the few available sites in Blackrock in south Dublin that is suitable for a higher density apartment scheme. Cairn Homes is to seek permission for 236 apartments and 16 houses from Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council for its site at Chesterfield, Cross Avenue. The 236 apartments are to be located in two blocks ranging in height from five to eight storeys while the 16 homes will be five bedroom terrace houses. Cairn has been trying to develop the site for the past seven years and last year ACP refused permission for 355 build-to-rent apartments as it would lead to an over-proliferation of such apartments for the area. The Irish Times, 14th August
Residential Zoned Land Tax The RZLT was first flagged in the 2021 Finance Act as the replacement for the largely unsuccessful vacant site levy and is a 3% levy on the value of undeveloped land. Its aim is to encourage residential development on serviced land amid a housing crisis. In June, Revenue released the first tranche of data on payments for land identified by local authorities as falling under the tax net. The figures show close to 1,800 returns were filed by the end of May, with a combined €40m paid to date. However, close to 60 appeals have been filed to ACP by site owners in the two weeks before the August 1 deadline. This follows a similar trend to last year’s, when over 90 appeals were lodged in late July 2024. Sites earmarked for large housing projects are among the appeals this year, with cases brought by major developers as well as more regional players in several counties. There are also appeals from the company which operates Croke Park, while the owners of a site on the quays in Dublin recently earmarked for the capital’s tallest building also want off the list. The Currency, 12th August
Cork City, Cork Work on Ireland’s tallest tower, an 85m high apartment tower, on the former Sextant pub/Carey tool site, is due to commence next month, with a two-year delivery timeline to September 2027. Railyard apartments, a cost rental led/social housing scheme of 217 homes in a 24 storey tower, in a joint development between JCD Group and Cork City Council on Albert Street/Albert Quay, will be located just 200 metres downriver of City Hall. Currently, Ireland’s tallest tower is the Obel building in Belfast at 85m, with 233 apartment plus offices. Cork’s Railyard scheme will drop from a 24 storey tower to 11 and nine floors with public realm, and will integrate part of the former Blackrock and Passage rail line terminus/heritage buildings. The former Sextant bar was demolished in August 2020. The Irish Examiner, 14th August
Swords, Co. Dublin Glenveagh Homes is considering changes to a 650-home housing development including omitting a number of housing units from the site, and a plan for a 379-unit, mixed-use development on a site near Swords. Glenveagh consulted the local authority on the omission of 196 residential units from the Strategic Housing Development, including 43 one-bed units, 120 two-bed units and 33 three-bed units, across eight houses and 188 apartments, and alterations to the internal road network, car parking, open space and landscaping. It is further gauging the viability of making amendments to the Mooretown Phase 2 development, including the omission of three four-bed houses and changes to the internal road and parking network. As part of the consultation process, it sought the council’s input on a separate plan for a 379-unit, mixed-use development, according to a list of decisions published by Fingal County Council this week. The Irish Times, 19th August
Chapelizod, Dublin 7 ACP has reopened an appeal over a 106-home development next to the Phoenix Park after the High Court quashed its decision to grant planning permission for the complex. The proposed development, which has been sought by Linders of Smithfield Limited, is made up of 96 apartments in two blocks and 10 duplex apartments in a third block, at Quadrant House on Chapelizod Road. The large residential development (LRD) application was made in July 2023, seeking permission to level the Chapelizod Road site and to construct three residential blocks ranging from three to five storeys. The development, which was proposed to have a gross floor area of 105,341 sq. ft, was to include a residents’ gym, a cafe, a communal work space and a basement car park with 84 parking spaces. The development was not set to include any childcare facilities. The Irish Times, 19th August
Shankill, Co. Dublin Work is now underway on the development of new sport and recreational facilities in Shanganagh Park. The plans for the 21 acre site in the 87 acre park met with significant opposition locally, when the project first received Part 8 approval in May 2022. The High Court quashed the decision in a judicial review, forcing DLRCC back to the drawing board. A public consultation organised by the council a year later attracted 1,107 valid submissions, of which 726 were in favour. Some 357 were opposed and others were neutral. Submissions were also received from the National Monument Service, which noted there was evidence of significant archaeological features. Following some amendments, subsequent plans included one full size/two half-size pitches, floodlights, netting, cages, wire fences, a running track, a basketball court and storage containers and were approved by a council vote in February 2024. The Irish Independent, 15th August
