Bull Alley refurbishment project celebrated

MINISTER for Housing and Planning, Jan O’Sullivan, was invited to the Ivegah Trust recently to help celebrate the end of a six year refurbishment project of the Trust’s Bull Alley estate.

Residents in the complex are now enjoying improved levels of comfort thanks to the work, and the historical Edwardian era buildings, which add much to the architectural history of Dublin, have been restored to their former glory.

The eight blocks which make up Bull Alley were built between 1895 and 1905 and are now protected structures.

During the course of the works every element in the buildings was renewed, under the watchful eye of conservation architect Michael Malone of Edward Brady & Associates.

The original roofs were renewed or replaced and each of the hundreds of original sash windows was painstakingly restored during the works.

All of the services and utilities in the estate were also upgraded, the communal areas were improved and 135 of 214 apartments were completely refurbished and now offer much improved levels of energy efficiency.

The project was funded through public and private finance totalling e15.98 million, which required high levels of co-operation between a range of agencies, including the Department of Environment, the Housing Agency, Bank of Ireland and the Iveagh Trust.

Speaking at the celebration which took place on October 31, Minister O’Sullivan said:

“It is a privilege to attend this event to mark the completion of the six year refurbishment programme of Bull Alley estate.

“The buildings form an historic and much loved part of the fabric of inner city Dublin and to this day they continue to fulfil the vision of Edward Guinness who founded the Iveagh Trust more than a century ago to provide high-quality, affordable housing to the people of Dublin.

“The success of the project is a testament to the vision and determination of the Iveagh Trust and the residents of Bull Alley estate.

“A refurbishment programme of this type, especially one involving protected structures, is never straightforward. However everyone in the community was given a sense of ownership of the project and this was a key element in its success.

“I would also like to acknowledge the innovative use of both public and private finance to fund the project – it is a model that can provide important lessons as housing policy focuses on a greater role for the voluntary sector in the provision of social housing.

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In paying tribute to the many people involved in the successful completion of the programme, Harry Byrne, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Iveagh Trust, thanked the tenants of the estate for their patience in coping with the refurbishment works.

“I particularly hope that our tenants here in Bull Alley feel that the effort has been worthwhile because the whole purpose of the programme was to secure the integrity of the buildings and to improve the amenities offered to the people who live on the estate,

? he said.