COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF RATHFARNHAM/TEMPLEOGUE/FIRHOUSE/BOHERNABREENA AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

QUESTION NO. 10

QUESTION: Councillor David McManus

To ask the Chief Executive to consider the installation of public lighting on the grounds of Rathfarnham Castle to improve visibility and support local sports and community groups and walkers in the darker evenings ahead?

REPLY:

Rathfarnham Castle Park provides an attractive landscape setting for Rathfarnham Castle, a National Monument and Protected Structure. The Park extends to just over 7 hectares and is maintained by South Dublin County Council. Amenities in the park include open lawns, pedestrian path system, woodland walks, herbaceous border, ornamental pond and watercourse, a very successful and popular children’s playground. Rathfarnham Castle is maintained and operated by the Office of Public Works as a visitor attraction. The two authorities work closely together and have invested considerable resources in recent years in the further development of both the castle and the park.

The Council has always held the position that parks are closed to the public at fall of light and does not install lighting to facilitate night time training in public parks for a number of reasons including: exposure to action, concentrated wear in the vicinity of the lights, especially in the winter when ground conditions are often poor and ecological issues. It is held that there are ecological issues in this vicinity that would be negatively impacted by any proposal to provide lighting at this location.