Lord Mayor opens over 200 new homes in Cork City

The Lord Mayor of Cork, Councillor Deirdre Forde, officially opened 202 new homes for Cork City.

The Lord Mayor opened 20 new homes in Laurel Heights, Shanakiel. This development is comprised of three, one-bedroom apartments, nine, two-bedroom apartments and eight one-bedroom house. The scheme was developed by Summertime Developments and constructed by Murphy & OʼSullivan Limited through Cork City Councilʼs award-winning ʻCompetitive Dialogueʼ procurement process and funded by the Department of Housing Local Government and Heritage. The residential development is now managed by Tuath Housing in partnership with Cork City Council.

Cllr. Forde also opened a mixed-tenure social and affordable development of 54 new homes at Crann Darach, Middle Glanmire Road, Montenotte. This mixed tenure scheme comprises 27 social homes, with three twobedroom homes, twenty-two three-bedroom homes and two four-bedroom homes, as well as 27 affordable homes comprised of five two-bedroom homes, nineteen three-bedroom homes and three four-bedroom homes. The scheme was developed on a formerly vacant site by Murnane & OʼShea Limited through Cork City Councilʼs Competitive Dialogue procurement process. Tuath Housing now owns and manages the social homes within this mixed-tenure development. The Department of Housing Local Government and Heritage provided support for this important mixed tenure scheme through Capital Advance Leasing Facility funding to Tuath and its Affordable Housing Fund.

The Lord Mayor also launched 60 new homes within the prominent social and affordable residential development at Newton Heights, Boherboy Road, comprising 37 affordable homes, and 23 social homes provided across phases 1 & 2 with the first tranche of affordable purchasers now beginning to move into their new homes. The balance of the scheme, under construction, is being delivered in 3 further phases by Lyonshall Limited and Clancy Construction in a joint venture. This strategic housing site was acquired for development by Cork City Council who designed the housing scheme. The social housing in this development is owned and managed by Cluid in partnership with Cork City Council. The Department of Housing Local Government and Heritage once again supported this development.

The fourth scheme attended by the Lord Mayor is located in Carrig Court, Blackrock with 43 new homes comprising of fifteen two/three-bedroom houses and twenty-eight apartments with a mix of one, two and three bedrooms, developed by Lyonshall Ltd and built by Clancy Construction through Cork City Councilʼs Competitive Dialogue procurement process, and funded by the Department of Housing Local Government and Heritage. This development is managed by Co-Operative Housing Ireland in partnership with Cork City Council.

In the fifth scheme the Lord Mayor opened a new development of 25 new homes at Josephine McCoy News, South Douglas Road, developed on a formerly vacant and derelict site by Lyonshall Ltd and built by Clancy Construction through Cork City Councilʼs Competitive Dialogue procurement process. This development was funded by the Department of Housing Local Government and Heritage. This Rightsizing scheme includes seventeen (mix of one & two-bed bungalows) and eight two-bed apartments and is now under the management of Tuath Housing and further develops Cork City Councilʼs very successful Rightsizing programme. Rightsizing refers to a voluntary scheme aimed at residents, aged sixty years and over, who would like to move from their current property to one that is more suitable to their needs. The novel scheme supports individuals and families by offering top quality warm, safe, and comfortable housing while also freeing up existing homes that may be under-occupied by older persons.

The Lord Mayor said: “Iʼm incredibly proud to open so many homes for the people of Cork. The delivery of homes is a key priority for Cork City Council, and I commend all who were involved in bringing these new developments to fruition. I welcome the delivery of these affordable housing schemes, which are at the heart of Cork City Councilʼs delivery programme, with homeowners now moving into each of these schemes. I hope that these homes will be the start of a new and happy chapter in many peopleʼs lives and in the long term, will create sustainable and vibrant communities for those that live there.”

