Hugh Wallace (Architect & TV Presenter), and The Great House Revival's Siobhan O'Mahony are just two of the speakers at Cork City Council’s upcoming event, Bringing Back Homes, which aims to give practical advice to owners of vacant and derelict properties in Cork City.
10/09/25
This event, now in its third year, provides information on everything from available grants to planning concerns to carbon footprint and SEAI options. This year’s event will feature an interactive element, where attendees will have the opportunity to speak one-on-one, after the talks, with staff from the SEAI (Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland) and Cork City Council on Retrofitting, Conservation, Housing, Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, and the Repair & Lease scheme.
The event will take place on Thursday 25th September between 10:15am-12:30pm in The Metropole Hotel, MacCurtain Street, Cork.
Tickets are free, but booking is recommended; walk-ups will only be accepted on the day if space is available. Attendees can reserve a space by at the Eventbrite link (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bringing-back-homes-vacancy-and-dereliction-tickets-1631867462509) OR by emailing UrbanFabric@corkcity.ie.
Over 500 applicants have now applied for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant within the City, which allocates up to €50,000 for vacant homes and up to €70,000 for derelict homes. Over €27million in grants is being progressed to bring these long term vacant and derelict properties back into use, with further applications invited while the grant remains available. Other schemes, like the Repair & Lease and the Living City Initiative, continue to assist homeowners in restoring long term vacant or derelict properties to use.
Cork City Council is currently investigating 393 properties under the Derelict Sites Act 1990, of which 165 have been placed on the Derelict Sites Register with owners of derelict sites on the register having been invited to the event.
Cork City Council has also been holding a second series of informal public drop-in Vacancy & Dereliction sessions across the city, with events in Ballyphehane, Glanmire, and Blarney complete, and the final pop-up session of the year taking place in Mayfield Library on 15 October 2025. These pop-ups are an opportunity for members of the public to ask any queries regarding vacancy and dereliction, and to get information on the supports available to refurbish vacant and derelict properties including the popular Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant.