Coolock Village's Water Pressure Problem Is a Fire Safety Risk
Chanel Manor is a new 6-storey apartment complex in the heart of Coolock Village. 87 families are beginning to move in. (Original planning reference)
One question needs answering before anyone collects their keys: if a fire breaks out on the top floor, is there enough water pressure to fight it?
45 years of evidence says otherwise.
A Problem That Goes Back Decades
Water pressure in Coolock Village and the surrounding areas was first raised in Dail Eireann in February 1981, days after the Stardust disaster. TDs flagged “the adequacy or otherwise of the water pressure in that area of Dublin” for urgent investigation.
That was 45 years ago. Nothing was fixed. The consequences have been real:
- October 2013: An industrial fire at Malahide Road Industrial Estate required a water tanker because mains pressure was too low.
- October 2019: A fire tore through Scoil Chaitriona on Mask Avenue. Dublin Fire Brigade could not get enough pressure from the mains. Local TD Sean Haughey described a nearby hydrant in the Dail as “full of concrete and not working.” Water tankers had to be called in.
- July 2022: DCC issued a public low-pressure alert naming “Chanel Manor Close, Coolock Village and surrounding areas.”
Read more: Irish Times | Dublin Live | Newstalk | Irish Examiner
Nobody Will Take Responsibility
This is not just about pipes. It is about accountability.
What Irish Water says
Uisce Eireann will not guarantee fire flow on their network. In official correspondence submitted to An Bord Pleanala, they state plainly: they “cannot guarantee a flow rate to meet fire flow requirements.”
Their Code of Practice puts the responsibility for fire flow on the developer.
What that means in practice
Irish Water connects your building to the water supply. If a fire breaks out and the mains cannot deliver enough pressure, their documented position is not our problem. The developer is supposed to sort it. Once the developer hands the building over, who is checking?
What We Are Asking For
The 87 new families moving in deserve a straight answer. So does everyone else in Coolock Village and the surrounding areas on the same water network.
RESPOND manages the units (confirmed at the DCC Monthly Meeting on 7 July 2025). The Coolock Village Forum and the Coolock Residents Association have been pushing for answers behind the scenes. This article is based on their work.
What the Forum Has Already Won
The Coolock Residents Association (CRA) has been the established residents’ group in Coolock Village for years. When Chanel Manor was first announced, the CRA attempted to work through the security concerns directly with An Garda Siochana.
That process led to the creation of the Coolock Village Forum, a more focused working group concentrated on infrastructure, planning, and direct engagement with public bodies. The Forum has done the groundwork on Chanel Manor ever since, though broader CRA engagement dropped off after the original CCTV agreement was reached.
CCTV was not originally planned for Chanel Manor. The Forum pushed DCC, RESPOND, and An Garda Siochana until CCTV was added.
Now the Forum needs the same transparency on fire safety.
How We Got Here
The original Chanel Manor application was appealed to An Bord Pleanala and spent two years in limbo before being approved in 2024.
The developer is now seeking a further modification to remove the only planned commercial unit from the site, converting what was supposed to be a mixed-use development into a fully residential block. That is a separate fight, but it matters here: more residents, same water network.
Get Involved
- Share this article. The more people who know, the harder it is to ignore.
- Contact your TDs and councillors. Ask them what fire safety provisions exist at Chanel Manor.
- Talk to us. Reach out through our Contact page or through the Coolock Village Forum on Facebook.
Whether you are a resident, or you represent Chanel College, Pobal Parnell, a local business, or any community group, we want to hear from you.
This is Coolock Village. We look after our own.
Coolock Village Regeneration Project
Planning references: ABP-305367-19 (original) | ABP-314313-22 (appeal) | Modification 4108/21 (current)
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