COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF RATHFARNHAM AREA COMMITTEE
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
MOTION NO. 11
MOTION: Councillor A.M. Dermody
"That the Manager assess the walls on Willbrook Road near the tuning fork (Whitechurch Road) junction his attention is brought to the bad uneven condition of the walls along Willbrook road, Ballyboden road, with a sizeable crack at or near the pedestrian entrance. This area of Rathfarnham is part of the Rathfarnham Walking Tour - Tourism and Local Heritage. This can be found in google and the route sets out Whitechurch road without mentioning Ballyboden Road. Yeats lived for years in Riversdale beside Boden Wood on Ballyboden; there are 19th wrought iron railings, pillars, at crossings over the little bridges along Ballyboden road (which starts at The Tuning Fork).
There is a preservation order on the entrance to Rosebank (across from Fonthill). So the Tourist could walk up Ballyboden road, cross into Fonthill, continue through Willbrook, go onto Sarah Curran road to Enda's Park; OR on coming out of Willbrook turn left down Whitechurch road back to The Tuning Fork. A complete walking tour loop has been done with streams beside the walk all the way around the loop.
I think the wall along the route takes from the significance of the walk, or put another way if there was a stone wall along the route would enhance the area and the walker's experience of the area. I want to know if this wall could be rebuilt with back to back funding from the Build Heritage Jobs Leverage Scheme 2014. It may be necessary for the Manager to join forces with the Tourism and Local Heritage people for the area so as to progress this. If such funding cannot be availed of can the Manager report back on the state and condition of the wall (with particular emphases on the crack) and provide a realistic proposal as to when replacement walls could be completed."
REPORT:
Roads Dept. will arrange for the crack in the wall at the pedestrian entrance to be examined and repaired. Road Maintenance have no funding to replace stone walls in the area.
The Architectural Conservation Officer states 'Although reference has been made to Rosebank, Ballyboden Road which is a Protected Structure RPS Ref. 267 (Bridge, railings, gateway and gates), the wall being referred to is not a Protected Structure or part of a Protected Structure and therefore would not have qualified under the Built Heritage Jobs Leverage Scheme 2014 (closing date for applications was 12th Feb 2014) which essentially was established to provide funding to owners of Protected Structures or owners of structures within an Architectural Conservation Area.
The Chief Administrative Officer of South Dublin County Tourism states that 'From a funding point of view, South Dublin County Tourism Ltd. would not be in a position to provide assistance to the above.'