They have blocked the road to force change before
says Chapelizod Tidy Towns chair Peter Kavanagh
The queue at the traffic lights in Chapelizod was 20 cars deep snaking north-west up Main Street towards Martin’s Row
a car swung slowly around the corner by Mullingar House and past the front of St Patrick’s National School
and grown-ups peered over the big stone wall down into the school yard
blocking the crossing from the school gates over the road
bumpers stretched westwards over the Anna Livia Bridge
representatives from seven local groups wrote to Dublin city councillors to call for meaningful progress towards dealing with traffic issues in Chapelizod village and asking for three specific changes
In December, Dublin City Council traffic engineers had said they would look at quick wins to improve safety
Local groups said in the letter that they wanted to hear what had come of this
Dublin City Council hasn’t responded to queries set on Tuesday afternoon
asking what progress had been made on that
community groups had to get out and block traffic to get one of the traffic signals that is now in the village
who is the chair of the Chapelizod Tidy Towns
If there isn’t a change before the next school term starts
A safer route for cyclists and pedestrians through Chapelizod Village is on the council Active Travel Unit’s programme of future projects – part 4.7km Chapelizod Road to Chapelizod Bypass project
But they don’t plan to look at that for at least two years
The council’s Active Travel Unit has also said that it is too complex for them to take that on alone and
given the knock-on impacts on the wider road network
any plan needs buy-in and cooperation from several bodies
Cunningham wants a body or forum to take ownership of a traffic plan for Chapelizod village
“Who is going to take ownership of the change
“You can’t really cross up there,” said Imelda Hall outside St Patrick’s National School
She points down through the village towards the junction on the other side of the bridge
Drivers block the pedestrian crossing there too
there needs to be a traffic warden with a sign
said that school zones are a part of the solution to traffic dangers
But the schools haven’t been allocated funding for that yet as they missed the applications for past rounds
community groups said they had been told they can’t have a lollipop person as it would be too dangerous
But they listed three changes that they want to see
They asked for pedestrian crossings at all roads in front of both schools in the village
They also asked for better signage around the schools and confirmation that a speed limit of 30km would come in for Martin’s Row and Knockmarron Hill
the Traffic Advisory Group (TAG) deals with standalone traffic changes such as signs
a footpath build-out or a pedestrian crossing
It’s unclear what plans TAG has for Chapelizod at the moment
At a meeting last week of the Chapelizod Steering Group
traffic engineers said they had carried out a speed survey and most cars were obeying the limit
is working to build out its planned network of cycle lanes and greenways
Staff are working on improvements to two cycle paths
one along Chapelizod Road from just outside the village to Islandbridge
“The dangerous part for any pedestrian and cyclist is the village itself.”
Officials in the Active Travel Unit say they can’t take the stretch through the village alone and that they won’t be able to do anything for a couple of years
Changes need the National Transport Authority
the Office for Public Works and Transport Infrastructure Ireland all on board
It is technically a regional road through Chapelizod
and so needs to take a certain amount of traffic
But a lot of the traffic should be on the bypass
He wants an agency to take ownership and say it is their project
It wouldn’t necessarily involve redesigning the village right away
but setting the parameters for any changes
An NTA spokesperson said on Tuesday that Dublin City Council would be best placed to answer queries about Chapelizod traffic changes
One move that Cunningham says would help to reduce traffic and also and could be a standalone change
Trialing that was one idea in a 2022 transport study for the area
Cunningham says he thinks that would involve a turning point into a one-way system at the four-way junction just north of Knockmaroon Hill
“Lots of people using that road aren’t coming from the village
But one issue around this is that it would take buy-in from Fingal County Council
Dublin City Council has been talking to Fingal officials
but he understands that they aren’t yet on board with the idea
A spokesperson for Fingal County Council said on Tuesday that they had communicated with Dublin City Council officials in March 2024 but haven’t had any contact since
we advised that extensive traffic modelling would be required in relation to the scheme to assess the viability and also the general impact on the surrounding road network,” said the spokesperson
Cunningham says that he plans to put a motion to the city’s mobility and public realm committee
to agree that Dublin City Council should fund that modelling
Another issue is whether there is buy-in from local residents who live along and around Martin’s Row
who lives on the stretch and volunteers with Blood Bikes East
says he thinks that wouldn’t be a good idea
he hears trailers bouncing along down Martin’s Row
avoiding the double-tarrif of the M50 toll
There should be clearer signs letting trucks know they shouldn’t head that way
Drivers could be from anywhere – outside of Dublin
outside of the country – and just following Google Maps
says that a one-way system would need much more discussion with those who live along Martin’s Row
Lois Kapila is deputy editor at Dublin Inquirer
You can reach her at lois@dublininquirer.com
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Patrice is survived by her husband and dog
Funeral mass will be held in Séipéal Realt na Mara
Burial (interment) will follow in Realt na Mara Cemetery
The Funeral Mass can be viewed on the link below:
Madra Dog Rescue: https://www.madra.ie/
Our Lady’s Hospice & Care Services, Harold’s Cross: https://olh.ie/personal-donation/
Cailleadh Patrice Nic Dhomhnaill go suaimhneach ar an 18ú Feabhra
Aistreofar a corp ina dhiaidh sin go dtí Séipéal Réalt na Mara
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COUNCIL-OWNED properties at a prime location just outside the perimeter of the Phoenix Park in Dublin look set to remain vacant for the foreseeable future
Dublin City Council bought seven out of the eleven Mulberry Cottages
located in Chapelizod village near the Phoenix Park
It had planned to refurbish the homes and put them back into use
many of which have been derelict for nearly two decades
were the subject of a December report by the council that detailed a number of issues undermining plans to renovate the properties
According to council chief executive Richard Shakespeare
responding to Green Party Councillor Ray Cunningham who asked this month if the properties can be sold
the primary issue facing the site is the limited access
The cottages are located on a narrow section of the road leading into Chapelizod village
renovation work could face problems when it came to the location of a site office
The homes are located at an architectural conservation area and are in close proximity to St Laurence’s National School
Shakespeare told councillors a “broad outline plan” was agreed and the council plans to immediately clear a communal area at the back of the properties
next to a path leading into the Phoenix Park
and knock down extensions which were in “poor conditions”
He added that the council also intends to board and steel up the rear access to the site
“Once these works are carried the housing team will consider what options are open to the council to bring this back into use,” Shakespeare said
Cunningham this month highlighted how four cottages on the same terrace that remained within the private market have since been refurbished and restored by private owners
An online listing indicates one of the properties is now in turnkey condition and accepting tenants
Cunningham told the Dublin Inquirer this month that dereliction is a problem in Chapelizod and risks impacting the overall status and look of the small
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A transport assessment for the village almost three years ago had flagged the need for change
The council will move “as soon as we can” to make children and parents going to and from St Patrick’s National School in Chapelizod safer
senior executive engineer Colm Ennis told the South Central Area Committee on 11 December
The school sits at the intersection of Chapelizod Road and Main Street
and there was a car crash there in late November
Sinn Féin Councillor Daithí Doolan said he’d put in a question to the council executive asking if there could be some kind of “traffic calming” put in around the school to make the area safer
“While I welcome the response that it’s going to be referred to the TAG [Traffic Advisory Group] system
we all know in all fairness that that’ll sometimes take some length of time,” Doolan said
pupils and staff that there may not be time on their side because of the risk posed to the children and the parents crossing there,” he said
Independent Councillor Vincent Jackson said he also had asked about making the area around the school safer
and had had the same response from the executive
that from time to time there’s ones that come up that necessitate a speedier response maybe than the system we have,” he said
a senior executive engineer in the council’s Environment and Transportation Department
said: “We are actively looking at that situation
we do appreciate that there is an issue there.”
“We are actively looking at if there’s measures we can put in in TAG in the very short term,” Ennis said
In 2022, the Chapelizod Village Transport Assessment for Dublin City Council recommended a “Safe Routes to School Audit for St
School Zone safety improvements (in conjunction with NTA and Green Schools).”
And the report recommended the same for St
The National Transport Authority’s (NTA’s) Safe Routes to School programme involves putting in things like pencil-shaped bollards, colourful road markings, improved footpaths, and better pedestrian crossings “to highlight the presence of the school and encourage traffic to slow down”, according to the NTA
But those school zones haven’t been put in around the schools
Labour Party Senator Rebecca Moynihan said “It seems that a ball was dropped”
“Other schools with no through traffic are school zones while St Patrick’s at a busy
dangerous junction with high level of emissions has had no improvements,” she said
When the NTA launched the programme in 2021, “932 schools, nearly a quarter of all schools nationally applied”, its website says
it has announced three rounds of funding awards to schools that had applied
In November, the NTA announced the names of 141 schools that would get these school zones in the third round of funding
including 10 in the Dublin City Council area
But neither of the Chapelizod schools has been given school zone funding yet
“St Patrick’s and St Laurence’s schools did not apply to the National Transport Authority’s Safe Routes to School programme
which is why they’re not on the applicant list,” a Dublin City Council spokesperson said
Neither St Patrick’s nor St Laurence’s have responded to queries about this sent 9 December
But at the South Central Area Committee meeting
Green Party Councillor Ray Cunningham said he’d been in contact with St Patrick’s
“I’ve been in touch with the NTA and the school to try to get them on the list and they didn’t apply,” he said
“I think the opening of the applications coincided with the return after covid and things like that so they weren’t in a position to apply.”
As for the recommendations of the Chapelizod Village Transport Assessment
the council spokesperson said the council has been working on the short-term ones first
These have been “advanced to a point where drawings have been prepared and DCC have liaised with Fingal County Council”
“These short term recommendations would be implemented on a trial basis initially
However this is subject to the availability of funding and resources.”
the report recommended considering a one-way system on Martin’s Row
with a narrowed carriageway and 30km/h speed limit
and reducing the speed limit on Main Street to 30km/h
The “timeline for implementation” was listed as “Short Term (0-12 months)”
The recommendation to bring in school zones was for the medium-term
“The DCC School Zone team is only resourced to progress works currently with schools on the Safe Routes to School programme list
The “timeline for implementation” was listed in the village transport assessment as “Medium Term (12-36 months)”
A Green Party Councillor has called for tolls on the M50 to be abolished
car drivers pay between €2.50 to €3.80 to use the section of the M50 between Junction 6 (N3 Blanchardstown) and Junction 7 (N4 Lucan)
Ballyfermot-Drimnagh representative Ray Cunningham said the village of Chapelizod has developed a “major problem with traffic” and he believes it is partly caused by people driving through it to avoid motorway tolls
“There’s just too many cars and trucks coming through the village,” he told Newstalk Breakfast
“Parents are very worried about their kids going to school; they have to walk them to school
they can’t let them cycle to school on their own
Cllr Cunningham said research on traffic presented to Dublin City Council found that a significant amount of traffic could be diverted onto the M50
“A surprisingly large amount of traffic in the city was going from north to south
it wasn’t stopping in the city centre,” he said
“It was avoiding the M50 and it is partly driven by the toll
the situation we have in Chapelizod and Lucan and a lot of places near the city centre is that places where people live have to deal with all the negative effects of traffic - all the noise and pollution and the danger.”