Assistant Chief Executive of Cork City Council, Brian Geaney said: “Housing remains at the forefront of Cork City Councilʼs objectives and will do so for the coming years. The Councilʼs housing delivery programmes are robust, and I would like to acknowledge the great work and efforts of all involved in making these new housing schemes a reality on the ground and welcome the residents to their new homes. Cork City Council will continue to show strong leadership in the delivery of more homes across the city and continue to develop a strong pipeline of social and affordable housing into the future in collaboration with all of our partners”.

At Firebird, we take pride in providing excellent customer service and recently, we had the pleasure of speaking with Karl Henry who expressed an interest in upgrading his outdated heating system. After moving to his dream home in West Cork, Karl reached out to Firebird for our expertise in sustainable home heating solutions. With an older and relatively larger home posing retrofitting challenges, Karl Henry sought Firebird's advice on the installation of the most efficient boiler for his home.

Following a thorough evaluation of Karl Henry's previous heating systems, Firebird made a recommendation for an energy-efficient and dependable option: The HVO ready Envirogreen Popular 44kW boiler. This Firebird boiler boasts impressive heat output while utilising minimal fuel, thanks to its remarkable efficiency. Not only will this translate to significant fuel bill savings for Karl, but it will also help him reduce his carbon footprint. Furthermore, this boiler is a robust and long-lasting unit that can provide years of trouble-free operation with proper maintenance.

After extensive discussions with Karl and his plumber Oliver Buckley, about sustainable fuel options, Firebird proposed a trial of HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oils) in his home, giving him an opportunity to experience the benefits first-hand. A viable and sustainable drop-in replacement to Kerosene, HVO fuel is fossil free, and can reduce greenhouse emissions by over 90%. The HVO was supplied by M&J Kelleher Oils in Cork.

Mark Doyle, General Manager with Firebird explained how the introduction of HVO for household and commercial boilers would be an instant game-changer for Ireland.

“HVO can work with any liquid fuel boiler and if used in homes, can potentially make these homes almost carbon neutral immediately. Firebirdʼs trials of HVO for home heating in Ireland and Northern Ireland have proved how household greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced by 90% and with CO2 emissions decreasing by up to six tonnes annually.”

The installation of a Firebird HVO compatible boiler is similar to a standard Firebird boiler in many respects, but there are some differences in the components of the boiler installation and how it operates. Another difference is in the burner use, the Firebird HVO boiler has a modified burner that is designed to handle the different viscosity of HVO. The burner is also designed to operate at a higher temperature, which is necessary to vaporise the HVO.

Speaking about the upgrade in his heating system, Karl Henry said, “I couldn't be happier with my new HVO ready boiler from Firebird. Over the past two months, I've found HVO to be an incredibly sustainable and efficient alternative to traditional Kerosene. We have seen a 35% reduction in our heating bills so far. With Firebird's innovative technology, I'm confident that I'm doing my part for the environment while enjoying our warm and comfortable home.”

Commenting on the supply of HVO, Gerard Kelleher, M&J Kelleher Oils, said "At M&J Kelleher Oils, we are proud to supply HVO and witness its positive impact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. We are committed to providing homeowners with accessible and sustainable solutions, and partnering with Firebird and Karl Henry in this endeavour, has been truly rewarding."

Firebird installer, Oliver Buckley provided his expertise and was eager to contribute to the project. Firebird worked with Oliver to identify the best appliance in terms of size and suitability and the project was delivered in less than two days.

Speaking about the project, Oliver said, “Working with Firebird to install Karl's new Envirogreen Popular 44kW boiler was a great experience. It was great to have Firebirdʼs technical team on hand for any questions, as even though the installation of the Firebird boiler was very straightforward, the upgrade of the heating system itself was complex. The team's expertise and dedication to sustainability made the installation process seamless, and we're thrilled with the results. HVO is a gamechanger in terms of efficiency and reduced emissions, itʼs odourless and much cleaner to work with compared to Kerosene. It's great to see a local Cork company leading the way in sustainable home heating.”

This innovative approach to problem solving is just one of the reasons why Firebird is a market leader in home heating; always adapting, always developing practical world class solutions with a mission to set new standards of sustainability for the home heating market.

For more information visit www.firebird.ie