Doyle Shipping Group to turn derelict Passage West terrace into homes for contractors

The refurbishment of iconic Dock Terrace will bring the homes back into use after 20 years of vacancy

Thu, 20 Nov, 2025 - 00:05

Catherine Shanahan

AN historic row of homes in Passage West, unoccupied for 20 years, is set to be returned to use by the Doyle Shipping Group (DSG) in a move to provide accommodation for company contractors.

Dock Terrace, a row of six homes long blighted by dereliction, will be fully refurbished to provide high-quality accommodation for contractors working with DSG and its partner firms.

Rear view of Dock Terrace homes Picture: Larry Cummins

DSG’s move comes at a time when a number of high-profile employers are actively acquiring homes for staff to rent at an affordable rate, in an effort to combat the impact of the housing crisis. Ryanair has bought c 50 homes for cabin crew to rent near Dublin Airport, while food wholesaler Musgrave also rents homes to staff. A spokesperson for DSG said it had become “increasingly difficult to find accommodation for medium-term rentals, and this refurbishment is a practical solution that allows DSG to refurbish buildings on its own site, while meeting accommodation needs linked to its operations and contractor workforce”.

The Passage West terrace, with many of its windows and doors boarded up, has been a prominent eyesore on the road beside the dockyard. The properties form part of the wider Passage West dockyard site, which DSG purchased in 2015 for a reported €2.75m.

It’s used for bulk and break bulk cargo handling and storage operations, as well as supporting industries in the broader Munster region.

Cork-based Kumry Construction has been appointed as the main contractor for the refurbishment project, which will include re-roofing the two-storey over basement homes, as well as installing new windows and carrying out a complete internal refurbishment.

Under the proposal, each house will be reconfigured as a four-bedroom property with shared living, kitchen, and dining areas.

Refurbishment of the properties, which sit within an architectural conservation area, is scheduled to begin before the end of 2025 and the project is expected to take 12 months. The terrace will remain under DSG ownership.

John Stoat, the company’s operations manager, said the houses were inherited as part of the wider dockyard site “and were already in poor condition when Doyle Shipping Group took ownership”.

He said: “This refurbishment project will enhance the streetscape and bring these buildings back into productive use.

“As a long-term operator, employer and a company that actively supports community activities in Passage West, we are pleased to be in a position to progress this refurbishment.”

John Stoat, Operations Manager with Doyle Shipping Group, and James Vaughan, Kumry Construction, outside six Dock Terrace properties in Passage West, Cork Picture: Michael O'Sullivan/OSM PHOTO

James Vaughan of Kumry Construction said it was “an important refurbishment project for Passage West” and that the firm looked forward to completing it “to a high standard for both DSG and the local community”.

The 7.8a (3ha) dockyard site has a long and chequered history. DSG acquired it in 2015 from a receiver appointed to a Howard Holdings company.

(left) Jason Clerkin, Managing Director, Howard Holdings, and (right) the late Greg Coughlan, Chief Executive, Howard Holdings show the proposed Passage West development to Brian Cox, Aer Lingus and former Passage dockyard site owner Landy Hill at the Howard Holdings Christmas Lunch at The Clarion Hotel, Cork on Wednesday 19th December 2007. Picture; Larry Cummins

Howard Holdings had paid €25m for the historic site in 2006 and had plans for a transformational waterfront mixed-use development that envisaged land reclamation, apartments, an hotel, marina, shops, and leisure, served by water taxis.

Howard Holdings later ran into financial trouble and the development failed to materialise.

In 2017, the site — zoned for mixed-use development — was put up for sale by DSG, including four industrial warehouses and the six terraced homes. Cork County Council secured government funding of €1.9m to purchase it, but the sale did not go through, after DSG took it off the market, citing uncertainty over Brexit. The decision not to sell ended the council’s plans to turn the dockyard site into a modern, urban waterfront settlement, that had been hailed as “a game-changer” for the town.

The dockyard dates back to the 1830s, when it was founded by brothers William and Henry Brown. For many years, it made the town a hive of industry. At its peak, during the First World War, it employed 1,000 people. It closed in 1931, following a slump in shipbuilding.