Construction begins at Balmoston, one of the largest residential housing developments in the country

Sod-turning ceremony marks commencement of work at North Dublin site, which will deliver 1,200 new homes. 

Construction work has commenced today at Balmoston, one of the largest residential housing developments in the state. The milestone, at the 32-hectare site in Donabate, North County Dublin, was marked with a sod-turning ceremony, attended by Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD; the Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Adrian Henchy; and representatives of Fingal County Council and homebuilder Glenveagh.

In total, 1,200 A-Rated homes will be delivered on a phased basis by Glenveagh, with the first phase consisting of 432 affordable, private, cost rental, and social homes. The first delivery of homes will be completed in H2 2024, and it is anticipated that the first phase of 432 homes at Balmoston will be completed in H2 2025.

The development will also deliver extensive community, sports and recreational facilities that will benefit the local community. A portion of the overall site will be made available as a public space, open to everyone from the wider Donabate and Portrane communities.

Linked to the overall development of the Donabate-Portrane peninsula is the Ballymastone Recreational Hub. The Recreational Hub, which has been fully approved by Fingal County Council, is a €10 million investment in state-of-the-art sporting and community facilities such as GAA pitches, soccer pitches, athletics facilities and playgrounds.

Speaking at the sod-turning at Balmoston, Minister for Housing, Darragh O’Brien said, “The Balmoston site in Ballymastone will deliver significant levels of private, social and affordable housing for North County Dublin. As we work towards achieving the targets outlined under the Housing For All plan, developments such as this will alleviate some of the pressure on the housing market and provide quality and sustainable homes for families, young people and the wider community. Over €15m in funding has been provided by Government through the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF), for the Donabate Distributor Road, which opened up the land for development, and the Site Services Fund (SSF) which will support the construction of the Ballymastone Recreational Hub.”

The Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Adrian Henchy, said: “Today marks a milestone for the Donabate-Portrane peninsula as work begins on a strategically important site. The ambitious plans developed by Fingal County Council and Glenveagh will not only deliver much-needed housing, but also associated community benefits through shared public spaces and the Ballymastone Recreational Hub.”

Stephen Garvey, Chief Executive, Glenveagh said: “This is a landmark partnership for the community of Donabate and Portrane, and through continued and ongoing collaboration between Glenveagh and Fingal County Council, we have gotten to a place where we can now deliver 1,200 energy-efficient, sustainable, and high-quality homes for over 3000 people, alongside a world-class hub of recreational and sporting facilities for the people of Donabate, Portrane and the entire community. Our job at Glenveagh is to create vibrant, flourishing communities across Ireland, and we will continue to work collaboratively with Fingal County Council and the Government to deliver these homes and recreational facilities as quickly as we can, to ensure that thousands of people can call Balmoston and the wider community of Donabate and Portrane their home for generations to come.”

AnnMarie Farrelly, Chief Executive, Fingal County Council, said: “We are delighted to have reached the point where construction is about to commence on this site in Ballymastone. We look forward to the day when keys are being handed over to those who are going to live in the homes that will be built here. It will be next to the Ballymastone Recreational Hub, where construction is also starting, and which is another important piece of infrastructure for the Donabate area.”