Cllr Cunningham described the M50 as a road that is “designed for cars and trucks” and people should be encouraged to use it if possible
“That road which is designed for traffic costs money and the place where people live
we’re pushing people in the wrong direction.”
When asked what his Green Party colleagues would think of his proposal
Cllr Cunningham he thought it very much in keeping with his party’s record in Government
we were very focused on increasing public transport,” he said
Eamon Ryan’s focus was bypasses - taking traffic out of towns around the country and that rejuvenates towns.”
Main image: Queues of traffic at the West-Link Toll Bridge
Developed by Square1
TAKE a look at this "fantastic" two-bedroom property that has entered the Irish market for €325,000 - and it comes with many perks
Located in the heart of Chapelizod Village
the charming pad is perfect for a small family or a couple who wants to reside close to the heart of the capital
The property is situated in a sought-after area of Dublin
boasting access to amenities and facilities while located in a quiet residential area
Chapelizod Village offers many amenities and facilities, including supermarkets, restaurants, bars, cafes, schools, a health centre, a leisure centre and a GAA club
And there are bus services operating which provide connections to Liffey Valley
Heuston Station is only minutes away and provides routes to Limerick, Galway, Cork and Kerry
including the famous Phoenix Park and Furry Glen
and endless outdoor activities such as golfing and tennis
The charming home resides near the Chapelizod bypass to the motorway
providing the best spot for commuters with short traffic
you are greeted by the lovely spacious living/dining room with access to the kitchen and the stairwell to the first floor
The living area features lovely wooden flooring
a large window overlooking the front garden
and there's a built-in wardrobe unit for jackets and shoes
The kitchen area comes with beautifully built-in cream units
marble countertops and a tiled backsplash wall
It also features integrated appliances including a washing and dryer machine
The first floor consists of a primary bedroom
a standard bedroom and a main family bathroom
The primary bedroom features wooden flooring
The standard bedroom comes with wooden floors
This bedroom can be easily converted into a home office or a gym
The main bathroom is fully tiled and comes with a bathtub with a showerhead
The residential area features a gorgeous landscape of communal gardens with flowerbeds
a lounging area and plenty of grasslands for children or pets to roam freely
The property features double-glazed windows
main services and access to the wired broadband connection
Arklow) December 27th 2024 (peacefully) in the loving care of the staff at Maryfield Nursing Home
Beloved wife of the late Michael (Mick) and much loved mother of Paula
Reposing at her residence on Wednesday evening (January 1st) from 5.00pm to 7.00pm
Removal on Thursday morning (January 2nd) to the Church of the Nativity of the B.V.M.
Chapelizod arriving for Funeral Mass at 10.00am followed by burial in Esker Cemetery
Carmel’s Funeral Mass may be viewed online (live only) at 10.00am on Thursday morning by following this LINK
Family flowers only please. Donations, if desired, to St. Vincent de Paul.
CondolencesDonate to CharityWould you like to mark a birthday
Geraldine Scully and her husband, Gerry Conroy, moved here 40 years ago after outgrowing a two-up, two-down on Infirmary Road in Stoneybatter and its “coffin-sized” yard out the back. The dry-soil garden was a dumping ground of building materials after the previous owners built an extension, but the pair have cultivated it over the years and the garden remains in flux.
It was about 12 years ago that Scully decided to take her growing to the next level. It was just after visiting
Seven of the Mulberry Cottages are on the derelict sites register
and there’s been little progress towards bringing them back into use
The postman marched along the terraced houses on Martin’s Row in Chapelizod
known collectively as the Mulberry Cottages
and he slipped a letter through its postbox
There was only one more on the terrace which he paid a visit to
before ignoring another three and carrying on the remainder of his route
It wasn’t simply that he didn’t have any deliveries for these houses
But there also wasn’t anybody living in them
Seven of the eleven two-storey terraced Mulberry Cottages are listed on Dublin City Council’s derelict sites register
Owned by the council, a council official said in 2022 that the cottages were due for refurbishment
with a view to being ready for use in early 2024
But progress on those upgrades has been slow
they were a topic of discussion at a meeting of the council’s Chapelizod Steering Group
says Green Party Councillor Ray Cunningham
“There’s been no movement at all,” Cunningham said Friday
Restoring them should only be a small project
In the absence of any sign that their rejuvenation is looming
at the recent full council meeting on 6 January
whether Dublin City Council would consider auctioning off the cottages
There are some immediate works that need to be carried out
before the council can begin to assess its options
In the 1700s, a silk production mill was established in the village, according to a council report
a member of the Chapelizod Heritage Society
“So the area where the cottages are now is where all the trees were planted to feed the worms,” Kavanagh says
and by the early 2000s they were already falling out of use
Five of the cottages, numbers 1, 2, 7, 10 and 11 – which were then privately owned – were entered onto the council’s derelict site register in June 2015, according to a 2017 council report
By 2019, the council notified the owners of numbers 5 and 6 that it planned to put those on the register too, a council report that year said
In 2022, Dublin City Council acquired the seven cottages via a compulsory purchase order, Michelle Robinson, a senior executive officer in the council’s Housing and Community Services, said that November
The council told the Chapelizod Steering Group that the houses needed stabilisation works
The plan was to refurbish them by early 2024 so people could live in them
with funding from the government’s Buy and Renew Scheme
which supports local authorities to purchase and refurbish vacant homes
“There’s no design team appointed to make any changes
So Cunningham asked the council’s chief executive
if it would be possible to instead put the cottages up for auction
“Other properties in the village have been restored by private owners,” he said in his question
The response was that renovation is challenging because the cottages are in an Architectural Conservation Area
in close proximity to St Laurence’s National School’s entrance
and these works could impact on parking and local deliveries
the council plans to clear “communal” grounds behind the cottages
knock extensions to the cottages that are in poor condition
and “steel up” rear access to the properties
the council’s housing team will consider what options there are for the houses
The council is also awaiting survey reports on the cottages, according to its housing delivery report published this month
Chapelizod’s Main Street is livened up by colourful and charming pieces of artwork and photography – used to decorate its many derelict and vacant buildings and sites
Its boarded up front door and window were painted by Chapelizod Dereliction to recreate a photograph of a man on its doorstep setting foot inside
Pale grey wooden hoardings surround the rest of Gamble’s
blocking off a portion of the building where Kelly’s
Less than 100 metres down the sloping street is 39a Main Street
It’s a protected structure, dated to the early 1800s, according to the National Built Heritage Service.
One of the boarded up windows has been covered by an illustration of a happy baby elephant. Another has a derelict site notice posted by Dublin City Council.
Besides the seven Mulberry Cottages, 39a is the only other property in Chapelizod listed on the council’s derelict site register as of 3 January.
Dereliction is a really prominent issue around the area, Cunningham says. “It’s a small village, and it doesn’t take much to bring the street down.”
Michael Lanigan is a reporter at Dublin Inquirer. You can reach him at michael@dublininquirer.com.
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A site extending to 2.15 hectares (5.3 acres) in Chapelizod, Dubin 20, is likely to spark interest among developers as it includes a portion of land zoned for residential development.
Savills Ireland are guiding €2.75 million for the Willow Vale site located adjacent to Chapelizod village about 5.5km from O’Connell Bridge in Dublin city centre.
Encompassing about 200m of frontage on to the river Liffey, Willow Vale offers potential for the development of 29 apartments on the 0.21 hectares (0.52 acres) of residential-zoned land, according to a feasibility study by HKR Architects. The remaining 1.94 hectares (4.8 acres) is currently zoned for open space.
In addition the sale includes a four-bedroom detached property within the site as well as a three-bedroom semidetached property at 5 Hibernian Terrace on Chapelizod Road.
“The Chapelizod site provides a rare opportunity to purchase a large 5.3-acre site adjacent to Chapelizod village and within walking distance of Dublin city centre with approximately 200m of frontage to the river Liffey,” says Andrew Sherry of Savills.
“The lands could suit a variety of uses, from an owner-occupier who wants a large house and grounds close to Dublin city, to sports clubs looking to relocate or expand, or to residential developers who may look at either an infill development on part, or a larger residential development subject to further rezoning and engagement with Dublin City Council,” adds Sherry.
Amenities in proximity to the land include the Phoenix Park and schools such as St Patrick’s national school, St Laurence’s primary school and Mount Sackville secondary school. The area is also served by several shops, sports grounds, sports clubs, cafes and restaurants.
Jessica Doyle writes about property for The Irish Times
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Joe (William Joseph) – 25th of November 2024
(Chapelizod and formerly of Crumlin and Dublin City Fire Brigade)
(Peacefully) surrounded by his loving family at Connolly Hospital
Joe will be very sadly missed by his loving wife Imelda
Ballyfermot on Thursday 28th November from 5pm to 7pm
Removal on Friday morning to Nativity of The Blessed Virgin Mary Church
Chapelizod arriving for 10am Funeral Mass followed by a Committal Service and a celebration of Joe’s life at Stafford’s Funeral Home
Joe’s Funeral Mass will be streamed live on Friday Morning at 10am via the following link
https://churchmedia.tv/nativity-of-blessed-virgin-mary
Joe’s Committal service can be viewed live also by using the link below using the password Otoole
https://www.staffordsfunerals.com/webcam3/
Those who would have liked to attend the funeral, but cannot, please leave your condolences at the bottom of this page or send on your condolences by the traditional manner.
McBride, Dr. Aldona, The peaceful death has taken place of Dr. Aldona Mc Bride, of Palmerstown Drive, Dublin 20 at Maryfield Nursing Home. Formerly of Ballinasloe, Co. Galway. Aldona will be sadly missed by her nephew (David), niece (Aisling), close friends, extended family and all the kind care staff at Maryfield Nursing Home. Predeceased by her parents John and Tess McBride, recently deceased brother Dr. Sean McBride and sister Carmel O’Duffy (née McBride).
