I have little experience in gardening and now have a community flower bed and my own yard to have the pleasure of tending to. I've tried lupin in my mother inlaws garden but it all died. Looking for some ideas on native and local plants that do well with mininal tending.
I'd be particularly interested in evergreen plants that flowers so I can start a living arch at my front door.
I love trad music. I bought a piano book but the songs are all American Irish Trad, not Irish Trad. I would love to hear more like Will You Go Lassie Go. Any suggestions?
I am personally so excited for this development.
The site plans look beautiful and it will definitely add value, and character to the area. With cycle paths, green spaces, 3 commercial rental units, restaurant, café, creche, medical centre, and community centre this development has all the bells and whistles of a well planned mixed use area. Unlike the developments in other areas which are just apartments and no amenities. The total opposite of Ballymun Flats / Ballymun Towers.
I am so happy houses are being built and feel so lucky it's only a stones through away.
The highlights I see from the development are below
| Feature | Approved development |
|---|---|
| Overall former hospital site | ~11.3 hectares |
| Current planning/application area | ~9.7 hectares |
| Homes | 934 |
| Affordable homes | 753 |
| Social homes | 181 |
| Apartments | 926 |
| 3-bed duplexes | 6 |
| 5-bed assisted-living homes | 2 |
| Residential blocks | 9, ranging from 2–8 storeys |
| Car parking spaces | 524 |
| Bicycle parking spaces | 2,283 |
| Non-residential floor space | 4,380 m² |
| Public open/park space | ~2.9 hectares (~7.2 acres) |
| Community Park | Yes |
| Playgrounds / play areas | Yes |
| Walking & cycling routes | Yes |
Under the commonly used 50/30/20 budgeting guideline, all essential expenses are supposed to fit within roughly 50% of take-home income. Yet Dublin's average new-tenancy rent of €2,232 alone is equivalent to 54.4% of the median worker's gross monthly earnings — before tax, utilities, food or transport are considered.
If the 50/30/20 rule just isn't feasible for the average Dubliner renting right now, what kind of breakdown should they be aiming for?
Should the average Dubliner sacrifice wants? or Savings?
LDA's forecast that it will complete 13,272 homes between June 2026 and the end of 2030, drawn from projects already under construction plus projects moving through its pipeline. The LDA currently says about 6,500 homes are under construction across 20 developments.
The LDA says its total pipeline is now over 28,000 homes, but only 13,272 are forecast to be delivered by the end of 2030. Another 15,000+ sit beyond 2030.
Many of the developments are TBC on their cost rental numbers, but as it stands from the sites located on the below table 3,413 are listed as cost rental. Giving a snap shot of just one agencies contribution to The independent Housing Commission 14,732 Cost Rental homes from 2024–2030 through AHBs, local authorities, the LDA.
The official government target is 18,000 Cost Rental homes by 2030.
Ireland does not maintain a national waiting list for Cost Rental or Affordable Purchase housing, so there is no official figure for the number of households currently waiting. Applications are made development-by-development. However, available application data suggests demand substantially exceeds supply: LDA data covering 1,075 Cost Rental homes recorded 10,905 eligible applications — roughly 10 eligible applications for every available home.
In April 2026, the ESRI found that existing Cost Rental homes were 29.9% cheaper than comparable private-market rentals on average, while noting that provision remains heavily concentrated in urban areas—particularly Dublin—and should expand geographically.
The latest RTB figures put the average new-tenancy rent in Dublin at €2,232 per month.
So an average new Dublin tenancy consumes about 54% of the median worker's gross income.
Under the commonly used 50/30/20 budgeting guideline, all essential expenses are supposed to fit within roughly 50% of take-home income. Yet Dublin's average new-tenancy rent of €2,232 alone is equivalent to 54.4% of the median worker's gross monthly earnings — before tax, utilities, food or transport are considered.
Applying the ESRI's estimated 29.9% Cost Rental discount gives an equivalent rent of roughly €1,565 — a saving of around €667 per month or €8,000 per year. With median annual earnings in Dublin at €49,224, that represents roughly 38% of gross earnings, compared with 54% for the average private-market rent.
Cross-referencing the LDA project list and recent project announcements gives us the approximate breakdown below.
