~2,500
Allotments in Ireland today
50,000
Allotments in Denmark
(same population)
40,000
Ireland’s 1940s peak
(wartime food security)
10,000
Target by 2030
(Community Gardens Ireland)
31
Councils now legally obligated
to plan for allotments
10 yrs
Wait at Dublin Raheny —
list is now closed

Quick Answer: How to Find Allotments Near You

Use the tracker below to check your council first, then jump to your county page for community gardens and private plot-share alternatives. If your council list is closed or over two years long, the practical next step is usually a private growing plot enquiry while you keep your council application active.

Allotments Near Me: The 10-Minute Check

Before you spend hours searching, do this in order. First, search your county page below and note the council name, current list status and any known wait. Second, check whether your council asks for proof of address, a specific electoral area or a preferred site. Third, apply even if the list is long, because some councils only measure demand from formal applications. Fourth, use a community garden or plot-share route for this growing season if you want soil now.

When a council page says “no plots available”, that does not always mean the waiting list is closed. Ask whether new applications are still accepted, whether existing applicants need to renew annually, and whether new sites are planned under the 2024 planning legislation. Those details are the difference between a real queue and a dead end.

Council Waiting List Tracker

Data is sourced from council websites, FOI responses, local news coverage, and user submissions. Last updated June 2026. Submit a correction or new data.

Council County Wait time List status Notes
Dublin City Council Dublin → 7–10 years Closed — Raheny Raheny site has 10-year wait; list closed to new applications. Marino and Cabra lists open but multi-year waits.
Fingal County Council Dublin → 5–8 years Effectively closed Swords, Malahide and Blanchardstown sites oversubscribed. No new plots announced as of 2026.
South Dublin County Council Dublin → 4–6 years Closed Clondalkin and Tallaght sites. List closed; council under pressure to acquire new land under 2024 Act.
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Dublin → 5–7 years Closed Kilbogget and Deansgrange. DLR has historically been slow to expand supply despite high demand.
Cork City Council Cork → 2–3 years Open Sunday's Well and Togher Road sites. List open; council developing additional land in Mahon.
Cork County Council Cork → 1–3 years Open Varies by town. Carrigaline and Midleton have community plots; rural areas largely without formal provision.
Galway City Council Galway → 2–4 years Open Doughiska and Ballybane sites. Demand growing fast; city council exploring GIY partnership for new sites.
Galway County Council Galway → Unknown Data needed No public waiting list data available. Tuam and Loughrea have small community garden schemes.
Wicklow County Council Wicklow → 1–2 years Open Bray and Greystones sites. Wicklow has been relatively proactive; Arklow plots added 2024.
Kildare County Council Kildare → 1–2 years Open Naas, Newbridge and Celbridge sites. Demand increasing due to Dublin overspill population.
Wexford County Council Wexford → 1–2 years Open Wexford town and Enniscorthy sites. Enniscorthy Community Allotments is an active local advocacy group.
Limerick City & County Limerick → 6–18 months Open Castletroy and Dooradoyle sites. Unified council since 2014; more responsive than most to plot demand.
Waterford City & County Waterford → 12–18 months Open Ballybeg and Gracedieu Road sites. Demand lower than east-coast councils; reasonable wait times.
Louth County Council Louth → 1–2 years Open Drogheda and Dundalk sites. Growing demand from commuter belt; council expanding provision in 2026.
Meath County Council Meath → Unknown Data needed No public waiting list data. Navan and Trim have small plots; Meath has not responded to our enquiries.
Kilkenny County Council Kilkenny → Unknown Data needed Kilkenny city has an active community garden network but no formal council allotment scheme confirmed.
Clare County Council Clare → Unknown Data needed Ennis has community plots. No formal council allotment waiting list publicly accessible.
Kerry County Council Kerry → Unknown Data needed Tralee and Killarney have community growing schemes but no formal allotment waiting list data available.
Tipperary County Council Tipperary → Unknown Data needed Clonmel and Nenagh have community plots but no formal allotment programme. Tipperary has strong GIY roots.
Mayo County Council Mayo → Unknown Data needed Castlebar and Westport have community gardens. No formal allotment scheme data available.
Sligo County Council Sligo → Unknown Data needed Sligo town has a community garden. No public allotment waiting list data.
Donegal County Council Donegal → Unknown Data needed Letterkenny has community plots. Donegal is largely rural — private growing space is more accessible here.
Roscommon County Council Roscommon → Unknown Data needed No formal allotment scheme data available. Rural county with relatively accessible private land.
Leitrim County Council Leitrim → Unknown Data needed Carrick-on-Shannon has a community plot. Land access is generally easier in Leitrim than urban counties.
Longford County Council Longford → Unknown Data needed No public allotment waiting list data. Longford town has a small community growing plot.
Cavan County Council Cavan → Unknown Data needed No formal allotment scheme data available. Border county with good private land access.
Monaghan County Council Monaghan → Unknown Data needed No public allotment data. Monaghan town has an active community garden supported by the council.
Carlow County Council Carlow → Unknown Data needed Carlow town has a PPN-supported community garden. No formal allotment waiting list publicly available.
Laois County Council Laois → Unknown Data needed Portlaoise has a community garden. No formal allotment programme data available.
Offaly County Council Offaly → Unknown Data needed Tullamore has a community growing initiative. No formal allotment scheme data available.
Westmeath County Council Westmeath → Unknown Data needed Athlone and Mullingar have community plots. No formal allotment waiting list data available.