Aldona’s remains will be reposing at Maryfield Nursing Home Chapel, Chapelizod (Eircode D20 WC89) on Thursday (March 27th) from 4:00pm to 5:30pm with removal on Friday morning (March 28th) at 12:00 noon to the Church of St. John the Baptist, Carrigart, Co. Donegal arriving at 5:00pm (Approx.). Funeral Mass on Saturday morning (March 29th) after Requiem Mass at 11:00am followed by burial in the adjoining cemetery. Messages of comfort and sympathy may be placed in the “Condolences” section below.
“Someone’s going to be seriously hurt on that road
What are they waiting for?” says parent Adrienne Lee
a steady stream of parents and children walked
scooted and cycled north from Kilmainham across the Chapelizod Bypass to get to Gaelscoil Inse Chór
They crossed two westbound lanes to a big island
then three eastbound lanes to another island
then a slip road coming off the bypass toward the school in Islandbridge
The children in their glitter backpacks and rainbow bike helmets look tiny and out of place and vulnerable in this wide open sweep of asphalt and fast-moving cars
One morning on the way to school, a driver stopped their car at a red light far ahead of the white line, blocking the cycle lane, and when people started to complain, it backed up, Melinda Rangel reported on the Active Travel Collision Tracker
She and her son were crossing at the pedestrian crossing
with the permission of the little green man
Rangel said in her report of the 25 September 2023 incident
Adrienne Lee was on the way home from school about 2pm
with her six-year-old and four-year-old on a bike and scooter
and a car going about 80 flew through a red light,” Lee said
“If we’d crossed when the green man changed we would have been dead.”
Parents have been campaigning for years to get the council to make the intersection safer for them and their children going to and from primary school. Community activist Zoe Obeimhen has been pushing the issue too, including with a recent petition
But when Labour Councillor Darragh Moriarty asked council managers whether a school traffic warden could be stationed at the junction, and whether the junction could be made safer, the written replies from different council departments weren’t encouraging
The request for a school traffic warden “will be assessed”
There aren’t resources available to put in “school zone” safety measures around the school
The safety of kids coming across the Chapelizod Bypass from Kilmainham
and other points south is “a big concern for us here at the school
a lot of the parents walk down or they cycle”
The intersection is especially dangerous on wet days
“There’s been a few parents that have come to us really kind of shook
where a car has skidded and almost hit their kids,” she said
School parent Síne Kelly says “that junction is so huge”
and the light sequence leaves parents waiting on a traffic island with cars and HGVs rushing by on both sides
“Even though you have the green light to cross
you are literally looking all around you to see if someone’s going to break a light,” she says
which is a bit less complex: cross two lanes
then go through War Memorial Gardens to the school
it’s the most direct way – like Jane Toolan and her kids
But this crossing from Memorial Road into the park still has its problems
you’ve small kids on a bicycle in front of you and you don’t know how they’re going to behave
“So your heart is in your mouth every time you’re going across.”
the pedestrian-crossing lights left enough time for parents and kids to get across all four lanes to the safety of the park in one go
the council shortened the timing and they’d get stuck on the island – “parents
scooters” – with drivers flying by on both sides
“One day my four-year-old misread the light and went out in the road and nearly got killed,” she said
she kept after the council until they changed the timing so they could cross in one go
I just wouldn’t take no for an answer,” she says
It’s been back to that timing for about two years now
the entrance to the War Memorial Gardens is restricted
the last to make it can end up waiting in the road for their turn to get into the park
“Once you get across and into the park there’s a collective sigh of relief,” she says
“You feel everyone’s blood pressure drop.”
calls on the council to make the intersection safer
Lee and Rangel – parents of kids at the school – as well as de Brig
all said they’d like the council to get traffic wardens to help with the crossings to and from school
When Moriarty asked the council about this
the response he got was that the request would “be assessed and referred to the Traffic Advisory Group for examination
The Councillor will be informed of the recommendation in due course.”
also asked “Can DCC Traffic investigate a permanent way to make this junction safer”
The response: “This junction has been provided with pedestrian crossing facilities and these facilities are to standard.”
In terms of putting in markings to make it clear where the school is
or giant-pencil-like bollards along the kerb
the council said it wasn’t in a position to do that just now
“The School Zone team is currently resourced to deliver School Zones to Round 2 schools on the Safe Routes to School programme
which is funded by the National Transport Authority,” the response said
“Once this Safe Routes to School list is completed
the team will have capacity to engage with other schools
subject to the availability of resources,” it said
And all the red-light breaking at the intersection is an issue for the Gardaí
“The Transport Advisory Group will raise the matter of breaking traffic signals with An Garda Síochána to ensure that enforcement occurs at this location,” it says
A spokesperson for An Garda Síochána has not replied to a query sent Friday as to whether the council has yet been in touch with the force about this issue at this intersection
the parents say they’d love to see a pedestrian bridge across the Chaeplizod Bypass
There’s one about 1.2km west across the same big road
and anyway those things don’t happen overnight
and we cross every day so we need something done in the meantime,” says Rangel
the parent whose son a driver almost backed into in the intersection
another of the parents: “Someone’s going to be seriously hurt on that road
the parents of kids who go to Gaelscoil Inse Chór say
It might make some parents consider sending their kids to one of the other schools in the area
Does the crossing put people off the school
I’ve had chats with parents – you might leave it if it was any other place.” But this school is “such a treasure”
For parents who do send their kids to the school
the hazards of the crossing limit their independence
“I can never see myself letting my kids walk to school on their own,” says Lee
And some parents who could walk with their kids to the school choose to drive
“Which is a shame because it’s adding to traffic.”
Many of those who do still walk or cycle or scoot it find it very stressful
“It takes the joy out of having an active commute to a school in a lovely location,” Toolan says
Dublin) July 20th 2024 (suddenly) at his home
beloved husband of Linda and dear father of Sarah and Claire and a cherished grandfather of Julia
Funeral Service.css-h76uj{display:inherit;margin-right:-4px;margin-left:8px;}Cremation / BurialDate Published:
Councillors say they plan to meet locals soon to discuss the recommendations of the council-commissioned Chapelizod Village Transport Assessment
Aleksandra Jarzynka says a walk was usually a welcome break while working from home
Until she moved to Chapelizod two months ago
“The traffic is heavy,” she says, so getting to the walkway along the River Liffey from her home off St Laurence’s Road can be like an obstacle course
and in others there are blind spots from cars
“It’s difficult to see even all cars coming because people of course are parking on the road
Jarzynka says the traffic issues are a pity
Traffic issues in Chapelizod, sometimes worsened by restrictions on driving through the Phoenix Park
A new transport assessment of Chapelizod village details what kind of challenges the village faces
and gives recommendations for how to tackle them
Residents who live on the roads say traffic-calming measures could be a welcome relief from the crush of vehicles
But locals who have been pushing for change on this issue for years
also say they want to meet the consultants face to face in the village
The Chapelizod Village Transport Assessment
drawn up for the council by engineers at Aecom
was given to councillors by the council on 14 June
Residents have been complaining for years and years and years about traffic
“And now we have it in writing that Dublin City Council needs to face it and fix
Locals can contact their local councillors with their responses to the report
as councillors plan to give their feedback to the council officials by 15 July
Among the issues facing the neighbourhood, the report finds, are speeding, congestion, a lack of pedestrian and cycling infrastructure (“there are no dedicated cycling facilities within the study area”), and heavy-goods vehicles (HGVs) ignoring weight restrictions in the village
There are eight measures that could improve these issues
a narrow two-way road with high boundary walls and buildings on either side
could be treated with traffic-calming measures
such as pavement build outs so cars have to slow down to manoeuvre around
plus a reduction of the speed limit of 50km/h to 30km/h
footpaths are narrow and bollards preventing footpath parking get in the way of pedestrians
The report recommends a one-way system and narrowing the carriageway with bollards and road markings on Martin’s Row
and reducing the speed limit from 50km/h to 30km/h
some parking spaces could be removed to reduce congestion
as well as reducing the speed limit to 30km/h
A Safe Routes to Schools audit
to look at improving walking and cycling infrastructure around schools
At the junction of Main Street and Chapelizod Road
there could be pedestrian crossings installed at all arms of the junction
There could be segregated cycle lanes and a permanent speed limit of 30km/h on Chapelizod Road
and widened footpaths as the road gets to the bridge
Lucan Road could have segregated cycle lanes too
It involves bollards in place allowing cyclists and pedestrians to use the road
but preventing cars and other vehicles from getting through
says the proposals seem to respond to issues she has been hearing from locals
the lack of space for pedestrians for cyclists
says he’s not sure about the idea of putting in a one-way system
“There was no explanation as to what type of one-way system would it be
as it could inconvenience locals who might have to travel a long distance around to get home
McCarthy would prefer if there was an alternating one-way system, managed by traffic lights, which was proposed in a 2005 traffic-management plan for Chapelizod
“Initially this option will cause queues to worsen,” says the 2005 report
“However over time drivers will be discouraged from using the route due to delays and hence may reduce the volume of through traffic.”
Jarzynka, who lives by St Laurence’s Road, says she’d like to see road closures at the weekend like the trials on Capel Street, which is now traffic-free. “It would convince people to use public transport instead of cars.”
She wants to see better cycling infrastructure on Chapelizod Road, she says. “I cycle as well. In Chapelizod, it’s quite dangerous. I don’t feel secure, I don’t feel safe.”
Geoff Power, who lives in Chapelizod village, says Chapelizod Road and Lucan Road could be one-way during peak hours, with traffic flowing in the direction of the city in the morning, and out of the city in the afternoon.
“The road is so narrow, it’s madness that it’s two-way at all,” he says. “It was fit for purpose 20 years ago, 30 years ago, it just isn’t today with the volume of traffic going through the village.”
Power says he’s happy to see better pedestrian and cycling infrastructure proposed.
“The message needs to be made that car owners, and I drive myself, that streets have to kind of give way to pedestrians and to cyclists,” he says. “There’s no real cycleway through the village, or anywhere near it.”
McCarthy thinks a cul-de-sac, or filtered permeability scheme, at the end of Knockmaroon Hill could work, as was also considered in the 2005 report.
But while that could inconvenience some people who want full access from both sides of Knockmaroon Hill, he says. “I would be prepared to put up with almost anything to improve the situation. I’ll be honest with you.”
Vincent Jackson, an independent councillor, says a meeting for locals is being organised in the next week or so.
John Martin, who lives near Lucan Road, says he wants the people who made the assessment to come and meet people from the area.