Where the LDA’s 13,272 Homes Are Actually Being Built: Developments Identified for 2026–2030
| Development | Location | Homes | Status / relevance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clongriffin Central | Dublin 13 | ~2,000 | Phase 1 construction; Phase 2 planning |
| Stapolin Square | Baldoyle, Dublin 13 | ~2,000 | Multiple workstreams; construction tender underway |
| Cherry Orchard Point | Dublin 10 | 1,200 | Major construction programme underway |
| Dún Brí / Dundrum Central | Dundrum, Dublin 14 | 934 | Planning approved / enabling works |
| Hampton Demesne | Balbriggan | 817 | Under construction |
| Richmond Village | Fairview, Dublin 3 | 779 | Project Tosaigh; completion expected 2029 |
| Donore Project | Dublin 8 | ~665 | 542 Phase 1 + ~123/124 Phase 2 |
| Cooper Square, Seven Mills | Dublin 22 | 607 | Project Tosaigh / under construction |
| The Crossings | Adamstown | 392 | Project Tosaigh |
| Bluebell Waterways | Dublin 12 | 383 | Construction scheduled to start 2026 |
| Priory Fields | Skerries | 345 | Phase 1 construction; Phase 2 tender |
| Wilton | Cork | 345 | First homes targeted for 2029 |
| Crown Square | Galway | 345 | Project Tosaigh |
| Marina Depot | Cork | 337 | Completion expected 2027 |
| Horgan’s Quay | Cork | 302 | Under construction |
| The Lightworks | Dock Road, Limerick | 284 | Permission for cost-rental and social homes |
| Park West Pointe | Dublin 12 | 253 | Completion expected by end-2027 |
| Barracksfield West | Naas | 219 | Active development |
| Golding Green | Kinsealy, Co. Dublin | 193 | Under construction; completion 2028 |
| Mungret Park View | Limerick | 183 | Construction started July 2026 |
| Anglesea Terrace | Cork City | 147 | First homes potentially in 2030 |
| 🏠 GRAND TOTAL | ~12,385 HOMES |
SOURCES
• Land Development Agency — Mid-Year Update: source for the 13,272-home forecast, approximately 6,500 homes under construction and the wider LDA housing pipeline.
https://lda.ie/news/mid-year-update
• Land Development Agency — LDA Projects: source for individual developments, locations, housing numbers and project status.
• ESRI — Pricing and Affordability of Ireland's New Cost Rental Housing Tenure (April 2026): source for the finding that Cost Rental homes were 29.9% cheaper than comparable private-market rental homes on average.
• Residential Tenancies Board — RTB Rent Index Q4 2025: source for the €2,232 per month standardised average new-tenancy rent in County Dublin.
https://www.rtb.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/RTB-Rent-Index-Q4-2025.pdf
• Central Statistics Office — Distribution of Earnings by Gender and County 2024: source for median annual earnings of €49,224 for people living in Dublin.
• Government of Ireland / Department of Housing — Affordable Housing and Cost Rental: source for the Government's target of 18,000 Cost Rental homes by 2030.
• Housing Commission — Report of the Housing Commission (2024): source for the planned Cost Rental programme involving Approved Housing Bodies, local authorities, the LDA and other delivery channels.
• LDA planning documentation submitted to Cork City Council: source for the analysis of 10,905 eligible applications for 1,075 Cost Rental homes — approximately 10 eligible applications for every available home.
https://consult.corkcity.ie/en/system/files/materials/12524/Planning%20Report_1.pdf
• The 54.4% rent-to-income figure is calculated from the RTB and CSO figures above: €2,232 × 12 = €26,784 annual rent; €26,784 ÷ €49,224 = 54.4% of median gross annual earnings.
• The €1,565 illustrative Cost Rental figure is calculated by applying the ESRI's 29.9% average Cost Rental difference to the RTB's €2,232 Dublin new-tenancy rent. It is an illustration, not an official average Dublin Cost Rental rent.
The latest RTB figures put the average new-tenancy rent in Dublin at €2,232 per month.
So an average new Dublin tenancy consumes about 54% of the median worker's gross income.
Under the commonly used 50/30/20 budgeting guideline, all essential expenses are supposed to fit within roughly 50% of take-home income. Yet Dublin's average new-tenancy rent of €2,232 alone is equivalent to 54.4% of the median worker's gross monthly earnings — before tax, utilities, food or transport are considered.