Clarecastle, Co. Clare The cost of the clean-up at Roche’s former manufacturing site in Clarecastle has now come to €150.5m over five years. The Swiss pharmaceutical giant has described the work as “one of the largest remediation projects of its type in Europe”. New accounts show that Roche Ireland Ltd recorded losses of €54.9m in 2024 as its spending on decommissioning and remediation continued to mount, following its decision to end manufacturing here. The €54.9m loss includes a combined spend of €48.26m on environmental and demolition costs, which is the highest spend so far on a project that has been ongoing since 2020. Excavation at the first area of environmental concern was completed in January 2024, with 17,500 tonnes of contaminated soil transported off-site in 674 sealed containers to a licensed thermal treatment facility in Holland. Groundwater purification of that area is currently underway. The Irish Independent, 14th August
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Leopardstown, Dublin 18 AIB is in talks to take a lease on Ulster Bank’s former headquarters. The Lender is in early discussions to take the entirety of Building B at Central Park, Leopardstown, a six-storey, 76,000 sq. ft office that served as the head office of Ulster Bank from 2021 until it exited the Irish market. The building, which has capacity for more than 500 staff, is located minutes away from an eight-storey block at Central Park that is already occupied by AIB. The complex is owned by Henderson Park. It is understood AIB wants the space on a short-term lease for a specific one-off project, set to last a number of years, rather than on a long-term basis. The Business Post, 9th August
Dublin Portfolio Blackstone is poised to walk away from its investment in a Dublin office portfolio. Blackstone acquired the five office properties from Starwood in 2020 in a €535m deal. The acquisition was funded by equity from Blackstone, mezzanine finance from Starwood and senior debt from Pimco. It has since sold two of the properties, the Watermarque building and an office on Parkgate Street. It is understood that Blackstone is now ceding control of the remaining three assets in the portfolio to junior lender Starwood, who wrote down the value of its €25m mezzanine loan exposure by 50% in October last year, and took a further 50% markdown this month, reflecting the “continuing challenging Dublin office market dynamics”. The portfolio of properties included the Iveagh Court, the Watermarque Building, 29-31 Adelaide Road and 75 St Stephen’s Green. The properties formed part of a portfolio which Lone Star purchased for €220m from Nama in 2014. The Sunday Times, 10th August
Harcourt Centre, Dublin 2 Last month Iput applied for planning permission to demolish Blocks 2 and 3 of the Harcourt Centre and build an approx. 200,000 sq. ft office led development on the site. The new 11-storey development would replace the existing eight-storey structure on the corner of Harcourt Street and Charlemont Street. In a submission to DCC, Melly SARL, a Luxembourg-based firm linked to Arena Invest that owns Block 4 stated that the project, if approved, will impact the ability of Melly SARL to maximise the future development potential of their property. Further concerns were raised about how Iput’s plans for Block 2 and 3 would negatively impact daylight on the occupants of Block 4. Avestus Capital Partners and Ares Asset Management sold block 4 to Arena Invest in 2020 for €55m. The Business Post, 6th August
Clanbrassil Street, Dublin 8 A company owned by Eamon Waters has sought planning permission for a large-scale student accommodation project in Dublin 8. Blackpitts Residence Unlimited Company plans to demolish the current industrial building at 21-23 Blackpitts, just off Clanbrassil Street, and build a six-storey, 217-bed student housing complex in its place. The plans for the student build also show that the premises would include communal amenity space, a library and study room, a cinema room, and a gym. There are also plans for a rooftop terrace and a café at the ground floor level. The Currency, 6th August
Clonskeagh, Dublin 4 Opponents of a 439-bed student accommodation project near UCD have appealed to An Coimisiún Pleanála (“ACP”) regarding DCC’s decision to grant the development planning permission. The development, led by Harley Issuer DAC, a firm backed by Bain Capital, is at the former Smurfit Paper Mills site, around 1km from UCD. The council granted planning permission on July 3rd. However, that decision has now been appealed by the Eglinton Residents Association on a number of grounds. The group claimed the proposed development was “in contravention of the Dublin City Development Plan”, as it did not conform to the height strategy. The Business Post, 5th August