Don't want to rely only on the waiting list? Submit a private plot enquiry in parallel. Supply is still limited and Homegrown cannot promise timing, price or a match.

Find a Private Plot →

The Law Changed in 2026 — But Action Is Still Lagging

Planning and Development Act 2024, Section 48 — enacted early 2026 — now requires every one of Ireland’s 31 local authorities to prepare a Sustainable Places and Communities Strategy. That strategy must include objectives for reserving land for allotments and community gardens. It’s the first time Irish law has defined “allotment” and placed a statutory duty on councils to provide them.

The catch: government guidelines to help councils implement this were promised by December 2023 and have still not been published as of May 2026. Community Gardens Ireland co-chair Dónal McCormack told RTÉ in April: “It’s been three years. It’s incredibly frustrating.” The Department of Heritage says they will be published “as soon as is practical”.

What this means for you: you now have a legal hook when lobbying your local councillors. Read our full breakdown of what the Act means →

Help Us Keep This Tracker Accurate

User submissions help identify county information that needs review. If you know your local council’s current allotment situation, share it below. A submission is a lead, not verified evidence; Homegrown does not promise a publication time.

Email is optional. Anonymous submissions receive no acknowledgement. See the privacy notice.

Why Is the Wait So Long?

Ireland’s allotment crisis has three interlocking causes. First, councils have never had a statutory duty to provide allotments — until 2026. The result: provision has been entirely voluntary and patchy, driven by individual councillors or community pressure rather than policy. Second, the land that exists is almost all publicly owned and already committed to other uses; acquiring new growing land in urban areas is expensive and slow. Third, demand exploded post-pandemic. Applications doubled or tripled in most councils between 2020 and 2023 while supply barely moved.

The 2024 Planning and Development Act fixes the legal gap but not the land or money problem. Councils must now plan for allotments — but planning takes years, land acquisition takes money (which the Act doesn’t provide), and the implementation guidelines still haven’t been published as of May 2026.

In the meantime, a private plot enquiry is another route to run alongside a council application. Private hosts set their own terms and supply is scarce, so we do not promise immediate availability or a standard price. Browse by county for local context.

What We Know, What Needs Checking

We can say confidently that formal allotment supply is far below visible demand in the main urban counties, and that Dublin lists are the hardest route for new growers. We cannot guarantee the live status of every council list because application rules change without a national dashboard. If you have a current council email, FOI response or site notice, submit it above and we will update the tracker after review.