Mayo project scoops prestigious national housing award

A Mayo project has won a national prize at the Irish Council for Social Housing Community Housing Awards 2025. Carnacon Social Housing Development, which is managed by Mayo County Council, topped the Small Family Housing Project category, beating competition from Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown and Fingal in Dublin. The ceremony was held at the Slieve Russell Hotel in Cavan. 

In 2019, the community of Carnacon approached Mayo County Council with a proposal that they hoped would address the problem of population decline in this small rural village. This was the genesis of a collaborative project resulting in nine family homes located within the residential area of the village, beside the primary school and community centre. All village amenities are immediately accessible via publicly lit footpaths. The houses are accessible and incorporate age-friendly features. Existing mature beech trees around the perimeter of the site have been preserved, alongside new native hedgerow planting. 

Chief Executive of the Irish Council for Social Housing, Donal McManus, has congratulated all those involved in the awards.

“The list of entries this year paints a fantastic picture of the commitment, creativity, and skills at work in Ireland’s local authorities, housing associations, and Land Development Agency. It’s a wonderful showcase of the progress made since our last awards in 2023, in particular when it comes to supporting vulnerable groups such as older people and those with a disability.

“I’d like to thank everyone on our team and our colleagues at AHBs around the country for their work in making this year’s awards such a success”.

Sponsor of the awards, IPB Insurance’s chairperson John Hogan says: “Being part of the Community Housing Awards 2025 has been truly inspirational. It’s been a privilege to learn so much about the people behind the developments and how the various stakeholders come together to deliver much-needed homes around Ireland. I’d like to congratulate everyone involved in the awards, and the ICSH team for delivering a wonderful programme”.

Pictured above at the ceremony at the Slieve Russell Hotel in Cavan are, from left: Chairman of awards sponsor IPB Insurance John Hogan; Gerri Joyce, Olivia Gallagher, Judy Feeney, and Matt Stevens of Mayo County Council; Head of Underwriting Operations at IPB Insurance Alice Foley, and President of the ICSH Tina Donaghy.