Two Galway developments nominated for national housing excellence awards
Pictured: Sómas in Galway City. (Photo courtesy of Fintan Maher)
By Caitlin Maughan
Sómas in Galway City and Tobar Mhuire in Ahascragh are among 31 developments nominated for an award by the Irish Council for Social Housing (ICSH).
The two projects have been nominated for the Community Housing Award and will also be competing for the Public Choice Award.
Sómas is Galway Simon’s first development. The aim of the project was to create suitable accommodation for an older cohort.
“We are not a developer,” Fintan Maher, Head of Fundraising and Communications for Galway Simon, told Galway Pulse. “We are a homeless agency, and we provide accommodation and support service to older people. But we saw a need, and it’s not been met.”
Sómas is a development of 10 one-bedroom apartments located next to a 24/7 Galway Simon Community Service.
“It was what we call design by solutions, so the solutions were built into the way we did the design, and it’s very much informed by the clients,” Mr Maher explained.
“It very much meets our needs and our ambitions for the people without a place that they can call home, whatever that may be.”
Mr Maher added that recognition from professionals in the community housing industry encourages Galway Simon to pursue similar projects in the future.
“It encourages us to, kind of, keep doing what we’re doing,” he said. “I think it also helps with awareness around the issue of homelessness.”
Further east, Tobar Mhuire, previously Bridge Court, is the second development in Co. Galway to be shortlisted.
“It was run down, dilapidated,” said Senior Engineer at Galway County Council Daithi Flood.
“What we decided to do was redevelop it into a more community-based housing, which incorporated families, people with disabilities, OAPs, and people with special needs into the redevelopment of it.”
The construction of Tobar Mhuire involved the demolition of 10 units, deep retrofit of 6 existing units, and the reconstruction of 12 new units.
“That’s what was unique, I suppose, about this project from our point of view,” Mr Flood commented. “We didn’t just go in and bulldoze the site–we decided to redo it. We put a lot of thought into how best to actually redevelop it for the needs of the local people in the community.”
“We took a community-first approach,” explained Mr Flood, emphasising the involvement of local businesses and public representatives throughout the planning and construction process.
The ICSH Community Housing Award recognises quality, impact, and innovation. While the nominees for the Community Housing Award are judged by an expert panel, the winner of the Public Choice Award will be decided on through public voting.
Of the 31 projects shortlisted for these prestigious awards, 15 are located in Co. Dublin. Voting for the Public Choice Award is open until 13 October; to show your support for community housing in Co. Galway, vote here: https://icsh.ie/awards/community-housing-public-choice-award-2025/.
