The Irish Council for Social Housing (ICSH), first established as the Housing Centre in 1982, has been support the growth of the housing association/approved housing body sector for 40 years, starting with a few thousand homes in the early 1980s to almost 55,000 owned and managed by the sector in 2022. The ICSH invited members to celebrate our 40th anniversary at an event in the Alex Hotel, Fenian Street, Dublin on the December 12th 2022 at which we launched our 40-year commemorative publication and an accompaying video.
The informal event was an opportunity to meet with colleagues and reflect on the AHB sector’s great achievements over the past decades. ICSH CEO, Donal McManus marked the 40-year anniversary with just such a reflection. Donal started working for the ICSH in 1995 and has witnessed significant changes in the sector over the years. Donal’s introduction was followed by an address from Pat Doyle, ICSH President and Chief Executive of the Peter McVerry Trust. Pat welcomed all those who attended, in particular the three founding members who also offered their perspectives on the evolution of the sector and the challenges ahead. The three ICSH founders are Fred Stephens (formerly the Iveagh Trust), Bernard Thompson (formerly NABCO now Cooperative Housing Ireland) and Dick Shannon (formerly National Simon, now Simon Communities); all three participated in our 40-year commemorative video.
