LDA secures Cork Docklands site with potential for 300 affordable homes
2.08-hectare Monahan Road site transferred from BnM to the Land Development Agency as Cork Docklands housing pipeline continues to expand with almost 1,400 LDA homes already planned or under construction
4 June 2026 | editor@breakingground.news
The Land Development Agency (LDA) and BnM have completed the transfer of approximately 2.08 hectares (five acres) of land at Monahan Road in Cork City Docklands, a site with the potential to deliver up to 300 new affordable homes.
The transfer marks a significant milestone in the regeneration of Cork Docklands and follows several years of collaboration between the two state bodies and Cork City Council. The site, which was no longer in active use by BnM, will now move into the next phase of development, with the LDA set to appoint a design team to prepare a planning application.
Subject to planning approval, the agency intends to deliver up to 300 A-rated affordable homes on the strategically located site. The development will benefit from its proximity to Cork city centre, Marina Park and planned transport infrastructure.
The announcement comes as Transport Infrastructure Ireland progresses plans for Cork Luas, with its recently announced preferred route including Docklands and Páirc Uí Chaoimh stops located close to the Monahan Road site. The proposed Luas route is also planned to run directly in front of the development lands.
Part of the site will be used by Cork City Council to facilitate road widening works along Monahan Road, including the delivery of new bus lanes and enhanced cycling infrastructure aimed at improving connectivity throughout the Docklands area.
The acquisition forms part of the LDA’s wider programme of unlocking under-utilised state-owned lands for housing delivery. Similar transfers have been completed in recent years involving lands owned by Horse Racing Ireland at Leopardstown Racecourse, the ESB site at Wilton in Cork, IDA-owned lands at Kilbarry in Cork and the former Gas Networks Ireland site at Dock Road in Limerick.
The Monahan Road development will add to a growing pipeline of LDA-led housing projects across Cork. The agency said almost 1,400 homes are already either in planning or under construction in the city and county.
Within Cork Docklands, the LDA is partnering with Glenveagh on the Marina Depot development, where 337 homes are currently under construction opposite the Monahan Road site. A further 302 apartments are being delivered at Horgan’s Quay in partnership with BAM and Clarendon Properties.
Elsewhere in Cork, the agency is delivering 267 homes at the former St Kevin’s Hospital site in Shanakiel, with the first homes expected to be completed later this year. Planning permission has also been secured for 345 homes on former ESB lands in Wilton and for 147 homes at Anglesea Terrace in Cork city centre in partnership with Cork City Council.
LDA Chief Executive John Coleman described the transfer as an important step in unlocking well-located state land for housing delivery.
“This site has the potential to deliver high-quality, sustainable homes in the heart of Cork Docklands, a key growth area for the city. We are pleased to have worked collaboratively with BnM, Cork City Council and other stakeholders to reach this point,” he said.
BnM Chief Executive Tom Donnellan said the agreement reflected the organisation’s renewed strategic focus while enabling a positive outcome for a strategically located urban site.
Cork City Council Chief Executive Valerie O’Sullivan said the development represented a welcome step forward for both Cork Docklands and housing delivery, highlighting the site’s public transport links and proximity to Marina Park as key advantages for future residents.
