Developers plan to top tallest Irish tower

IRELAND’S tallest building may soon be eclipsed by an even taller structure.

Planning permission is being sought this week for a 17-storey apartment tower, as part of an ambitious and architecturally-driven €100 million development on the former An Post site next to Cork’s City Hall.

Taking up the corner of a three-acre site near the river and at the end of the south city link road, which will mostly be six and seven storeys tall, the copper-skinned and glazed single tower could reach 70 metres, or 224 feet in height, making it just 13 feet taller than the County Hall, the country’s tallest building.

The proposed structure will have 43 large apartments.

The overall scheme - as yet un-named - will have up to 217 apartments, a ground floor shopping area, offices, creche, gym and two basement levels of parking for 550 cars.

“It will be a landmark building, marking a gateway approach both to the city and will serve as a gate to the docklands and future development opportunities there,” said Michael O’Flynn of O’Flynn Construction, one of the country’s most successful developers, who bought the site last year for over €15 million.

“It is a very special site and it needs a landmark building.

“We didn’t set out to go for a particular or maximum height, it isn’t high for height’s sake, the city needs a confident statement like this,” said Mr O’Flynn.

He, and other developers with aspirations to move the city’s future growth into the docklands, will view City Hall planners’ response with especial interest as a development marker for the area.

Meanwhile, plans lodged last May for a similar tower of 19 storeys across the Lee and downriver at Water Street and Lower Glanmire Road, in a 400-unit project, were withdrawn this month without a planning decision by developers Werdna Ltd and will be resubmitted later this year.