The Land Development Agency (LDA) has announced the planned delivery of 345 new homes at Crown Square in Galway.
The new A-rated apartments are being delivered in partnership with JJ Rhatigan & Company and include 86 one-beds, 240 two-beds and 19 three-beds.
The new homes have been secured under the LDA’s Homebuilder Partnership initiative (Project Tosaigh) with the first homes to be delivered at the end of 2026. The majority of the apartments (310) will be made available as Cost Rental, with the remaining 35 allocated for social housing.
Cost rental is a new tenure that provides a secure and long-term rental option at below market rates. It is designed to assist those who do not quality for other state housing supports, but who are struggling to afford to rent in the private market.
The new homes are being built across four blocks by JJ Rhatigan & Company at Crown Square on the Mervue Road, just 2.4 kms from Galway City Centre with excellent public transport links. This is the first time that the LDA has partnered with JJ Rhatigan & Company to deliver homes.
The apartment development is located on a 12.65-acre campus and will be part of a wider mixed-use development for the site that includes 38,000 square metres of office space across five buildings together with a 180-bed hotel. Two of the five office buildings have already been completed and will include a new headquarters for Galway City Council and offices for the Rhatigan Group, Uisce Eireann, ARM (an AI / Software Engineering Company), Uisce Eireann and Trinzo (a Life Sciences Company ). The new hotel opened in December 2024 under the Radisson Red brand, which is the first of its kind in Ireland.
Crown Square is identified as a key regeneration project in the Galway City Development Plan 2023–2029 and the current high-density masterplan will deliver a worldclass urban campus, which provides office and residential accommodation together with social and amenity facilities. The development embodies the 15-minute city concept and meets the National Development Plan targets for compact growth by serving both residents and office occupants with a series of on-site services, amenities and facilities.
The development boasts spectacular views of Lough Atalia and Galway Bay and will ultimately feature everything from a food hall, medical centre, commercial gym, creche facilities and a pharmacy, together with a running track around the total 12.65 acres. There will also be generous green recreational areas.
The LDA continues to progress the delivery of affordable housing in Galway and is working in partnership with Galway City Council on the proposed development of 200 homes at Dyke Road and a longer-term plan to transform land surrounding Sandy Road into a new urban quarter with the potential for 750 affordable and social homes. The Agency is also advancing plans for 250 apartments at Galway Docks.
John Coleman, Chief Executive of the LDA, said: “This is a significant development for the LDA and for Galway. We have secured the delivery of 345 new cost rental and social homes in a fantastic and well-served location within easy access of Galway City Centre. Residents will benefit from modern, A-rated apartments at rents that will be significantly below market rates. I would like to thank The Rhatigan Group for partnering with us on the delivery of these new homes and I look forward to welcoming tenants to what will be an excellent mixed-use development.”
Padraic Rhatigan, Chairman of The Rhatigan Group said: “We are delighted to partner with the LDA in delivering these new affordable homes for Galway City. Crown Square is a carefully planned mixed-use development, where the focus has been placed on ensuring occupants have an opportunity to ‘live, work and socialise’ within the overall campus. It is being developed to the highest standards both in terms of construction specification and sustainability. Once complete, it will be a fantastic place to live with a central square, landscaped courtyard, parking, public transport and cycling links in addition to a creche, shops, cafes and a food hall. Residents will also live beside leisure and healthcare facilities including a medical centre and pharmacy and a walking or running track which surrounds the 12.65-acre campus. We would like to thank the LDA for having the confidence to partner with us on this very exciting project and we look forward to working proactively together in welcoming the first tenants in late 2026.”
