Planning granted for hundreds of homes in Cork on land owned by GAA

An Bord Pleanála has granted planning permission for the development of more than 319 homes in Cork city on land owned by the GAA.
The GAA bought the 14.80 hectares site in the 1960s on the northside of Cork city. It has since been zoned as residential for housing.
Cork GAA was seeking the planning permission to enable it to maximise the value of the land with the proceeds of the sale being used to help offset the €30 million debt that it incurred in the €96 million redevelopment of Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
The proposed development is located next to the Old Whitechurch Road in Kilbarry and includes 319 homes and a créche.
In its proposal, Cork GAA was seeking planning permission from An Bord Pleanála for 85 semi-detached houses, 118 terraced homes, 53 duplex units and 63 apartments at the site which was zoned for housing in the 2015-2021 Cork City Development Plan.
The site is adjacent to public lands owned by the Land Development Authority (LDA) which have scope for further strategic development.
The price that the site will realise if it is sold has not been disclosed but the money will go towards the county board’s debt.
Cork GAA suffered a setback for its proposal to add value to the asset in August 2022 when Cork City Council, as part of the Strategic Housing Development process, prepared a report in which it recommended that An Bord Pleanála refuse planning permission for the project.
But following a number of changes to the proposal, An Bord Pleanála has now granted planning permission with conditions.
Cork County GAA board chief executive Kevin O’Donovan welcomed the decision by An Bord Pleanála under its strategic housing development fast-tracking process which sees developments of scale going straight to the board.
“We will now review the decision in detail, with an intention to proceed with the sale at the earliest opportunity.
“The shortage of housing in Cork and across the country is well documented and this development will now provide homes for hundreds of families in the heart of a great GAA community.”
The site has the Old Whitechurch Road to its west, the Cork North Business Park to the south, the existing GAA grounds of Delaney’s GAA Club to the east with the Glenamought river along the northern boundary.
The development also includes the provision of a riverside amenity park for the benefit of both the future occupants of the development, as well as those living in the wider area.
The redevelopment of Páirc Uí Chaoimh, which saw the creation of a modern 45,000 stadium, was completed in 2017.