“We sit down with them, we look at what the situation is, and we discuss it together, as we’re prepared to do with this plan,” he says. “We’re thinking not of now, we’re thinking of 10, 20, 30, 40 years from now.”
The plan has to be sold to locals by the council, he says. “The attitude I get from them, having met them recently, is, it’s our way or the highway.”
Jackson says local councillors had asked the Aecom engineers to come to Chapelizod to give people an overview of the assessment. “But as they’ve completed their task, the council has indicated that they won’t be coming out.”
It’s disappointing to hear that, says Jackson. “I think that part of getting the work done should have been also to at least bring it out to the community that’s going to be impacted by it, and then answer as well some of the concerns that people will have.”
McCarthy, who lives on Martin’s Row, says people will want more details on how the proposals would work. “That’s not the way to design transport infrastructure in a village,” he says.
Particularly since decisions made in Chapelizod will have a knock-on effect on other areas, he says.
Jackson says he hopes people don’t think there is a simple solution to traffic problems in Chapelizod. “If it was simple. We would have done something years ago,” he says.
Claudia Dalby is a city reporter for Dublin Inquirer. She's especially interested in stories about the southside, transport, and kids in the city. Get in touch at claudia@dublininquirer.com.
Modular “rapid build” apartments in Chapelizod, Dublin, planned in 2017 as a fast-track response to the housing crisis, will be ready for tenants in the new year, Dublin City Council has said
Springvale is a complex of 71 new social homes beside the Phoenix Park in Chapelizod village
was supposed to be delivered under special emergency planning powers introduced by the Government to deal with the housing and homelessness crises
Under these provisions the council did not have to go through the normal planning system for local authority developments
if the council chief executive determined there was a need to deal urgently with “an emergency situation calling for immediate action”
In August 2017 the council announced plans for modular “volumetric” apartments that would be built using the same process
with the hope that using emergency powers along with prefabricated building methods would allow the apartment blocks to be completed within months
in early 2019 residents in Chapelizod objected to the use of this power for a site at Springvale opposite the 19th century Church of the Nativity
as it offered no opportunity to lodge objections to the development
Chapelizod residents’ groups had threatened to seek an injunction if the council started construction without submitting a planning application
Councillors in October 2019 voted to go ahead with the Springvale development using instead the normal Part 8 planning process
[ Dublin resident rents out space in front of driveway due to persistent parkingOpens in new window ]
a group of Chapelizod residents in December 2019 took legal action against the council seeking to have the councillors’ decision quashed
Chapelizod Community for Democracy and Sustainability (CCDS) had said the council had a conflict of interest in that it applied to itself for approval and essentially gave itself planning permission
In February 2022 the High Court struck out the challenge with the consent of CCDS
At this point the apartment blocks were almost completed
Several completion dates were since set for Springvale
which will have six apartment blocks ranging from three to five storeys and a community building/scout hall
The council has confirmed they will be “ready for occupation in the early new year”
There were a number of factors that resulted in the delay in completing Springvale
including moratoriums on construction during the Covid-19 pandemic
[ Dubliners urged to stop paving gardens for parking due to negative environmental impactsOpens in new window ]
“Delays in delivering the new housing can be attributed to the impact of Covid on the site which caused forced site closures, changes to working methods and delays in supply chains. Latterly, some delays in utility connections set the completion date back, but this is now rectified and snagging of all homes is now being completed.”
In recent weeks tenants have been chosen for the 21 one-bedroom, 30 two-bedroom and 20 three-bedroom apartments.
“While the construction of the housing scheme has faced challenges while on-site, the new homes will provide a new start for many people,” the council said.
Olivia Kelly is Dublin Editor of The Irish Times
Minister for Housing Darragh O'Brien with residents Sue Brennan and Veronica O’Neill officially launching 72 new social homes in Dominick Hall
Lord Mayor Daithí de Róiste with Frank d'Arcy
at the launch of 71 new social homes in Springvale Grove
Lord Mayor Daithí de Róiste and Minister for Housing Darragh O'Brien at Dominick Hall
Sarah BurkeWed 22 May 2024 at 17:16Two separate developments
have been officially opened by Dublin City Council
71 new homes were opened in Springvale Grove
30 two-bedroom homes and 20 three-bedroom homes
was on site for the official ribbon cutting ceremony and said he was “delighted to see” the new community being created in what is his local area
“Springvale Grove is a testament to the partnership between the Department of Housing
Local Government and Heritage and Dublin City Council
a community can thrive and neighbourhoods can flourish,” he added
The new neighbourhood has an ideal location overlooking Phoenix Park
with Chapelizod village a stone’s throw away and the river Liffey to the south
Springvale Grove is part of a bundle of four large residential schemes delivered recently by Dublin City Council
Some residents moving in were on the council waiting list for as long as eleven years and say they are “delighted” to be moved into their own homes
“I wish everyone in these new homes a very happy and healthy future
I have no doubt that they will grow a strong community spirit as they put roots down in this lovely development with its beautifully designed scout/community hall and effective landscaping,” Chair of Dublin City Council’s Housing SPC
“The new residents will also enjoy so many nearby amenities including great transport connections and Phoenix Park
This is a great example of Dublin City Council delivering high quality social housing in partnership with city professionals,” she added
A second development of 72 homes was opened today in Dominick Hall and Dominick Place in Dublin 1 which will house roughly 120 people
Lord Mayor Daithí de Róiste was also on site for the official opening with Minister for Housing
Darragh O’Brien TD for the mixed-use housing development
including a community centre and ground floor commercial units
The developers designed the building in a way to separate the private space of residents from the public nature of the city centre
with its own private courtyard at podium level for added privacy
It consists of 67 apartments and 5 townhouses which have both one
Minister Darragh O’Brien said the delivery of this new scheme shows how what once was a brown field site could be “reimagined and transformed” to deliver state of the art homes
“A mix of older residents and young families now have a place to call home and will benefit from both the best of local community amenities and city living,” he said
and accessories to be locked away for Kevin Hart gig in DublinAnyone going to see Kevin Hart in the 3Arena next week is being warned that phones
and accessories will be locked away for the duration of the show
Dublin City Council announced the official opening of 71 new homes in Springvale Grove
The Lord Mayor of Dublin Daithí de Róiste cut the ribbon on the project on Tuesday
The recently completed social housing development consists of 21 one-bedroom homes
30 two-bedroom homes and 20 three-bedroom homes alongside a scout/community hall
the homes are arranged in six blocks and include landscaped communal amenity spaces
The buildings range from three to five storeys in height and all homes are dual aspect and are designed and constructed to Near Zero Energy standards
The development has the benefit of a wonderful location overlooking Phoenix Park to the north
and Chapelizod village and the river Liffey to the south
Springvale Grove is well-connected to the city centre with bus routes and bicycle paths
Springvale Grove is part of a bundle of four large residential schemes delivered recently by Dublin City Council using Modern Methods of Construction which utilised a system of factory manufactured light gauge steel panels
This new development illustrates how the Council is using MMC and latest technologies to deliver homes at greater scale and density
The delivery of the 71 homes and scout/community hall has been funded by the Department of Housing
Daithí de Róiste said: “I am proud as the Lord Mayor to be welcoming the residents of Springvale Grove into their new homes in my local area
I am delighted to see the new community that is being created here and I wish them enjoyment and happy times in their new homes
a community can thrive and neighbourhoods can flourish.”
CLONDALKIN Rugby Club senior men’s team had plenty to shout about when they claimed the Leinster League Division Two A title. It’s the first time ... Read More
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It has a primary school at the end of the street, something parents of younger children will be sure to pay attention to but one of the new reasons to love the location is its recently appointed secret garden.
Hidden behind its north terrace is a sizeable space of about 65sq m that had been unloved and unused. It couldn’t be developed as it had only gated pedestrian access.
During Covid the neighbours spent their time discussing what they could do with it. Naturally enclosed and framed by houses it included a mature tree and old outhouses that would have been communal.
They held cake sales, draws, even duck derbys on the Liffey to raise the money together to reimagine it, explains the owner of number 4.
Now the space is painted pristinely, has pathways and a large lawn. It also boasts a fire pit, a barbecue and a large trampoline big enough for a gang of kids to play on. The old outhouses have been picked back to their brick skeletons and strings of carnival lights now hang from them. It looks like something you might see on the continent where respect for the old sits cheek by jowl with the new.
Now anyone can book time on the grill and every one of the 34 homes on the cul de sac has the right to use it. The New Row kids run in and out of it freely.
It’s a fantastic amenity on a street of relatively small homes; it gives all the occupants additional outside space and shows the power of community spirit.
The owner of number 4 bought his property in 2013 when he paid €125,000 for it, according to the Property Price Register. He then set about upgrading and enlarging it, adding a double-floor extension to give a second bedroom upstairs and opening up the ground floor to create a long living/dining room/kitchen that opens out to a small, south-facing yard.
It was a deep retrofit that included lining the interior in thermal insulation board so that the property now has a BER of B3.
It now extends to 73sq m (786sq ft) and is seeking €375,000 through SherryFitzGerald.
Alanna Gallagher is a property journalist with The Irish Times
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Follow the Archives for more daily updates on features
Dublin Fire Brigade tackle a blaze which took hold of a large warehouse in Chapelizod
Units of the Dublin Fire Brigade from across the city rushed to Chapelizod to fight a fire which completely destroyed a five storey warehouse
The alarm was raised by a passer-by who spotted the fire at Kenneth Lee Ltd at Martin's Row
The blaze broke out just after 5.30 pm so no workers were on site
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 6 April 1978
Relief for the singer and composer of the song representing Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest
RTÉ.ie is the website of Raidió Teilifís Éireann
RTÉ is not responsible for the content of external internet sites
Peter Kavanagh is watching plans progress for a new biodiversity centre further down river
and thinking now’s the moment to resurrect his pitch for a walking trail too
Peter Kavanagh rests his elbows on the rails of the Anna Livia bridge and looks down at the mill race
the channel that flows in and out of the River Liffey around an island in the centre of Chapelizod village
the red-grey rooftops of the Liffey Vale House
are sheltered to passing rowing crews by trees
“They have done spectacular drawings for it and everything,” says Kavanagh
who is chairperson of Chapelizod Tidy Towns
Dublin City Council has plans to restore the house
to open it to the public and create a biodiversity centre
The aim, says the 2021 draft proposal for the Cois Abhann Biodiversity Centre
is to draw the public into the natural environment of the riverside
bus drop-off and bike and accessible parking
“The gardens and grounds will become a living classroom punctuated with information about the natural surroundings,” said a spokesperson for Dublin City Council
(Plans are nearing the end of a preliminary design and consultation stage
Kavanagh wants to talk not directly about that plan but about how he wants to piggyback on it
It’s the perfect opportunity to resurrect an idea for a walking trail he once presented to Dublin City Council
one that would curve from the Anna Livia bridge
and around to pass the banks of the Liffey
where it could eventually meet the trail to the new biodiversity centre
“It makes sense to join it all up,” says Kavanagh
he points to draw an imaginary line from the bridge deep into the foliage
Part of the wider proposals for the biodiversity centre are for more infrastructure in the area
That includes linking up streets for pedestrians
A pedestrian crossing across Chapelizod Road would connect the centre with a currently disused gateway into Phoenix Park
There are plans for a bridge to cross the river from the War Memorial Gardens on the north bank of the River Liffey
A footpath through former Department of Defence lands
would connect the Cois Abhann Biodiversity Centre with Liffey Valley Park
Beside the park is Donore Harriers running track
attached to the walls around the mill race
and around to the back of the Chapelizod industrial estate
Kavanagh says it would be a nicer walk to the Cois Abhann Centre from Chapelizod Village
“Can you imagine the views that you’d have of nature
walking along the inside of that wall there?”
