COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF RATHFARNHAM AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, June 08, 2010

MOTION NO. 7

MOTION: Councillor P. Cosgrave

"That the Manager give a report on how the children’s train “Thomas the Tank engine theme” be brought to a park in the Rathfarnham Ward from Corkagh Park this summer. Pearse Brother Park or Rathfarnham Castle Park might be suitable."

REPORT:

The Children’s Trains that operate in Corkagh and Tymon Parks were originally provided to enhance the Family Day experiences in these parks and to allow families with small children experience the fuller extent of these parks. They were so successful and so popular that a decision was taken to continue them on Sundays between May and September in the Regional Parks. The trains are now well established with many people travelling to these parks on Sunday afternoons, specifically for the trains.

Most of the parks in the county do not have a path system that is sufficiently large and generally circular in nature to provide a meaningful route. The existing trains in Corkagh and Tymon run on a circulation route of approximately three kilometres with an average journey time of about 15 minutes. Rather than bring the train to Rathfarnham, it is proposed to promote it as many of the visitors to Rathfarnham Castle Park may not be aware of the service. This would encourage people to experience some of the other parks in the county that they might otherwise have little reason or occasion to visit.