Applying the ESRI's estimated 29.9% Cost Rental discount gives an equivalent rent of roughly €1,565 — a saving of around €667 per month or €8,000 per year. With median annual earnings in Dublin at €49,224, that represents roughly 38% of gross earnings, compared with 54% for the average private-market rent.
LDA's forecast that it will complete 13,272 homes between June 2026 and the end of 2030, drawn from projects already under construction plus projects moving through its pipeline. The LDA currently says about 6,500 homes are under construction across 20 developments.
The LDA says its total pipeline is now over 28,000 homes, but only 13,272 are forecast to be delivered by the end of 2030. Another 15,000+ sit beyond 2030.
Many of the developments are TBC on their cost rental numbers, but as it stands from the sites located on the below table 3,413 are listed as cost rental. Giving a snap shot of just one agencies contribution to The independent Housing Commission 14,732 Cost Rental homes from 2024–2030 through AHBs, local authorities, the LDA.
The official government target is 18,000 Cost Rental homes by 2030.
Ireland does not maintain a national waiting list for Cost Rental or Affordable Purchase housing, so there is no official figure for the number of households currently waiting. Applications are made development-by-development. However, available application data suggests demand substantially exceeds supply: LDA data covering 1,075 Cost Rental homes recorded 10,905 eligible applications — roughly 10 eligible applications for every available home.
In April 2026, the ESRI found that existing Cost Rental homes were 29.9% cheaper than comparable private-market rentals on average, while noting that provision remains heavily concentrated in urban areas—particularly Dublin—and should expand geographically.
Cross-referencing the LDA project list and recent project announcements gives us the approximate breakdown below.
Where the LDA’s 13,272 Homes Are Actually Being Built: Developments Identified for 2026–2030
| Development | Location | Homes | Status / relevance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clongriffin Central | Dublin 13 | ~2,000 | Phase 1 construction; Phase 2 planning |
| Stapolin Square | Baldoyle, Dublin 13 | ~2,000 | Multiple workstreams; construction tender underway |
| Cherry Orchard Point | Dublin 10 | 1,200 | Major construction programme underway |
| Dún Brí / Dundrum Central | Dundrum, Dublin 14 | 934 | Planning approved / enabling works |
| Hampton Demesne | Balbriggan | 817 | Under construction |
| Richmond Village | Fairview, Dublin 3 | 779 | Project Tosaigh; completion expected 2029 |
| Donore Project | Dublin 8 | ~665 | 542 Phase 1 + ~123/124 Phase 2 |
| Cooper Square, Seven Mills | Dublin 22 | 607 | Project Tosaigh / under construction |
| The Crossings | Adamstown | 392 | Project Tosaigh |
| Bluebell Waterways | Dublin 12 | 383 | Construction scheduled to start 2026 |
| Priory Fields | Skerries | 345 | Phase 1 construction; Phase 2 tender |
| Wilton | Cork | 345 | First homes targeted for 2029 |
| Crown Square | Galway | 345 | Project Tosaigh |
| Marina Depot | Cork | 337 | Completion expected 2027 |
| Horgan’s Quay | Cork | 302 | Under construction |
| The Lightworks | Dock Road, Limerick | 284 | Permission for cost-rental and social homes |
| Park West Pointe | Dublin 12 | 253 | Completion expected by end-2027 |
| Barracksfield West | Naas | 219 | Active development |
| Golding Green | Kinsealy, Co. Dublin | 193 | Under construction; completion 2028 |
| Mungret Park View | Limerick | 183 | Construction started July 2026 |
| Anglesea Terrace | Cork City | 147 | First homes potentially in 2030 |
| 🏠 GRAND TOTAL | ~12,385 HOMES |
SOURCES
• Land Development Agency — Mid-Year Update: source for the 13,272-home forecast, approximately 6,500 homes under construction and the wider LDA housing pipeline.
https://lda.ie/news/mid-year-update
• Land Development Agency — LDA Projects: source for individual developments, locations, housing numbers and project status.
• ESRI — Pricing and Affordability of Ireland's New Cost Rental Housing Tenure (April 2026): source for the finding that Cost Rental homes were 29.9% cheaper than comparable private-market rental homes on average.