Kavanagh gave a presentation on the idea to Dublin City Council with other members of local groups
One slide shows the red lines of a “proposed river walk”
which is still how Kavanagh imagines it now: from the north side of the Anna Livia bridge
all the way along the Liffey to the Longmeadows GAA pitches
But there’s been no political will or money for the trail in the years since
Kavanagh does walking tours of Chapelizod so he can see the value of another route through the village
Instead of just being a narrow road coming into the village.”
“You have all these plans by the Irish tourist industry to get visitors to come to places
and that’s an ideal thing for them to be working on.”
Chapelizod needs solutions to its traffic problems
Kavanagh says long-standing issues with the cramped Anna Livia bridge
would be alleviated by a new cantilever walkway
making room for a wider footpath and a cycle lane
a Sinn Féin councillor: “Chapelizod has a very unique village feel
I think anything that promotes pedestrianisation and access to greenery is positive.”
a member of the Chapelizod Old Village Association
“However I’d be dubious with how it would go down.”
Some with houses backing onto the Liffey might feel that they have less privacy with people walking along it
There could be engineering issues with the boardwalk idea too
“The wall of the industrial site is now a crumbling wall.”
“You’d have to spend some proper dosh there to put in something like that,” he says
“I don’t think we’ll find a few pennies for this.”
says development levies from private development should be provided for local proposals such as this
“This particular area of Dublin South Central is facing an unprecedented level of private development,” he says
Kavanagh says that since Chapelizod is smaller than Ballyfermot and Cherry Orchard – which are also in Dublin South Central – a project like this may not be prioritised
“One of the things that the council has always focused on
is that Chapelizod is very small,” he says
so he sees merit in the solutions the idea supports
it’d encourage people to walk up right into the village
because there is a reputation for nice coffee shops
plus it’s a lovely little scenic walk,” he says
A loop from Phoenix Park through Liffey Valley Park and into the village could encourage more
It’s not just on Chapelizod that residents have pondered a trail along the Liffey
Those in Palmerstown have had similar ideas
“I think the overall goal of putting a riverside walk all along the Liffey
an independent councillor for the Lucan area
says the idea of a walkway along the Liffey has been floating around the area for about 20 years
“There is a lot of goodwill in various communities
to see something come to fruition,” he says
The South Dublin County Council development plan mentions developing a walkway along the river over both public and private land
If private lands could be cordoned off safely
Gogarty says some landowners could be in favour of it
Claudia Dalby is a city reporter for Dublin Inquirer
She's especially interested in stories about the southside
Get in touch at claudia@dublininquirer.com
which has literary connections and a prominent location in the village
It’s not clear what the owner’s plans are for it
The walls of the three-storey early Georgian house on the roadside at 34 Main Street in Chapelizod bulge out towards the street
and are wrapped these days in three belts of scaffolding
who is chairperson of the Chapelizod Old Village Association (COVA)
“It’s been left neglected for long enough.”
The house was built around 1740, in front of the medieval bell tower of Saint Laurence’s Church
published the book The House by the Churchyard
set in and around a house said to have been modelled on 34 Main Street
“Even in spite of its literary connections
Says Healy: “We’ve been fighting and fighting about this for years.”
In November, An Taisce put 34 Main Street on its 2021 list of most-at-risk buildings in Ireland
which it gathers each year to draw attention to important buildings that lie in a state of disrepair
yet it’s been vacant and deteriorating for decades,” says Kevin Duff
says that while he hasn’t inspected 34 Main Street
you can see the floor’s collapsed,” he says
says that once historic buildings become vacant
they deteriorate quickly and it becomes more and more expensive to put them right again
Number 34 is on Dublin City Council’s Record of Protected Structures
Protected status means a building costs more to improve
“But if a historic building is not a protected structure and has been vacant for a number of years
it’s better a building has statutory protection.”
which monitors perceived dangerous buildings in Dublin
“The DB Inspectors noted ‘nothing Dangerous’ at this time,” they said
security and maintenance of any building/ property
In November 2008, Noel and Raymond Egan applied for planning permission to refurbish the building and add a new three-storey extension to the north-west
While Dublin City Council granted the permission with conditions
the Chapelizod Old Village Association appealed that to An Bord Pleanála
A conservation assessment submitted as part of the planning process said that of the new building next to the site: “This would be in a modern idiom that would be designed to complement the historic building.”
COVA sent in an observation to the plans in 2008
saying the extension would dominate both No
“The curtilage of two listed buildings will be destroyed resulting in loss of amenity and sense of place to the people of Chapelizod,” they said
“We achieved over the last 20 years the reinstatement of the visual frontage of all of those buildings along Main Street.”
The conservation assessment written in August 2007 says there was already an urgent need to conserve the building back then
“It is shown that there has been substantial water penetration into the building over a time and that there is extensive rot,” it says
As of 15 November 2021, 34 Main Street wasn’t listed on the council’s derelict site register
“Being on the register would at least empower the city council to fine the owner for allowing the building to remain derelict.”
the council can demand that the owners restore it to a non-derelict condition within a certain time
or pay an annual fine of 7 percent of the building’s market value
The council could also purchase the property by agreement or by compulsory purchase order (CPO)
A site is considered derelict if it “detracts, or is likely to detract, to a material degree from the amenity, character or appearance of land in the neighbourhood” whether they are in a “ruinous, derelict or dangerous condition,” or in a neglected condition, or just covered in rubbish and waste, says the council’s website
The council’s derelict sites section has an active file on 34 Main Street
But putting a site on the derelict sites register isn’t an end in itself
remain on the Register for quite some time despite the imposition of a levy and interest and will continue to deteriorate.”
Number 34 Main Street is a protected structure
“It’s preservation is a priority,” said the spokesperson
the council’s derelict sites section works closely with its conservation section “whose remit is the protection of the architectural heritage of the city through the exercise of powers contained in planning legislation”
“The situation is being monitored by the City Council’s Building-at-Risk Officer,” they said
“There has been ongoing and positive engagement with the owner regarding the carrying out of improvement works
some of which have been carried out already.”
Given there are improvement works going on
says he’s not sure who owns it at the moment
There’s no registered owner on the Property Registration Authority’s website landdirect.ie
Mel Reynolds, an architect and housing commentator, says the local authority should get in contact with an owner to find out why a site is derelict but it can sometimes be hard to find out the owner of the vacant or derelict site
“That’s why a register of land would be really useful because you’d have all the owners there,” he says
Kavanagh says that Main Street in Chapelizod has more derelict buildings than just number 34
And there used to be a lot more until an owner was encouraged by locals to auction the buildings
and the reinstatement of the old look of the buildings
Now more should be done for the remaining derelict buildings
“Let’s preserve the village as best we can.”
“The owners should be given the opportunity to decide to sell them
CPO them – or just fine them for non-use,” he says
“There should be no room in this city to allow derelict buildings to be just lying around the place when there’s so many people looking for accommodation
2024 (peacefully) surrounded by his loving family
Beloved husband of Frances (née Heaney) and loving dad of John
Sean will be forever loved and very sadly missed by his loving wife
Reposing at his home on Thursday (2nd May) from 6pm to 8pm
Funeral Mass on Friday (3rd May) at 10am in Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Chapelizod followed by burial in Esker Cemetery
Family flowers only please, donations, if desired, to Our Lady’s Hospice, Harold’s Cross: https://olh.ie/donate/
To view Sean's Funeral Mass on Friday at 10am, please click on the following link: Nativity of Blessed Virgin Mary (churchmedia.tv)
Those who cannot attend the Funeral Mass or Burial, please feel free to leave a message in the condolence book below.
Please Note: The link provided to live-stream the Funeral Mass is managed by an independent streaming company. The Funeral Home accepts NO responsibility for its functionality or interruption to a live transmission.
Either I talk through the work or a lot of people simply want to wander with the map,” says Debi Paul
Anne Mullee knocked on the door of Glandwr
a house on St Laurence’s Road in Chapelizod
“The digital stuff is actually quite dissatisfying after a time.”
Mullee leant down to examine six concrete baguettes in a wooden box in the hallway
an artwork called Day Sleepers by Joanne Reid
ran her finger over the jagged and bubbly concrete crust
Paul acted out how the artist had filled the silicone mould: “She actually had to make like an armature
Day Sleepers is one of 10 artworks at Glandwr as part of an exhibition called Home Bodies
which pulls together works by Jennie Moran
The works are all on a theme of hospitality
The artists have set up displays on hooks and surfaces in the house’s hallway
“I always enjoyed hosting events,” said Paul
She’s enjoyed having strangers in her home so much she’s planning another exhibition in October
like these beautiful patterns from the wallpaper,” said Paul
as she ran her hand over a swirly design on flaxen walls
“And the lovely radiator that looks like a mattress,” she says
Paul sanded the hallway walls herself but didn’t wallpaper over them again
So she can playfully paint them in between tedious work
rolling her hands up and down through the air
Colour fills the red-brick house: the living room is half-painted in honey yellow and green
and a downstairs bedroom in corals and greys
Turquoise stairs lead to Paul’s studio and bedroom
a wicked orange fridge and sky-blue stove occupy the pink kitchen
Through the triptych of windows in the living room
Paul’s next-door neighbour was Sr Caoimhín Ní Uallachaín
who established the Matt Talbot Community Trust in Glandwr in 1986
The organisation was there to rehabilitate young men when they left prison
After she bought the house eight years ago
Paul would visit Ní Uallachaín in her house
and she would tell me stories about the building,” she says
Ní Uallachaín passed away in 2018 and the Matt Talbot Community Trust is now based in Ballyfermot
The classroom layout of the house might not have been a buyer’s dream
but the history was part of the draw for her
it being a place of cooperation and recuperation,” she says
Paul says she felt a responsibility to preserve the house’s history
“I just had this moment where I cleaned the cooker better than I ever cleaned it,” she says
She sees herself as a caretaker rather than the owner
and is conscious of respecting what came before
Dublin’s housing crisis has been difficult for artists
“I would feel my role to share the space.”
