GHOST TOWN

Inside abandoned Dublin flats with empty apartments, boarded up windows and major €65m council plans

• Published: 18:51, 23 Aug 2023
• Updated: 18:52, 23 Aug 2023

THESE flats containing around 113 apartments in Co Dublin have been utterly abandoned and left to rot.

The Upper Dorset street flats and St. Mary’s place flats, which were built in the 1960s, have been completely boarded up.

It is not clear when the flats were vacated, but one past resident said: “Just general lack of upkeep over the years which led to the blocks falling beyond economic repair.

“As soon as a flat was vacated it was boarded up so that over the past 10 – 15 years the place had become semi-derelict.”

They added: “It’s a shame really, they’re fine big flats, my mother reared five kids in a two bed. It was cramped enough with seven occupants but sure, we didn’t suffer from it.”

A video of the decrepit apartment complex, which was posted on Reddit, shows moss creeping over the pathways and planks of wood boarding up the windows.

Weeds have overtaken areas of the property and graffiti has been scrawled over some of the walls.

Viewers were quick to comment about the potential use of land to combat the housing crisis that Ireland is currently experiencing.

One person said: “In the midst of a housing crisis and domestic property owned by Dublin City is left to turn to this.”

Another added: “Sadly that’s not the only one. It is an absolute disgrace this is allow to happening during our housing crisis. Like honestly how?”

In June 2021, Dublin City Council were given the green light to redevelop the Dorset Street and St Mary’s Place Flat Complex.

The complex is set for a €65 million regeneration that will see 158 new housing units being built.

It is proposed to deliver the project over two phases.

The homes will be a mix of houses, duplexes and apartments and they will consist of one bed, two bed and three bed accommodation, according to the Dublin City Council.

They said: “As well as delivering modern homes, the new housing development will provide for the existing community facilities and create new outdoor spaces.”

The first phase of construction will involve the building of two residential blocks.

The second phase will be the completion of the plans and involve the construction of the third residential block.

The design team is led by Scott Tallon Walker & Levitt Bernstein Architects and they have developed a “masterplan” for the complete site.

The current units have been found to have poor energy efficiency with sub-standard kitchens and bathrooms.

There is also a poor site layout that officials say has “facilitated anti-social behaviour”.