South Dublin County Council and Coillte collaborate on Homegrown Timber Frame Housing Project at Melrose Court, Clondalkin Dublin 22

South Dublin County Council awards tender to ClearyDoyle to build 27 high-quality and sustainable age-friendly housing units on a site at Melrose Court Dublin 22 in a flagship project that promotes the use of low carbon homegrown timber frame in construction

Wednesday, 18th June 2025: South Dublin County Council (SDCC) and Coillte, Ireland’s semi-state forestry company, are collaborating on a sustainable house-building project on Council land at Melrose Court, Clondalkin, Dublin 22. The innovative project will see the construction of 27 age-friendly homes to A1 BER performance, using low carbon homegrown timber from Ireland’s forests. Construction is expected to commence in June 2025.

The project was officially launched recently by Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne and Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with responsibility for Forestry, Farm Safety and Horticulture, Michael Healy-Rae along with the Mayor of South Dublin, Councillor Baby Pereppadan.

The tender to construct the housing units has been awarded to ClearyDoyle, a leading construction company committed to reducing the impact on the environment by employing the use of lower carbon homegrown timber throughout the construction.  The scheme, which was designed and specified by SDCC architects, set sustainability as a key criterion in the tender assessment, not just promoting the use of offsite engineered timber frame, but also in the selection and use of sustainable materials, and modern methods of construction that demonstrate a lower embodied carbon approach.  

The project has the potential to become a model for Local Authority developments across the country, with the key learnings around the use of homegrown timber in the Melrose Court development feeding into the design and specification of future projects to drive maximum sustainability benefit.

Wood products have the lowest embodied carbon of any mainstream building material and Ireland’s climate positions us uniquely to grow the softwood required for low carbon homes of the future. Building with wood not only helps to reduce carbon emissions, but it also supports local jobs and the local economy.  While Ireland currently has significant potential for growth in timber frame construction, Scotland has established itself as a leader in this sector, with a market share exceeding 80% for all new dwellings.  Coillte has a stated objective to promote an increase in the level of timber-frame homes constructed in Ireland from its current level of 25% to 80% by 2050. Increased use of wood in construction, and homegrown timber in particular, will not only support house building but also the delivery of Ireland’s climate action targets. 

Minister of State with responsibility for Housing, Local Government and Heritage James Browne TD said “This innovative project will provide 27 secure, high-quality homes in an attractive and sustainable residential development. By using home-grown timber, off-site factory fabrication and Modern Methods of Construction it will demonstrate how a low carbon approach can be part of our housing delivery as we ramp up supply – and I look forward to seeing this scheme progress to completion.”

Minister of State with responsibility for Forestry, Farm Safety and Horticulture, Michael Healy-Rae TD, said,“I am delighted to launch this innovative project, which is utilising our homegrown resource of timber in the construction of age-friendly homes. The Government of Ireland has long supported the wood and timber industry through a range of supports for the planting and management of new forests. The actions of Coillte, and more than 24,000 private forest owners, since the 1980s have built up a resource of construction timber. Through this project we are utilising this homegrown timber from our forests to build houses. I believe that this project can be a catalyst for the widespread use of Irish-grown timber in construction and, supported by the ongoing work of the Timber in Construction Steering Group, that our home-grown resource of timber can be the material of choice for building houses.”

Colm Ward, Chief Executive of South Dublin County Council said, “This innovative project, one of the first of its kind in Ireland is something we are incredibly proud to partner with Coillte, and ClearyDoyle on. Not only will we be delivering sustainable homes in South Dublin by using sustainable, locally sourced, Irish timber as well as local tradespeople, we are contributing to local industry and jobs. We are excited to be at the vanguard of construction innovation in Ireland, as we aspire to reach our housing and climate action targets.”

Mark Carlin, MD of Coillte Forest, expressed his enthusiasm for collaborating with South Dublin County Council and ClearyDoyle on this significant exemplar project. He emphasised the urgent need to increase the use of sustainably grown Irish wood in our built environment. “Irish wood and modern methods of timber construction offer viable solutions to some of the country’s most pressing challenges, including accelerating housing delivery, building more sustainable homes and creating jobs across the forestry supply chain. Additionally, these methods play a crucial role in decarbonising our built environment and supporting our country’s net zero ambitions. This project serves as a fantastic illustration of these goals and we eagerly anticipate its successful implementation.”

Brian Byrne, Joint Managing Director of ClearyDoyle, said: "We are proud to partner with South Dublin County Council and Coillte on this landmark development at Melrose Court. As a company committed to sustainability and innovation, we recognise the significance of integrating homegrown Irish timber and modern methods of construction into housing delivery. This project not only provides high-quality, energy-efficient homes for older residents, but also exemplifies how collaboration and local sourcing can deliver real climate action benefits. We look forward to playing our part in delivering this exemplar scheme and setting a new standard for future local authority housing projects across the country."