Mullee had been to home exhibitions before
a normal person in a regular home,” she says and chuckles
and I know that Debi put a lot of love and hard work into it.”
Artists she knows have struggled to work during the pandemic
and not seeing work in real life is a part of that
in a way that things don’t in an image,” she says
a bed is laid out in white and pink covers
and comfy blankets piled in the corner next to a Singer sewing machine
By the shaded window hangs a floor-length gown made of clear bubble wrap
An amber light bulb glows under the skirts
Hospitality is a courageous and generous act, which can leave you feeling naked, say the event notes by one of the artists, Jennie Moran.
When someone visits your home, it is mutually reciprocal, says Paul. “If it’s in the right way, it’s something that lifts up both.”
There’s a crunch from the living room. Poppy the collie is munching on an artful display of twigs and fairy lights in the fireplace.
“Oh my god!” Paul says. But she laughs. “It’s all part of it! We’re in the chaos of a living, breathing home, you know.”
Poppy loves meeting new people, says Paul. As does Paul, who says she feels comfortable welcoming strangers in as she used to host tourists.
Exhibition visitors come one at a time, with three visits a day between Thursdays and Saturdays.
“It’s very intimate. Either I talk through the work or a lot of people simply want to wander with the map,” says Paul.
She might potter up to her studio to work while visitors explore downstairs. Or she’ll give a tour.
“I can see when people visit that they’re really enjoying it being a much more natural environment,” she says.
Galleries can be a reflective space but they can also create a threshold between the art and visitors, she says. “Maybe a home space is something more accessible.”
Sibyl Montague, a sculptor whose work is part of the Home Bodies exhibition, says she was into displaying her work outside of a gallery.
“I welcome anything that is outside the gallery space or that’s creative that can be experienced in alternative spaces,” she says.
Her works are from a 2018 collection called Saplings. Papier mâché sculpted into shapeless flesh hangs alongside the bannister in the hallway. On the mantelpiece in the living room, there are jars of pickles, peanuts and woven straw.
Montague likes to see her old work in new ways, she says. “It changes all the registers.”
In a gallery space, a visitor is consciously aware of looking at things, she says, but in a home it’s different.
“Maybe it makes the works a little bit more intimate, in that sense, than they would be if they were sitting in a cold daylight-lit gallery,” she says.
The pandemic has disturbed intimacy with art. Exhibitions like this might bring that back, she says. “In the future we have to look at loads of different ways of interacting and exhibiting art.”
Paul recalls the day that one visitor came in the door, looked down at the baguettes, and started crying.
“They just picked up the stillness of it, and I can understand why,” she says.
Paul is living amid and alongside the art, with the concrete baguettes at the front hallway and the elaborate straw sculpture on the mantelpiece, across from the dining table.
She doesn’t move the artworks as she goes about her day, she says. Instead, she works around them. “Sometimes I put them to bed, like I put a bubble wrap around them.”
She loves having the artworks as company, she says, which is rare even for a curator. “It can be seldom that you’ve time just to spend time with the work.”
That Paul’s possessions were lying around and the bed was laid out made it feel personal, said Luke van Gelderen, who had booked a slot to visit the home on a recent Saturday.
There’s a pot of honey on the dining table, an old-fashioned wooden sled in the hall and the bedroom bookcases are lined with the yellow spines of copies of National Geographic.
Paul says this is partly deliberate: “It’s for me, but it’s also to remind people that it is a home space.”
She didn’t buy anything new. The copies of National Geographic belonged to her dad, she says, who was also an artist.
“What I’m really passionate about is art not being separate, and instead being part of living,” she says. “That’s part of curation, kind of setting the scene.”
Visitors like van Gelderen get an information sheet to carry around as the artwork isn’t labelled.
“You were kind of going through her house and going through her stuff, and you weren’t quite sure if something was an artwork, or if it wasn’t,” he says.
Paul says she plans in the future to extend exhibitions out to the back garden, where she currently grows beetroot, radishes, and peas.
“It’s quite wild out there at the moment but there’s a plan to work with another artist to have a kind of evolutionary project,” she says.
Willow Vale in Chapelizod, Dublin, is being offered for sale with a €2.75m guide price
A 5.3-acre site on the banks of the Liffey in Chapelizod, west Dublin, is being offered for sale with a €2.75m guide price.
Known as Willow Vale, it is just 3km from the Criminal Courts of Justice and 5.5km from O’Connell Bridge in Dublin city.
Selling agents Savills point out that, in terms of zoning, the land is split in two with 0.52 acres located near the road Zoned Z1 Residential. The other 4.8 acres are zoned Z9 Open Space.
In addition, the sale includes two houses: Willow Vale, a four-bedroom detached house located within the site, and 5 Hibernian Terrace, a three-bedroom semi-detached property located on Chapelizod Road.
A feasibility study prepared by HKR Architects indicates the potential for 29 apartments on the residential-zoned portion of the lands.
Andrew Sherry, from Savills, says that additional lands may be rezoned in future through engagement with Dublin City Council.
Across the road a new development, known as Springvale, includes 71 apartments in six blocks.
With 200m of frontage to the Liffey, the Open Space part of the site may also have potential for water sports or other amenities while a developer is awaiting negotiations for rezoning and planning.
Dublin city centre is easily accessible via Conyngham Road which passes the Phoenix Park, while Chapelizod bypass provides a link to Heuston Station and the N4/M4/M50.
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Chapelizod has the very unusual distinction of being a Dublin village that is located on both the north and south sides of the river Liffey. Located 7km from the city centre, Chapelizod village is largely based on the north of the city – where its town square and approach to and from the city are located, but crossing Chapelizod Bridge also leads on to another stretch, which runs up Chapelizod Hill Road and Lucan Road.
The village dates back to Anglo-Norman times, with an influx of Huguenot settlers in the 17th century. The town was always – and still remains – a part of Dublin city that is set apart from the more urbanised areas.
Set in the wooded valley of the Liffey, the town feels more like Co Dublin than the city and is an ideal spot for daytrippers looking to escape the city for a quiet lunch or drink, or potential homeowners looking for a bucolic-style life, while still within easy reach of the hubbub of Dublin town, and also with a significantly lower price tag than areas such as The Liberties.
Homes in the area range from period Victorians, dating from the 1890s, through to newer builds from the 1970s and a number of apartment complexes, which came into being during the Celtic Tiger.
“There is a 50-50 split of houses and apartments for sale,” says James McKeon, associate director of DNG Lucan. “In terms of apartments, there are a number of developments, including the Island, the Weir and Knockmaree. These are selling well in recent years as current owners are coming out of negative equity and placing the properties on the market again, with owner-occupiers competing with each other in the bidding process.”
However, the competitive prices in the area, combined with a relatively low stock does mean that properties tend to sell in a period of just five or six weeks, meaning that keeping a close eye on the market is essential.
New developments are definitely needed in the area, with derelict sites on Main Street and Lucan Road, as well as the run-down Mulberry Cottages on Martin’s Row, all ripe for a developer to come in and construct complexes that would rejuvenate the town.
A UK developer has recently purchased a site on Chapelizod Hill Road – they're in the process of finalising the details of the build, while there is also a second site on the Lucan Road currently in the planning stages.
"The UK developer was granted planning a year ago for 33 houses on the Chapelizod Hill Road plot of land," says Conor Steen, Hooke and MacDonald commercial surveyor. "The developer is currently looking into the possibility of instead developing the land for apartments."
“There’s a site on the old Lucan Road that is in for planning for apartments and townhouses,” says McKeon. “But that’s in the early stages at present.”
Between those potential developments, Chapelizod has space to expand, which would also keep prices fair and affordable. As a result of the current affordability, it's largely young couples who are buying in the area: those who perhaps can't afford to buy in The Liberties or Kilmainham, but don't want to be as far out of town as Blanchardstown or Castleknock.
For lovers of the outdoors, Chapelizod is almost ideally placed. To the north, the village borders with the Phoenix Park and the huge possibilities that has for recreation and sport. Running through the middle of the town, as previously mentioned, is the Liffey, which has a number of kayaking clubs and fishing spots dotted along its banks.
Donore Harriers Athletics Club and Longmeadows pitch and putt course offer further sporting activities for those who are so inclined, while Gaels-Drumfinn Avenue Park and Ballyfermot De La Salle GAA club, to the south, round out an excellent list of recreation amenities.
Where do you get a pint and a bite to eat?
The Mullingar House, visible on the approach to the village on the Chapelizod Road, is the main watering hole and eatery, serving a good carvery and varied food menu, while further down on the main road is the well-known The Villager pub. Alongside those two outlets there are the usual retail suspects: a pharmacy, corner shop and dry cleaners etc.
However, there have been a number of key closures in the last year or so: most notably the Bridge Inn and Café de Bróc on the south side of the village. These are both big losses to the life and soul of the village and have left a gaping hole in terms of hang-out places. For the village to have a bit more vitality, these need to reopen as new entities.
With both premises up for lease, whoever does get their foot in the door has almost an entire village market to capitalise on, making both premises major potential commercial investment opportunities.
The village is rather out of the way as a location, which is a large part of its appeal in truth, but Chapelizod is still relatively well-connected. Eight bus routes run through the village, which connect it with both west Dublin and the city centre, and the M50 is a short drive away, meaning it's a handy location for both city centre workers and those commuting further out of town.
Chapelizod is well served by primary schools, through St Laurence's and St Patrick's national schools, but for the next stage a small commute is necessary with no secondary schools in the immediate area. Instead, parents traditionally look at Mount Sackville and Castleknock Community College, as well as the very highly regarded Castleknock College.
Two-bed, one-bath, apartment at 172 The Island, for €280,000. Agent: DNG.
Three-bed, two-bath, semi-detached house at 40 Martin’s Row, for €399,950. Agent: City Homes.