St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2 The new owners of the five-star Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin will begin a €50m upgrade of the property from late October. This will involve renovating 226 of its 265 rooms as part of a year-long refurbishment programme. The Shelbourne, which opened its doors in 1824 was acquired by Archer Hotel Capital in 2024 for a reported €260m. Archer also owns the nearby Conrad hotel. The refresh of the guest rooms will be led by Kenmare interior designer Bryan O’Sullivan, whose previous projects include work on Claridge’s, The Connaught, and The Berkeley hotels in London. The Irish Times, 7th August
Nationwide Europcar has launched three new locations in Dublin, Tipperary, and Donegal, following a €100m investment across its services in Ireland. The company said the move reflects its broader commitment to growth beyond just these new locations. The new branches, which are already open, have generated 15 new jobs at their locations in Sandyford, Clonmel and Donegal Airport. In addition to the new locations, the company has revamped its Cloghran location in north Dublin, transforming it into a dedicated B2B and Van Centre. Rte.ie, 6th August
Dock Road, Limerick The LDA has announced plans to develop 285 affordable homes on land acquired from Gas Networks Ireland. Construction on the site will begin in 2027, subject to approval. The site is at The Gasworks, beside the Dock Clock, less than a 15-minute walk from Limerick City Centre. The proposed development will include 142 one-bed, 127 two-bed and 16 three-bed apartments across three blocks, ranging from one to eight storeys in height. The plans also include provisions for a new public plaza, landscaped gardens, communal spaces, play areas, retail units, a childcare facility, a provision for bicycle spaces and car park spaces at surface level. The Business Post, 9th August
Clonakilty, Co. Cork A land sale close to €4.75m has been agreed on 15 acres with planning for 92 homes, and with an application for a further 20 units to come. Hodnett Forde Agents has closed the transaction to a Dublin-based developer, who aims to deliver up to 112 units via a local builder, with planning already in place for 92 units, a mix of two, three and four-bed homes. The off-market sale, equivalent to almost €400,000 an acre, is one of the largest in the region for some time. The Examiner, 6th August
Clonakilty, Co. Cork A revised application was made in June 2025 on a large-scale residential development of 246 units (to include 50 social units) on approx. 19 acres, west of the Clonakilty Park Hotel, near Lady’s Cross and the agricultural grounds where Tesco has signalled plans for a store. The application is from HB Clogheen Developments Ltd and includes 170 houses, 69 apartments in three blocks, and a creche. A previous application was lodged in late September 2024. The planning file shows letters expressing concern about access/traffic given the scale of the proposed development, possibly the largest in a single application in any West Cork town. The Examiner, 6th August
Rathnew, Co. Wicklow Plans for 87 homes, a creche and a sports pitch in Rathnew have been submitted to Wicklow County Council by Durkan Broomhall Developments Limited. The site is situated to the south of Kirvin Hill and Waverley Drive residential estates on the southern edge of Rathnew village. It extends to approximately 13.2 acres. The proposed development will contain 50 three-bedroom homes, 12 with two bedrooms, five with four and two with just one bedroom. The homes will be a mix of houses and duplexes/maisonettes. The development will also include an approx. 1,720 sq. ft creche, a sports pitch with an 800 sq. ft clubhouse, internal road network, 175 car parking spaces, 2 drop off spaces, cycle parking and stores. The Irish Independent, 5th August
Balally, Dublin 16 Westleton is facing an appeal against its permission to build a seven-storey residential project at Balally after local residents appealed DLRCC’s July decision to grant permission for the development. Westleton initially wanted to build a nine-storey development to accommodate 100 units. The council granted permission on condition that floors two and three were removed, ensuring it was in accordance with the area’s “height strategy”. That reduced the unit count to 71, with a combination of one, two and three-bed apartments and six studio apartments. However Marston Planning Consultancy, on behalf of the Wedgewood Residents Association, has now appealed the decision to ACP, according to recently filed documents. The case is due to be decided by ACP by November 13th 2025. The Business Post, 5th August
Development Land The sale of land for development in the Greater Dublin Area and the regional centres of Cork, Galway and Limerick sank to its lowest level in more than two years in the second quarter. Sherry FitzGerald’s report shows the second quarter was significantly quieter than the previous three-month period, with spend totalling about €111m. That figure covers a total of 17 transactions, which was the lowest number seen since the first quarter of 2023. On top of that, the value of the land transacted was only about half that which changed hands during the same period last year. When combined with what was robust activity in the opening quarter, turnover for the first six months totalled €372m, which was greater than the long-term average of €328m, but also 15% below last year. The report suggested policies recently announced by the Government to address the housing crisis are likely to have “delayed decision-making” among stakeholders. The Irish Times, 11th August
