Heritage

Historical background

The Cabra Housing Scheme was a large-scale public housing scheme developed by Dublin Corporation in three phases from 1929 onwards as part of a programme of planned working-class suburbanization. It represents the impact of central government policy on the location and form of new residential areas, with layouts influenced by the early British town-planning movement.

While large-scale, social housing developments like Cabra West are often considered unremarkable by both residents and non-residents, it may be argued that this settlement in fact represents a high point in Irish urban planning and sustainable development. The Dingle Road case study house and the context of Cabra West were a significant departure from developments like Findlater Street in social housing terms, and a significant departure in urban planning and construction terms from both the privately developed houses of that period and of the eras before.

Statement of heritage value of the existing house

Cabra represents a significant defined phase of the 20th century suburban development of Dublin. The area is of architectural interest in terms of its planned geometric layout with the case study house forming part of a composition of axial and semi-circular roads focused to the centrepiece of the church on Faussagh Avenue. The area is of social interest in terms of the evolution of Corporation-planned suburban public housing schemes and ambitions of Dublin Corporation to provide public housing during this period.

The modest uniformity of façade finishes is an important aspect of the coherence of the area and in this regard, the case study house retains its original external finishes with additions or alterations. Although the houses are of simple design and plain finish, the case study house is of modest significance as it largely retains its original layout (without an extension) and many internal features.

The house is not a protected structure or located within a conservation area.