Three-bed, two-bath period house at 34 St Laurence’s Road, for €500,000. Agent: DNG.
Four-bed, one-bath, detached home at 5 Martin’s Row, for €695,000. Agent: Lisney.
Two-bed, one-bath terraced house at 1 Church Lane, for €1,400 a month. Agent: City Homes.
Two-bed, two-bath apartment at The Island, for €1,850 a month. Agent: Haines.
2023 (peacefully) after a short illness and in the loving care of the staff at St
beloved husband of the late Maura and much loved father of Jackie
Lucan on Wednesday evening (April 26th) from 5.30 pm to 8.30 pm
Removal to the Church of the Nativity of the B.V.M.
Chapelizod on Friday morning (April 28th) arriving for Requiem Mass at 10am followed by burial in Palmerstown Cemetery
Eamon’s funeral mass may be viewed online by following this LINK on Friday morning
Eamon’s Funeral cortege will pass his home on Friday morning at 11.15am for friends and family to pay their respects
Family flowers only please. Donations if desired to Our Lady’s Hospice, Harold’s Cross.
Rip.ie, The Irish Times Building, 24-28 Tara Street, Dublin 2, Ireland
7 New Row, Chapelizod, Dublin 20Renovated two-bed terraced house of just under 70sq m (753sq ft), in a cul-de-sac close to the village centre, the Liffey and the Phoenix Park. Small yard to the rear. Asking €320,000 Sold €355,000 Difference 11% Agent DNG
Two-bedroom semi-detached house of 64sq m (688sq ft) in very good order throughout, with off-street parking and a long back garden complete with patio and shed. Asking €340,000 Sold €355,000 Difference 4% Agent Hamill Estate Agents
Four-bedroom semi with a large cultivated garden near the village. About 187sq m (2,012sq ft) of space with oak flooring, good storage space and conservatory. Asking €355,000 Sold €355,000 Difference none Agent JP & M Doyle
Terraced two-bedroom house with honey pine flooring running throughout the 70sq m (753sq ft) floor area. Two reception rooms and a galley kitchen leading to a tiny back yard. Asking €365,000 Sold €350,000 Difference -4% Agent The Property Shop
Three-bed duplex apartment in this former convent development off the South Circular Road. About 94sq m (1,011sq ft) of space and designated parking. Asking €350,000 Sold €350,000 Difference none Agent REA Grimes
Prices from the Residential Property Price Register, September 2020
Andrew Edwards, Managing Director of Go-Ahead Ireland, Ray Coyne, CEO of Dublin Bus, Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan and Anne Graham, CEO of the NTA, at the launch of the new C-Spine, the second phase of the wider BusConnects project
Commuters in Chapelizod say they feel “victimised” by the latest phase of the BusConnects project, which came into effect in west Dublin on Sunday.
The introduction of four C-Spines, each one serving the city centre, has resulted in 14 Dublin Bus routes being discontinued, including the 66, 67 and 25.
While the National Transport Authority (NTA) believes the redesigned bus network will improve the frequency, connectivity and capacity of services, residents in Chapelizod claim they have been disproportionately affected.
Only one daytime route – instead of six – now operates through Chapelizod village, in addition to two late night bus services.
The 26 route will link Liffey Valley Shopping Centre with Merrion Square, via Chapelizod, with the NTA promising a frequency of 15 minutes, rising to every 10 minutes during peak-times.
The most contentious change means that Chapelizod commuters wishing to travel to Lucan, Leixlip or Maynooth now have to transfer at Palmerstown or Liffey Valley.
This will affect students travelling to schools in Lucan or attending Maynooth College. An online petition, which will be sent to Transport Minister Eamon Ryan and Dublin Bus, claims Chapelizod village has been left “stranded”.
“The bottom line is that at a time when we are supposed to be encouraging people to take public transport – and at a time when the population of Chapelizod is set to increase substantially – we now have a situation which decimates the bus service to and from Chapelizod,” the petition states.
“We are calling on the Minister for Transport and the planners to reconsider this decision and commit to giving Chapelizod a bus service fit for purpose.”
A survey of Chapelizod bus users is also under way so passenger metrics can be submitted to the NTA as part of the residents’ campaign.
Mildred Healy, a spokesperson for Chapelizod Old Village Association (COVA), said local residents were “outraged” by the reduction in services and felt “victimised” by the latest phase of BusConnects.
“We were also promised access to the C-Spine routes from a new bus stop on the Chapelizod by-pass, which would have been accessed from the underpass via a ramp and steps,” she said.
“We were shocked to discover that these changes have proceeded in advance of this being delivered.”
Ms Healy also believes that any capacity issues on the 26 route cannot be properly gauged at the moment due to the number of people still working from home.
“The main issue for us is the fact you now have to change bus if you are travelling to Lucan, Leixlip or Maynooth,” she said.
“Even the introduction of a peak-time direct service along this route is something that could be looked at.”
According to the NTA, the new C-Spine routes provide for a reorganisation of bus services in the Chapelizod area.
“Customers making a journey from Chapelizod towards the city centre will be able to avail of the route 26, which now has significantly increased service levels,” a spokesperson said.
“Customers in Chapelizod will also benefit from new overnight services, the C5 and C6, running hourly every day between Maynooth and Ringsend.
“The journey from Chapelizod to places like Lucan and Leixlip can still be done easily. The customer can, for example, get the 26 to Palmerstown and transfer from there to the C1, C2, C3 or C4, depending on where they are going.”
The spokesperson added that commuters can now transfer to other buses, “with no penalty”, by availing of the new 90-minute fare system.
The NTA said all measures introduced as part of Phase 2 of BusConnects would be subject to ongoing review.
LifestylePhones, smart watches, and accessories to be locked away for Kevin Hart gig in DublinAnyone going to see Kevin Hart in the 3Arena next week is being warned that phones, smart watches, and accessories will be locked away for the duration of the show.
The High Court has struck out, on consent, a challenge to a 71-apartment social housing development in Chapelizod in Dublin which is almost complete.
Just over two years ago, the court granted leave to the Chapelizod Community for Democracy and Sustainability (CCDS) company to bring a judicial review against Dublin City Council, the Minister for Housing and the State seeking to quash an October 2019 decision to approve the development at Springvale, next to Chapelizod Gate of the Phoenix Park.
The CCDS claimed, among other things, the council had a conflict of interest in that it applied to itself for approval and essentially gave itself planning permission.
This was also allegedly in breach of an EU environmental impact assessment directive requiring competent authorities to ensure they deal with such matters in an objective manner and don’t find themselves in a conflict of interest situation.
It was also claimed the State respondents failed to transpose, adequately or at all, the conflict of interest directive into our laws.
It was also claimed the housing plan was approved by councillors and officials without properly determining whether an appropriate assessment (AA) or environmental impact assessment (EIA) were needed.
The case was adjourned a number of times over the last two years.
On Tuesday, an application was made to the registrar in the judicial review list, where the case was in for mention, to have the proceedings struck out on consent between the parties. The strike-out was granted.
Mullingar House in Chapelizod was doing a brisk trade
Our Commandos were due to have their Christmas party in the city centre this weekend but despite the Minister for Justice’s insistence that the city is safe
our Commandos said they’d postpone it for another little while until there was a larger and more visible Garda presence patrolling the streets on a regular basis
we left the pub mobile parked at HQ and flagged down a taxi on the quays
The Old Commando gave the address to the taxi driver but kept the rest of us in the dark as to where we were headed
Within 15 minutes we had arrived at The Mullingar House in Chapelizod in what was certainly a first time visit for the majority of our crew
but it might well be my first visit in 15 or 20 years,” the Old Commando said
“Only down the road from us and yet I never drank a pint in Chapelizod before,” the Young Commando told us
We were glad we left the pub mobile behind as there wasn’t any parking available and it also allowed our designated driver to join the fun for once
Gary was the barman who served us and he looked after us immediately upon arrival
while another member of staff was busy directing customers to tables upstairs
There was very little room left as The Mullingar House was enjoying a roaring trade during our stay
but our favourite seats were surprisingly free — barstools at the counter
Rockshore lager and cider and Hop House 13 were all available if they interest you
but our Commandos are stout men through and through
“It’s very possible Gary may just know what he’s doing,” the Old Commando joked as he heaped praise on the barman
We’d also like to highlight that the price list at the entrance is fully up to date and matching what they were charging at the counter
There are three large screen TVs in the downstairs section where we sat— with live football on each one — and also a smaller TV up high behind the counter showing horse racing for the barflies like the Old Commando
It was extremely busy throughout but especially with people queuing to get their dinner and a long line was starting to form on the stairs behind us as the punters continued to arrive in droves
“I can see now why they won All-Irelands,” the Young Commando said
“The food must be savage,” he continued as he pointed out that The Mullingar House won an award for best chicken wings in Ireland back in 2018
They also offer a Monday special of chicken wings
It seems we came on the wrong day but we’ll know for next time
The fridges were fully stocked and the brown leather barstools were all in good condition
A large photo of Bryan Cullen lifting Sam Maguire in 2011 hangs proudly opposite the counter
The toilets are located on the far side of the pub in a raised seating area and the Young Commando reported that they were in perfectly good working order with one cubicle and two urinals
We enjoyed our few pints in this boozer and while we didn’t get to mingle with the locals and exchange much conversation we really enjoyed the brilliant atmosphere and the hustle and bustle that was flowing throughout the building
The Mullingar House has plenty going for it and we’ll be sure to call again
preferably on a Monday for some wings and pints
THIS was our first ever trip to The Villager pub in Chapelizod and it was well worth our time
The atmosphere was very relaxing and most people sat in the half moon shaped bench seating rather than at the counter
A young barman with a beard served us as soon as we arrived and he was very mannerly and chatty
Most of the clientele was young to middle aged and kept to themselves
but sometimes it’s nice to just go for a quiet pint
There is a TV at both ends of the bar although they were turned off during our stay
There’s a candle on each table along with a cocktail and wine menu
and we noticed they have a vast array of drinks available on draught such as Peroni
Elevation pale ale and Rock Shandy pale ale
Homemade mulled wine is available for €8.50
The Young Commando told us the toilets were very clean with a fresh
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Gardaí have ended the search for the remains of missing man Trevor Deely on a three-acre site in Chapelizod in Dublin.
The six-week investigation at the site entered its final phase on Thursday.
A garda spokesman said although the search has ended, the site remained closed to the public.
“Unfortunately, nothing that furthers the search for Trevor was located during the search,” he said.
"An Garda Síochána wish to thank the public for their patience during the operation."
