Ballymun Flats
The Ballymun Flats referred to a number of flats—including the seven Ballymun tower blocks—in Ballymun, Dublin, Ireland. Built rapidly in the 1960s, there were 36 blocks in total, consisting of 7 fifteen-storey, 19 eight-storey, and 10 four-storey blocks. The complex was built in a Corbusian style known as towers in the park, which was popular in European and American cities in the mid-20th century.
| Ballymun Flats | |
|---|---|
Joseph Plunkett tower with the Sillogue Road flats in the background. | |
| General information | |
| Status | Demolished |
| Type | Residential |
| Architectural style | Brutalist / modernist |
| Location | Ballymun, Dublin, Ireland |
| Address | Sandyhill Avenue, Sillogue Avenue, Shangan Avenue, Balbutcher Lane, Shangan Road. |
| Coordinates | 53°23′51″N 06°16′03″W |
| Construction started | 1966 |
| Completed | 1969 |
| Opening | 1969 |
| Demolished | 2004-2015 |
| Owner | Dublin Corporation later Dublin City Council |
| Height | 42 metres (138 ft) (tower block elements) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 17 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Dublin Corporation |
The 15-storey blocks actually had 17 storeys, including the entrance floor and a plant room on their roofs. Joseph Plunkett tower, named after one of the signatories of the Proclamation of the Irish Republic, was typical of the taller tower blocks. It was a 42-metre, 8,500-tonne building that housed 90 families in 30 three-, two-, and one-bedroom units.
The entire complex was demolished in the early 21st century. By October 2013, there were just three remaining blocks, all of which were empty. The last block was demolished in September 2015.