Dublin Derelict Buildings The number of derelict buildings in Dublin city has increased by almost 80% in the last four years. DCC’s Derelict Sites Register, which tracks properties in the capital that have fallen into a dilapidated state, shows a jump from 74 at the end of January 2021, to 131 in July of this year. DCC has said that almost €9.9m in fines for dereliction are outstanding in 2025. Rte.ie, 5th August
Waiver Scheme Extension The Government is to provide €250m to support the extension of a waiver scheme. The scheme was introduced in April 2023 and waived development fees charged by local authorities for the cost of roads and other public infrastructure. The waiver scheme also pertains to a refund for Uisce Éireann water and wastewater connection charges. The proposed end for the waiver, which was due to occur in December this year, was widely blamed for a large fall-off in housing construction. It was extended in April last year to December 2026. The money allocated to the waiver scheme is part of an allocation of €696m announced by the Cabinet last week for housing. Some €184m is being allocated for social housing, with €100m to Approved Housing Bodies and €84m provided to local authorities to support their construction of new social housing. A further €114m will be directed to Approved Housing Bodies under the Cost Rental Equity Loan scheme. Another €14m is being allocated for private sector cost-rental development under the Secure Tenancy Affordable Rental scheme. Minister for Housing James Browne said the funding will deliver 4,600 new social and affordable housing units. The Irish Times, 11th August
Dublin Airport In plans lodged with Fingal County Council (“FCC”), DA Terminal 3 Ltd is seeking planning permission for four aviation-related cargo handling units to operate on a 24 hour, seven days a week basis and ancillary office space on a 30-acre site. In a cover letter lodged with the plans, CWPA Planning and Architecture state that the proposed development was a first but independent phase, within an overall longer term development proposal for DA Terminal 3 Ltd’s landholding. These “include the development of Terminal 3 and the overall development of the western campus”. They state that the overall landholding extends to 263 acres and that DA Terminal 3 is also working with key stakeholders and landowners to advance the western access road, the delivery of which is a significant objective of the Dublin Airport Local Area Plan. CWPA’s report confirms that DA Terminal 3 has engaged with FCC on its strategic vision for the lands. The Irish Times, 29th July
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St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2 An Coimisiún Pleanála (ACP) has refused planning permission for the €100m redevelopment of St Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre. The refusal by ACP overturns a grant of permission made to DTDL Ltd issued by DCC in December 2023. The largest component of the new scheme was to be office use providing for approx. 375,000 sq. ft of offices and ancillary spaces and the applicants increased the level of Retail and Food & Beverage space after the Council expressed concerns. In its refusal, ACP concluded that the scheme “lacks a strong sense of original aesthetic and would not achieve a sufficiently high standard of placemaking, urban design and architecture at this key city centre location”. The Irish Independent, 30th July
Hammerson Results The property investment group, which part-owns the Dundrum, Ilac and Pavilion shopping centres, reported a 5% increase in gross rental income on the same quarter in 2024. Its total portfolio value rose 11% to £3bn, which the group said was its first portfolio gain since 2017, after a £26m portfolio revaluation gain in the first half of the year, with Ireland reporting a revaluation gain of £7m due to “improvements in income in the period”. The Irish portion of its portfolio also saw sustained growth in occupancy rates, with a 2.5% growth to 98%. During the period, it signed a 38,000 sq. ft store upsize with Zara in Dundrum, as well as signing a renewal with Hollister and started negotiations with Wagamama for a new food and beverage offering. “All these deals were concluded comfortably ahead of previous passing rent” the group said. The Business Post, 31st July
ILAC Centre Hammerson has agreed a deal with Normal, the popular Danish retailer, to set up shop in the Ilac Centre as its first Irish store. Controlled by billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen, the company has more than €1.6bn in annual sales, and has 682 outlets in nine European countries. The bargain stores sell shelf-stable foods and personal care products. The Business Post, 31st July
