GrantedCommercialDecided 10 March 2022

Blocks 3A and 3B of the Irish Life Centre (and their associated garden areas) at the Irish Life Centre, 1 Abbey Street Lower, Dublin 1, D01 PK03.

Major office expansion and height increase at the Irish Life Centre.

3622/21 · Dublin City Council · Lodged 1 October 2021

Reference: 3622/21
Authority: Dublin City Council
Register status: Decided
Type: Permission
Received: 1 October 2021

Summary

AI-generated

The proposed development at Blocks 3A and 3B of the Irish Life Centre will increase the overall floorspace by approximately 6,686 square metres. It includes increasing the height of both blocks, adding plant enclosures and roof gardens, and making facade and internal changes.

Commercialofficeexpansioncity centre

Floor area: 6,686 m²

Generated from the description above by an AI model and may contain mistakes. The council’s description is the authoritative record.

Official record

Development description

Planning permission for development at blocks 3a and 3b of the irish life centre (and their associated garden areas) at the irish life centre, 1 abbey street lower, dublin 1, d01 pk03. Block 3a is the highest block at the irish life centre, directly behind the main plaza 'chariot of life' sculpture and water feature as viewed from abbey street lower. Block 3b is behind (to the north) of block 3a and both blocks are linked. Blocks 3a and 3b are bordered to the west by internal gardens and other blocks within the irish life centre, to the east by beresford lane, to the north by other blocks within the irish life centre, by talbot mall and by other properties facing onto talbot street and to the south by the irish life plaza and beyond it by abbey street lower. The proposed development comprises an overall increase in floorspace of c. 6686m2 (from c. 21,330m2 to c. 28 016m2) and includes the following elements: an increase in height of block 3a, from c. 34.3m to c. 38.5m and of block 3b from c. 24.3m to 31.3m (both measured from the existing podium to parapet) with plant enclosures and garden areas at roof levels; facade and fenestration changes to both blocks; internal changes to the existing blocks including the leisure centre; a new and wider link element (up to 10 storeys above podium level) linking blocks 3a and 3b, with plant and gardens at roof level; a new atrium/pavilion projecting one storey above part of existing podium garden level, remodelling and landscaping of the existing podium garden area; a roof garden on the new atrium roof; change of use (from medical centre to office) of c. 140m2 at ground floor level and change of use of c. 41m2 (from retail space to ancillary office space) at ground floor level; new planting, seating and signage to the first floor entrance balcony to block 3a; provision of a single storey security hut and security gate at the beresford lane vehicular entrance to the site; an overall reduction of car parking spaces on the site of 121 spaces, from 483 to 362 (comprising 23 in the public carpark in the basement and 98 to the block 3 parking on level
And an overall increase of 76 bicycle spaces (from 418 to 494); all of the preceding to include associated plant and ancillary development and site works above and below ground

Land-use zoning

What this land is zoned for

Z5: City CentreUC

“To consolidate and facilitate the development of the central area, and to identify, reinforce, strengthen and protect its civic design character and dignity.”

National zoning type: City/Town/village Centre, central area

Objective set by the Development Plan 2022-2028 (2022–2028). The planning authority decides each application on its own merits — this is the zoning context, not a compliance assessment.

Read the zoning objectives in the development plan

Built & sold

What happened next

Beyond the decision: whether this development was built, and what property here has sold for.

Built — construction complete

A commencement notice records works starting on 15 May 2023.

Notified floor area: 28,016 m²

Recent sales nearby

within 500 m

Residential Property Price Register sales within 500 metres of this site
Address	Date	Price	Distance
Apt 503, Talbot Hall, Talbot Street	Jan 2026	€310,000	16 m
Apt 311 Talbot Hall, Talbot St, Dublin 1	Oct 2025	€273,000	16 m
Apt 305, Irish Life Centre, Lower Abbey St Dublin 1	Mar 2025	€225,000	71 m
Apt 12, Moland House, Talbot St	Nov 2025	€303,000	81 m
Apt 18, Moland House, Talbot St Dublin 1	Jun 2025	€400,000	83 m
Apt 3 Abbey Court Apts, Irish Life Centre, Abbey St Lower Dublin 1	Aug 2025	€265,000	84 m
Apartment 16, Abbey Court Apartments, Lower Abbey Street	Jul 2025	€285,000	84 m
2 Abbey Court Apts, Irish Life Centre, Abbey St Lower Dublin 1	Nov 2025	€260,000	84 m

Nearby properties, not this site — a guide to local values.

Sources: Building Control Management System (commencement notices) and the Residential Property Price Register, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Records are matched to this application by location and may not be exhaustive; always confirm against the official source before relying on them.

Key dates

Timeline

Application received1 October 2021
Further information requested25 November 2021
Further information received11 February 2022
Decision due10 March 2022
Decision issued10 March 2022
Grant issued25 April 2022

In the area

Applications near this site

Other planning applications within about 500 m — what else is being proposed or built nearby.

Related developments

Similar applications

Ranked by what these developments actually propose, not by matching words — so you can see how comparable applications were decided.

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