• Residential Tenancies Board — RTB Rent Index Q4 2025: source for the €2,232 per month standardised average new-tenancy rent in County Dublin.
https://www.rtb.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/RTB-Rent-Index-Q4-2025.pdf
• Central Statistics Office — Distribution of Earnings by Gender and County 2024: source for median annual earnings of €49,224 for people living in Dublin.
• Government of Ireland / Department of Housing — Affordable Housing and Cost Rental: source for the Government's target of 18,000 Cost Rental homes by 2030.
• Housing Commission — Report of the Housing Commission (2024): source for the planned Cost Rental programme involving Approved Housing Bodies, local authorities, the LDA and other delivery channels.
• LDA planning documentation submitted to Cork City Council: source for the analysis of 10,905 eligible applications for 1,075 Cost Rental homes — approximately 10 eligible applications for every available home.
https://consult.corkcity.ie/en/system/files/materials/12524/Planning%20Report_1.pdf
• The 54.4% rent-to-income figure is calculated from the RTB and CSO figures above: €2,232 × 12 = €26,784 annual rent; €26,784 ÷ €49,224 = 54.4% of median gross annual earnings.
• The €1,565 illustrative Cost Rental figure is calculated by applying the ESRI's 29.9% average Cost Rental difference to the RTB's €2,232 Dublin new-tenancy rent. It is an illustration, not an official average Dublin Cost Rental rent.
With the hot weather this year I was looking at things I could do for my older person I visit with Alone. She has limited mobility. I saw in a local news paper that Killiney beach has a free beach wheelchair service. It's free but needs to be booked in advanced. For anyone looking for things to do with elderly people or things to do with someone with limited mobility.
I’ve been looking into the proposed Facility Centre for Water Based Activities at Killiney Beach (PC/TOU/01/24) and thought others here might be interested.
The project was approved in 2024 and the plans include secure lockers, changing/shower cubicles, outdoor showers, toilets, accessible changing facilities, seating, a drinking fountain and bicycle parking.
The project had also previously been announced as receiving Fáilte Ireland funding.
But I’ve been trying to find out what has happened since approval, and I can’t find a clear construction start date, tender/contract award or expected opening date.
This is personal for me because I’m heavily pregnant and would really like to continue sea swimming, but I travel by public transport and have nowhere secure to leave my phone, wallet, clothes and other belongings while I’m in the water. I imagine I’m far from the only person in this situation.
Having lockers, toilets and proper changing facilities would make Killiney Beach much more accessible not just for swimmers without cars, but for pregnant people, older people, disabled people, families and anyone relying on public transport.
I’ve written to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council asking:
Is the previously announced Fáilte Ireland funding still secured?
Has detailed design been completed?
Has the project gone to tender?
Has a construction contract been awarded?
If not, what is holding it up?
What is the expected construction and opening date?
If anyone here knows more about the current status of the project, I’d love to hear it.
And if this is something you’d like to see delivered too, consider contacting DLR County Council or your local councillors and asking for an update on PC/TOU/01/24. A few people asking the same concrete questions may help get some clarity — and hopefully get an already-approved facility moving.
I got started early looking for creche space to return to work in January 2026 for September 2027. I was put on 19 wait lists. I followed up with all 19, all responses are the same. No availability in September 2027.
This is just one of the many emails I received all saying the same
"Many thanks for your email. Unfortunately we are still fully booked for this age group so I would not have anything to offer you at this time.
I have checked the list and there are 57 families ahead of you looking for a place. We are such a small service with only 6 baby room places we simply cannot meet the demands of the local area."
This country is so broken. Not only am I taking a big hit to my career. The dramatic cut in income on the measly 299 a week for ONLY 26 WEEKS! THERE IS NO CHILDCARE FOR A 26 WEEK OLD! The only options I can find are nannys but it would be more than my wages. I am just hitting my stride at work and am on the cusp. The leave I've had to take because of pregnancy symptoms is outrageous its so damaging. This is outrageous. I am so angry and disheartened. I have been contacted for a new job woth a 60% pay bump. Even if I were to get the job hire a nanny we would be on a very tight budget.
One creche came back saying 1700 euro for a spot if and only of one opens up.
pregnant and screwed. We did everything right. Its impossible.