Savills Quarterly Report The market continued to recover in Q2, as take-up reached 549,000 sq. ft across 14 deals. This was in-line with the 10-year average but almost four times higher than the same period last year. The recovery versus Q2 2024 was driven by an increase in both the number and size of deals, after respective growth of 75% and 272% compared with last year. Notably, 68% of sq. ft transacted was for units larger than 100,000 sq. ft. There was a decline in transactions of units sized between 5,000 and 10,000 sq. ft. As a result of the uptick in market activity, Savills has reviewed prime rents upwards by €0.50 psf to €13.50 psf. The vacancy rate declined to 2.1% in Q2 from 2.3% in the previous quarter. Notably, this included an 18% decline in the number of units vacant compared to Q1. Big-box units, larger than 50,000 sq. ft, accounted for 61% of vacant space but just 17% of vacant units. Savills Industrial & Logistics Report, 30th July
JLL Property Index Conducted since 1969, the JLL Index measures returns on direct property investment. The portfolio, valued at approx. €608m, consists of 51% Offices, 19% Retail, 16% Industrial, and 14% Residential. The latest Index reports a 7.6% increase in annual overall returns, with the quarterly returns up by 2.5%. This marks the fifth consecutive quarter of positive growth, continuing the positive trajectory established in 2024. Capital values grew for the third consecutive quarter and are now up 1.4% yoy. This represents a turnaround from the previous declining trend, which reached a low point of -16.1% in Q3 2023. Sector performance remains varied, with retail and industrial showing strong annual growth at 3.4% and 7.8% respectively, while office capital values recorded a slight decline of -0.9%, reflecting the nature of the index portfolio. Industrial capital values continue to demonstrate the strongest performance and stand 7.8% higher than a year ago, outperforming the other sectors. Rental values within the portfolio have shown notable growth in Q2 2025, increasing 3.3% yoy. This is particularly evident in the retail sector, where ERVs have increased by 8.8% annually. Furthermore, the portfolio’s income index continues its strong performance, rising 3.6% in the quarter and 5.3% yoy. JLL Press Release, 31st July
House Sales Figures from residential valuation service Geowox revealed that a total of 11,734 homes were sold in Q2, 13.2% down compared to the same period in 2024. The slowdown in sales was driven by a drop off in the number of homes sold in the lower price brackets up to €375,000. In the second quarter of this year, 1,815 homes were sold for between €151,000 and €250,000 compared to 2,538 homes in the same period of 2024. Home sales in the €251,000 and €375,000 bracket declined by 20% (from 4,168 to 3,302). The number of homes sold for under €150,000 has also plummeted, down from 1,468 in the second quarter of 2024 to 965 in the same period this year. Home sales in all other categories rose marginally, but there was a sizeable 11% uptick in the number of homes valued at greater than €800,000 to 753 in the quarter. Geowox said median prices in Ireland had continued to “steadily rise” in 2025 with the median price for a home in Ireland up 9.5% to €370,000 in 12 months. The Business Post, 29th July
Zoning The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne, and the Minister of State with responsibility for Planning, John Cummins, issued Guidelines instructing local authorities to update housing targets in line with the revised National Planning Framework (NPF). The Ministerial Guidelines identify the national housing growth requirements for each local authority based on the Revised NPF, which are to plan for approximately 55,000 new homes pa on average between now and 2034. An additional headroom of 50% will be available to local authorities enabling them to zone for a total of up to 83,000 units pa. Each local authority is expected to reflect these new targets by updating their individual development plans. While they will be kept under review and updated again before 2030, the Guidelines set out the housing demand scenario to 2040 for each local authority, based on ESRI modelling of population growth and structural housing demand and assumptions relating to unmet demand. Government Press Release, 29th July
Grand Canal, Dublin 2 Irish property owned by Amancio Ortega, the billionaire fashion mogul, booked a €8m impairment last year, new financial filings reveal. The owner of Inditex, the clothing firm behind Zara, Bershka and Pull & Bear, has built up a large portfolio of property worldwide that has been valued at more than €20bn. Firms in Ireland owned by Ortega have spent hundreds of millions of euro in recent years building a portfolio of Irish properties. Pontegadea Ireland Limited was a vehicle used by Ortega to acquire the Opus 6 apartment block on Hanover Quay for €104m in 2023 from Angelo Gordon, a New York-based investment manager, and Carysfort Capital. New accounts filed for the company that controls the 120-unit block near Grand Canal Dock showed the company booked an €8 million impairment on the property. Following the impairment, the value of investment property controlled by the firm fell to €92.3m. The Business Post, 31st July
