SEPTEMBER 2023
THE 8TH LOCK ON THE ROYAL CANAL AND NEARBY

The 8th Lock on the Royal Canal is a well-constructed canal lock that forms part of a wider collection of locks, bridges and lock-keepers' houses associated with the Royal Canal on its journey from Spencer Dock to Longford town. Displaying quality masonry skills and early eighteenth-century engineering, it attests to the importance of the canal’s role at the time of construction. Fully functioning, this lock serves recreational use today and remains an important element in the architectural and industrial heritage of north Dublin.

The 8th Lock residential project comprises five sections which are between four and thirteen storeys high and due for completion between October 2023 and March 2025. It is just 300 metres from the new Pelletstown railway station which I also visited today.

The 8th Lock complex, on the site of the former Ormond Printworks (I was an employee many years ago) on Ratoath Road, will eventually comprise 218 one-bedroom and 217 two-bedroom apartments, and 4,200sq m of commercial and amenity space. This will include public plazas, a healthcare centre, pharmacy, own-door offices and a gym. Some 255 car parking spaces, electric vehicle charging points, disabled parking and nearly 950 bicycle parking spaces will be provided at surface and undercroft levels.

The 8th Lock is the first large development In Ireland or in the UK to make use of a pioneering low-carbon product known as CarbonCure. This allows recycled CO₂ to be embedded into fresh concrete during mixing without compromising performance. To date CarbonCure Technologies has prevented over 174,000 tonnes of CO₂ being released into the atmosphere, with millions more set to be sequestered into the future. Ballymore is employing the technology with Kilsaran at the 8th Lock.