COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF RATHFARNHAM/TEMPLEOGUE-TERENURE AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

HEADED ITEM NO.14

Development of Dodder Valley Park and Kennedy Field between Spawell Roundabout & M50 for playing pitches and running track.

The Council manages its parks and open spaces to provide for a range of uses including, inter alia:

The land available for such uses is limited and in particular it is extremely limited in the Rathfarnham/Templeogue/Terenure Area Committee Area. There is a high demand for active recreation provision in terms of pitches and the Council has a difficulty in meeting that demand particularly in the last five years. The capacity of our Regional Parks is limited – in this Area Committee area the two Regional Parks (part of Tymon Park and Dodder Valley) are almost at capacity in terms of active recreation provision. Dodder Valley is a very narrow corridor of land with a relatively small area for active recreation. Providing active recreation opportunities in residential open space - in particular field sports – is problematic due to resistance from local communities arising from the impact of traffic to and from events, noise, lack of changing facilities, etc.

In the case of the clubs mentioned in this Motion and the needs of each for particular facilities the following is the situation:

Bros Pearse Athletic Club currently has a letting on a section of Cherryfield Park, Dodder Valley. It can use the wider Dodder Valley for long distance and endurance training. Track athletics is facilitated in a small 200m non standard area adjacent to the pitches let to Ballyboden St Endas GAA club. Bros Pearse have recently produced a Vision for the club that would mean that Ballyboden St Endas GAA would have to vacate two pitches at least to facilitate these plans.

Ballyboden St Endas – currently have pitches at Cherryfield Park, Dodder Valley and adjacent to Bros Pearse AC facilities – two at almost full size and two smaller pitches mostly used for Camogie training. The club is anxious to enhance 2 pitches in partnership with the Council but there is an obvious conflict with Bros Pearse AC in trying to achieve this.

Knocklyon Utd currently have pitches at

The club is anxious to consolidate it’s presence and to enhance it’s facilities by the construction of an all weather pitch – possibly at Delaford (this would require planning permission).

Knocklyon Utd and Bros Pearse AC recently met with the Council (separately) to discuss their long term plans and the issues that are pressing for the clubs and their membership.

A suggestion has been made at that meeting by Bros Pearse AC to move from Cherryfield Park to Kennedy’s Field and this would mean that Knocklyon Utd would have to move from that location. In turn, Knocklyon Utd have suggested moving from Kennedy’s Field to the undeveloped land at Mt Carmel, Dodder Valley. The club has requested 3 pitches at this location. The Council has reservations in relation to the viability of the proposals. Nevertheless, the proposals will be examined in detail and a further meeting will be arranged shortly with both clubs to progress the matter.

It should be noted that the Council has to manage limited resources and at the same time to maximise the usage of the parks and open spaces in a way that also protects the provision of facilities for public use and regulates and balances the impacts from these on other important environmental, heritage and community attributes. The environmental and heritage issues in the Dodder Valley in particular include

Therefore, the Council may not be in a position to satisfy the demands of all the sports organisations involved and may have to take decisions that satisfy only some of the demands of the clubs concerned.

The Elected Members will be briefed on the outcome of the next meeting with Knocklyon Utd and Bros Pearse AC.