Sherry Fitzgerald Report Transaction activity in the Irish investment market was more subdued in Q2 with turnover totalling €388m. This comprised 20 transactions, considerably lower than the 34 deals recorded for the same period in 2024. In the year to date, capital spend totalled €936m, 36% ahead of the corresponding period in 2024. That said, it remains well below the long-term average. The office sector witnessed a resurgence in activity accounting for half of total turnover during Q2. Retail was the second strongest performing sector absorbing a further 41% of investor spend. No residential assets traded during the period, highlighting the difficulties being faced by the sector. Overseas investors were responsible for 87% of total investment during the three-month period, accounting for the top four transactions. Sherry Fitzgerald Report, 31st July
Approved Housing Bodies The Department of Housing is clamping down on what AHB’s can pay developers for apartments. In a circular in June, the department warned AHBs that they should not pay developers substantially more than what local authorities pay in land costs for Part V housing units. Under Part V, developers must allocate up to 20% of a scheme to the local authority for social and affordable housing. Before they can start a development, they must agree the land cost element for each Part V home with the council. The developer is free to sell the rest of the units at any price. However, with more AHBs buying apartment blocks from developers, a situation has arisen where, in some cases, councils and AHBs are paying different land costs. The Department allocates funding for AHBs to buy the schemes through its capital advance leasing facility. AHBs are concerned that the circular could delay deals in the pipeline. Developers fear they could be out of pocket by up to €25,000 per home. One source said land values could differ because developers will quickly agree the land value with councils without much negotiation, to get on site quickly, or because developers invest thousands of euros in infrastructure after the land value is set with councils. He said talks with local authorities would now take longer to complete. The Department said engagement between AHBs, the Department and the Housing Agency was continuing. The Sunday Times, 3rd August
Dublin Airport In plans lodged with Fingal County Council, DA Terminal 3 Ltd is seeking planning permission for four aviation-related cargo handling units to operate on a 24 hour, seven days a week basis and ancillary office space on a 30-acre site. In a cover letter lodged with the plans, CWPA Planning and Architecture state that the proposed development was a first but independent phase, within an overall longer term development proposal for DA Terminal 3 Ltd’s landholding. These “include the development of Terminal 3 and the overall development of the western campus”. They state that the overall landholding extends to 263 acres and that DA Terminal 3 is also working with key stakeholders and landowners to advance the western access road, the delivery of which is a significant objective of the Dublin Airport Local Area Plan. CWPA’s report confirms that DA Terminal 3 has engaged with Fingal on its strategic vision for the lands. The Irish Times, 29th July
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Haddington Road, Dublin 4 An Coimisiún Pleanála (ACP) has given the green light to Courtney Lounge Bars Ltd for plans to demolish Smyth’s pub and replace it with a bar and apartments despite locals’ fears of a ‘superpub’ being developed. This entity now has permission to demolish all existing buildings on site at 10 Haddington Road and construct a four-storey and part five-storey mixed-use building comprising a pub at basement level and ground floor, and six residential units on the upper floors. The Irish Times, 25th July
Battlebridge, Co. Roscommon Battlebridge Caravan & Camping Park, and a gastro pub on the banks of the Shannon, has been brought to the market by Savills seeking offers in excess of €1m. The nine-acre site and business near Leitrim village is also convenient to Carrick-on-Shannon. Overlooking 245 metres of river frontage, the property combines a Fáilte Ireland-approved caravan, camping and glamping park, a private 16-berth marina and pub and restaurant, Beirne’s of Battlebridge. The park offers 43 hard-standing touring pitches and 20 tent pitches, all with electric hook-ups and water access, as well as a luxury glamping area featuring 11 eco-units. The site also accommodates a reception building, communal facilities, beer garden and a car park. The Irish Independent, 24th July
Ballycoolin, Dublin 15 Tech giant Amazon has scrapped plans to build a big industrial plant because it could not secure an electricity supply for the €300m project. The move has closed off the prospect of more than 500 jobs being created in the proposed plant at Ballycoolin, where Amazon already has a large base. Amazon’s cloud computing unit AWS wanted the new site for making high-tech server racks, a form of specialist shelving used in data centres that drive AI technology. The AWS plan had Government support, while Fingal County Council planning permission for the 250,000 sq. ft site and 562 car-parking spaces, was in place since 2022. IDA Ireland saw the project as a good way of positioning the State to take advantage of the next wave of AI technology. However, Amazon stopped the AWS investment when ESB Networks said there was no scope to provide an electricity connection within the company’s time frame because of constraints in power networks in that area. The Irish Times, 25th July
