“We have to do this again”. These were the words exchanged between Linda McMahon and Catherine Gorman on the night of the draw for the 62 units in Poolbeg Quay housing project.

I talked with Linda on a wet Saturday morning in her cosy house in Irishtown. We drank our tea as she told some of the story around housing in Ringsend/Irishtown.

In the early 1990s when rising prices in Dublin 4 were forcing the young people of the area to move away, Community Development Officer, Joe Grennell appealed for volunteers to address this crisis.

Linda and Eileen Farnley became involved in the ensuing project, which saw the building of affordable homes at Cambridge Square, Cambridge Park and Cambridge Court.

As many locals still remained unhoused, Linda and Eileen decided to call a meeting in the local GAA clubhouse. A huge number turned up and 220 paid £50 each for membership of a new co-op and The City Housing Initiative was formed, with Eileen and Linda being joined by Catherine, Marian Dunne and three other directors.

At this time, Linda recalls, she and Catherine were holding down cleaning jobs and operating the Initiative out of a bedroom in Linda’s house. With the help of Dublin City Council and Joe Grennell’s willingness to empower them to do it themselves, The Housing Initiative clawed its way through the intricacies of sourcing the site and the funding and dealing with planners and builders to develop Poolbeg Quay.

Poolbeg was unveiled in October 2004. 62 units ranging in price from under €150,000 to €190,000 went on offer to local applicants on the City Council’s Affordable Housing list. Linda remembers how emotional it was for the members of the City Housing Initiative to watch as the names were being pulled out of the drum. “Everyone wanted all 140 applicants to be successful”.

When I asked Linda what lay in the future she replied with great energy “Plans are well under way to do 19 affordable three-bedroom houses in the Ringsend area”. It looks like there will be happy days for more local families when these plans come to fruition.

Pictured above: Marian Dunne, Linda McMahon, Eileen Farnley, Catherine Gorman and local residents.

Left: Eoin Ryan TD, MEP speaking at the official opening.