Carrickmines, Dublin 18 The Park business campus has strengthened its range of medical services after Veonet, the ophthalmology group, signed a 10-year lease for the third floor of The Herbert Building, a mixed-use building on the campus. The Park has attracted a number of medical occupiers including VHI Swift Care Clinic, Optilase, AllView, Cognate Health, Avoca Clinic, Venus Medical, and Thérapie Fertility Clinic. Savills said there is 87,000 sq. ft of medical space in The Park and it accounts for 38% of the campus’s office space. The office vacancy rate in the Park is now less than 2% and contrasts with the 15% office availability rate across Dublin. The Irish Independent, 24th July
Sandyford, Dublin 18 Karuna and Glenina, set on a combined 2.24-acre site, have been brought to market with a €7.5m guide price through Hooke & MacDonald. The site benefits from two full planning permissions. Located on Sandyford Road, just 700 metres from Sandyford village, the site enjoys proximity to the Luas. The first of the two planning permissions, allows for a mixed-density scheme comprising 13 detached houses and 54 apartments across two residential blocks (€111k per site), with surface-level car parking. The second scheme, also fully approved, is for a development of 116 apartments (€65k a site), offering a broad mix of unit types with a particular focus on two-bedroom homes. The Business Post, 25th July
Ballybane, Co. Galway Plans have been put forward to demolish a closed Galway pub to make way for a major new student accommodation complex. A proposal has been submitted to turn former pub, The Lantern Bar, into a major new development which will include four storeys of student accommodation. The application plans to demolish the existing building and construct a new mixed use four storey building including a retail unit and seventeen bedrooms. If approved, the development will accommodate seventeen bedrooms at upper floor levels, with an associated study room and gym area as well as a communal kitchen, living and dining area along with roof terrace. The Lantern Bar closed its doors back in 2019. A decision on the plans is expected from Galway City Council by September this year. The Irish Independent, 23rd July
Rathcoole, Co. Dublin 23.5 acres of land near Rathcoole has come to the market with Coonan Property quoting €1.175m. It is located at Crockshane, to the south of Rathcoole and east of the N7, situated close to the proposed Western Dublin Orbital Route which will link the N81 Dublin to Tullow road, as well as Tallaght to the N7 and the N4 at the Leixlip Interchange. There are numerous business parks in the wider area, the most notable being Greenogue Business Park, Aerodrome Business Park and the Citywest Business Campus. The guide price is based on a figure of €50,000 per acre which suggests strong “hope value” on the prospect of rezoning for either residential or logistical use. The Irish Independent, 24th July
Swords, Co. Dublin Fingal County Council has told Cairn Homes it must wait for Metrolink to be up and running before it can complete a 640-home Swords development. The council has approved the project, with an estimated cost of around €300m, in principle, but told the developer it cannot complete half the homes until the Metrolink is completed. Cairn has appealed the planning decision. Last year, Cairn Homes applied for permission to develop 640 new homes on a 32.5 acre site known as the Estuary West Lands at Holybanks, near Swords. The Metrolink project was first proposed in the mid-2000s but has faced many setbacks over the past two decades. The project is now due to be finished by the mid-2030s, but won’t be completed by the original 2035 target. The Business Post, 24th July
Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin The restoration of Dun Leary House and the construction of almost 90 apartments in its grounds has been approved by ACP. Dun Leary House sits on an elevated corner site overlooking Dún Laoghaire harbour close to the West Pier. The house dates from the 1870s. In 2003 permission was granted for a mixed-use scheme in the Tedcastles Coal Yard, which included the demolition of Dun Leary House. However, the scheme never went ahead. In November 2021 Ted Living Ltd applied for a strategic housing development (SHD) of 146 build-to-rent apartments surrounding, and on top of, Dun Leary House. The plans involved the removal of the roof of the house and the construction of three additional storeys of apartments. The board had a statutory mandate to issue decisions within 16 weeks. In the end it took 138 weeks for it to refuse permission, making it the longest-running SHD case ever determined by the board. The new scheme, granted permission in recent days, permits the construction of 87 apartments in two blocks up to eight storeys high, and the refurbishment of Dun Leary House as a four-bedroom home. The Irish Times, 24th July
Bray, Co. Wicklow ACP has rejected an application by Cosgrave Property Group for permission to construct 241 houses and 409 apartments, plus a creche, on a 190 acre site off Berryfield Lane in the Fassaroe area. Among the reasons given were the uncertainty over public transport services and concerns that the development would result in urban sprawl. The plans also provided for a neighbourhood centre, a new 2.4-kilometre road connecting the N11 to Ballyman Road, a new pedestrian and cycle route including bridge between the N11 and Dargle Road Upper as well as 15.3 hectares of a district park and open spaces. The Irish Independent, 24th July
Terenure, Dublin 6 ACP has granted planning permission for a 284 residential-unit scheme on lands at Terenure College. In granting planning permission to Lioncor subsidiary, 1 Cellbridge West Land Ltd, the planning commission has overturned the decision to refuse permission by DCC issued earlier this year. The scheme comprises 265 apartments and 19 four-bed houses with the apartments located across four blocks with one block rising to six storeys. In the one reason for refusal linked to transport issues, the council found that the proposed car parking provision was considered inadequate to serve the needs of future residents of the development. The 11.5 acre proposed development site is located on the northwest corner of the grounds of Terenure College Senior school and the main part of the site is an open field that was formerly used as playing pitches associated with the now closed junior school. The current scheme is ‘build to sell’ compared to the ‘build to rent’ 364-unit scheme and 21 houses that were refused planning permission two years ago by An Bord Pleanála. The council received 86 third-party submissions with the bulk of submissions from local residents opposed to the scheme. The Irish Times, 24th July
Dublin Airport ACP has refused planning permission to DAA to demolish the spiral parking ramps on “an extremely valuable site” at the airport. The decision upholds a planning refusal issued by Fingal Co Council earlier this year. ACP found that, notwithstanding the fact that the spirals were not a protected structure, they are of technical and architectural merit. A DAA spokesman said: “We are surprised and disappointed by ACP’s decision as the spiral ramps were not identified as significant heritage assets in previous architectural reviews or national surveys. The spiral ramps have not been in use for many years and their structural condition has deteriorated over time. Removing them was part of our plan to enhance the airport’s infrastructure and ensure the highest standards of safety and efficiency for all our passengers and employees” The Irish Independent, 24th July
Budget Submission Property Industry Ireland’s pre-budget submission has called for a 0% VAT rate for developers building private apartments. The body’s pre-budget submission highlighted that 36.3% of apartment delivery costs were linked to taxes and a reduction of Vat to 0% on new apartment building would help stimulate construction. Its pre-budget submission forecasts apartment completions in 2025 were expected to be “at best, the same as the prior year, whereas the objective should be for a three-fold increase in output”. Last year, the number of new apartments built fell 24.1% to 8,763 and JLL Ireland believes apartment completions will be down a further 24.8% this year. The body said if Vat was maintained at 13.5%, 3,750 apartments would be built for the private market up to 2030 and deliver a total tax take of €701m while if Vat was reduced to 0%, the number of private apartments built would rise to 14,750 with a total tax take of more than €1.7bn. The Business Post, 25th July
Portmarnock, Co. Dublin Lakeside Memorial Park, a new multi-denominational cemetery in north county Dublin, has secured €6.8m in funding from clients of investment firm Cantor Fitzgerald. The investment will support the ongoing development of a 24-acre site in Portmarnock, which was previously the site of a harness racing track and golf range and is now set to become the final resting place of thousands of north Dublin residents. Lakeside has already begun the pre-sale of plots. With planning permission for 11,500 interment spaces approved in 2021, the project includes approximately 3,500 traditional burial plots and 8,000 ash interment options, including large in-ground ash plots and columbarium wall niches. Burial options include traditional plots starting at €7,500 and columbarium wall niches, suitable for two ash urns, ranging from €3,500 to €8,000. Most burial plots will be larger than those found in other cemeteries, with uniform flat headstones designed to create a greater sense of space and order. Excavation of the central lake and the reopening of a river through the site are under way, and over 120,000 tonnes of soil have been brought on-site to raise ground levels. The Irish Independent, 24th July
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