Mr Deely was 22-years-old when he was last seen early in the morning of December 8th, 2000, near Haddington Road in Dublin’s south inner city.
Gardaí began working at the Chapelizod site on August 9th and say they have now exhausted all locations there which they identified as areas of interest.
The site in west Dublin was cleared of trees and other vegetation to allow extensive excavation to begin with specialist equipment.
Drones were banned from flying over the site in the early weeks of the extensive search.
It is understood the primary digs on “targeted locations” within the three-acre site have not uncovered clues about the disappearance of Mr Deely.
"The investigation on the site in Chapelizod has been exhausted as far as it goes. By next week, we would expect to be moving a lot of resources from the site," one senior garda told The Irish Times earlier on Thursday.
“The site is still being surveyed and this is set to continue but targeted digs within the site have proved inconclusive. This has been one of the largest operations to take place for Mr Deely and we had high hopes of this investigation yielding a result for the Deely family.
“Unfortunately, this site has not proven to have given us the clues we had hoped for,” the source said.
The Garda Water Unit spent several days searching water on the site last week but it is understood this part of the search has also ended.
The investigation at the site was prompted by information gardaí received suggesting Mr Deely had been shot dead by a well-known criminal that he had a chance encounter with in Dublin’s south inner city on the night he disappeared. This information also suggested Mr Deely’s body, or material linked to his disappearance, may be at the Chapelizod site.
Hopes of a breakthrough in the case were raised when gardaí recovered a gun in the first week of the search but sources have downplayed its significance.
Gardaí now believe the gun recovered within the grounds in Chapelizod is not connected to this case.
The man identified as the suspect in the latest search for Mr Deely was active in drug dealing and armed robbery and living off the earnings of prostitution at the time of the disappearance.
Gardaí were working off intelligence they had received following an appeal earlier this year for new information into the disappearance of the young man.
Mr Deely was last captured on CCTV passing the Bank of Ireland ATM machine on Haddington Road at 4.14am on December 8th, 2000.
“The crux of the digging is drawing to a natural conclusion as it has not yielded any results. We will still keep a presence there but this particular stage of the current investigation into Trevor’s disappearance is drawing to a conclusion,” the senior garda said.
“It’s obviously disappointing news for the young man’s family who have been briefed on the ongoing investigation,” they added.
In April, gardaí published enhanced CCTV images showing him conversing with an unidentified man during his last known movements.
The enhanced footage captures a man dressed in black outside the rear entrance of Bank of Ireland's asset management offices on Wilton Terrace, Dublin 2, where Mr Deely worked.
The man appears at 2.59am and takes cover behind a pillar. He waits there for approximately 35 minutes.
At 3.34am, moments before Mr Deely approaches his place of work, the man steps out onto the footpath and follows Mr Deely to the back gate of the bank, before conversing with him for a few moments.
Exactly 18 months before he disappeared, another person was violently killed close to the location where Mr Deely’s last-known movements were recorded on CCTV.
STORM EOWYN DISRUPTIONThere is widespread disruption to transport services in Dublin today due to Storm \u00C9owyn. Access latest updates here.
The National Transport Authority (NTA) has submitted a planning application to An Bord Pleanála for a proposed core bus corridor between Lucan and Dublin city centre
The proposed route of the bus corridor begins at the N4 Junction 3 and is routed along the R835 Lucan Road from its junction with the R136 Ballyowen Road to the roundabout serving the Lucan Retail Park and also the N4 Lucan Road eastbound on-slip
It is then routed along the N4 (by Liffey Valley shopping centre) as far as Junction 7 at the M50 and continues via the R148 along Palmerstown bypass
Some of the works included in the planning application include:
17.8 km of bus priority infrastructure and traffic management
13.4 km of cycling infrastructure and facilities
A new pedestrian / cyclist bridge over the N4 Lucan Road at Ballyowen Road
A new pedestrian bridge over the N4 Lucan Road at Liffey Valley shopping centre
Widening of the existing bridge carrying the R148 Chapelizod bypass over Chapelizod Hill Road
Provision of 12 junction upgrades and associated ancillary works
Reconfiguration of existing bus stops resulting in 2 new bus stops and 21 new bus stop facilites
boundary walls and sustainable urban drainage measures
Members of the public wishing to inspect the planning application documentation
along with the accompanying Environmental Impact Assessment can do so until Wednesday 11th January 2023 at the National Transport Authority office on Harcourt Lane in Dublin 2
and at An Bord Pleanála on Marlborough Street
Further information on this proposed bus corridor scheme can be found at the BusConnects website and at www.lucanscheme.ie
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You’ll pass the allotments if you happen to cycle along Chapelizod Road towards the village, where you will also catch snatched views of the Liffey.
Several cafes and restaurants have mushroomed up on the main street, including one called The Twirly Gate, after the access point to the park from the village of the same name, which the owners of No 15 New Row say is within about 90 seconds of their front door.
The two-bedroom terraced house is so close to the back gate of St Patrick’s national school that children living here can never trot out the well-worn excuse that they forgot their homework. They could be home and back at their desks by the time the teacher had finished calling out the roll.
The residence, accessed via Maiden’s Lane, which also runs along the river, has been extended and opens into a living room to the front. An exposed stone wall with brick surround riffs with the exposed brick chimney breast and leads through to the eat-in kitchen. Ceiling heights here are almost 2.5m high, so just above standard.
The kitchen has laminate worktops and opens out to the back garden, which, while small, is southwest facing. A large shed, where the gas boiler and washing machine are housed, occupies about half its size but keeps ambient noise out of the property. However, you can hear the kids playing in the schoolyard at break times.
Owners Rupert and Chelsey Morris, respectively a videographer and graphic designer, don’t mind the small space, for they enjoy tending their allotment on the edge of the village. They grow potatoes, radishes, Brussels sprouts, garlic, peas, Swiss chard and spinach in the sizeable plot, which is almost 48m in size and which they lease on a year-by-year basis.
The house was bought by the current family in September 2011 for €195,000 when much of the disruptive refurbishment works had already been done, and has been gently upgraded since. The couple have given it a paint refresh, have overhauled the bathroom and installed a new boiler so that it now has a C3 BER rating.
Upstairs are two double bedrooms, with the main bedroom to the back. The sloped ceilings here extend to 2.8m. The bathroom is set between the two and includes a bath with rainwater shower overhead. It is naturally lit by a rooflight and has a smart black-and-white printed tile floor.
The 71sq m house, which its current owners have outgrown, is seeking €350,000 through agents SherryFitzGerald. A few doors up, No 12, a 76sq m three-bed with an E1 BER rating, came to the market at €340,000 and has been sale agreed.
Across the street, No 18, a C3 BER-rated two-bathroom, two-bedroom property of 73sq m, sold for €388,000 last February, according to the Property Price Register.
A CENTURIES-old building in the heart of Chapelizod village
according to local representatives who have been contacted by residents concerned at the state of disrepair with the structure
The privately owned property at 34 Main Street
but neglect has led to collapse of the building’s internal floors
A number of local councillors forwarded a motion at the recent Dublin South Central area meeting
seeking advice from Dublin City Council on what could be done
“I know Dublin City Council say it is not in immediate danger
but there is a contradiction from the point of view of the people who live in the locality
because all the floors have collapsed inside the building,” said Cllr Vincent Jackson (Ind)
“There is a metal ring beam which people believe is securing the integrity of the building from collapsing
but I don’t want Dublin City Council to have to spend millions of euros restoring something that is privately owned.”
Cllr Jackson said there is an ongoing issue in the city of owners holding onto properties for so long
it then starts posing a threat to the public
because the supporting infrastructure is gone
Rarely had he seen a building where the floors have collapsed
“I read in the report that the roof was to be done and be reassessed
and that is concerning that there isn’t a commitment to protect the roof
What powers do we have towards the owner to ensure work is carried on
My concern is that it will lie in the current state
and then we will be dealing with an even worse situation.”
The city council said their conservation planners are working within the limits of their powers with regard to the property
Cllr Jackson asked the council for clarification if the building is on the derelict sites register
may “focus minds” if development levies have to be paid
This article is over 7 years oldAddress: 5 St Martins Row Chapelizod Dublin 20Price: €695,000 Agent: LisneyChapelizod is an often overlooked village gem in Dublin. Despite being just 5km (a little over 3 miles) from O’Connell Bridge, the village has a country feel, full of charm and character.
Taking its name from Iseult's chapel – the mythological King Anguish of Ireland's daughter immortalised in Richard Wagner's opera Tristan and Isolde – James Joyce set much of Finnegan's Wake in its environs.
Chapelizod and the Phoenix Park area are the only addresses north of the Liffey to have an even postcode and just minutes from the village lies St Martins Row along the meandering banks of the Liffey. Number 5 is, from the outside, an unprepossessing 1960’s architect-designed bungalow with a more recent addition of an adjacent apartment.
However, if ever there was a case not to judge a book by its cover, this house is it. The dated and uninviting facade – in conjunction with a front garden comprised solely of tarmacadam – would suggest an equally cold and soulless interior. In fact the opposite is true – this is a lovely warm, inviting space where the south facing garden tumbles down to the edge of the river.
The rooms are light-filled due to the southerly aspect and large hardwood windows and patio doors.
In its current layout the house has three bedrooms and a further two in an adjacent granny flat. New owners have two options here.
They could amalgamate the two properties into one – providing 157sq m (1,690sq ft) of floor space and four to five bedrooms. Alternatively, the spaces could be left as they are and a rental income generated from the flat. Potential earnings could be around €1,600 per month.
While the house was upgraded in the last decade with new windows – and a new roof in 2015 – its new owners will most likely want to address the energy rating, which is E2.
In addition, the facade needs to be softened with planting – there is, however, off-street parking for four cars, something of a rarity in the village.
The riverfront setting is what makes this property really special.
It is for sale through Lisney with an asking price of €695,000.
Elizabeth Birdthistle, a contributor to The Irish Times, writes about property, fine arts, antiques and collectables
Dublin) November 29th 2021 (peacefully) in the loving care of the staff at Beaumont Hospital
beloved wife of Eamon and much loved mother of Jackie
James Long – he’s an excellent worker that we’re lucky to have.”
Sheep: “We breed 800 ewes including commercial and pedigree breeds
We have been involved with sheep for over 30 years
selling pedigree grass-fed shearling rams and grass-fed shearling lambs.”
Future investment: “I intend to breed Easy Care sheep
this breed will help when we are lambing outside as they are very maternal.”
Cattle: “We have a two-year calf-to-beef system on the farm
Aberdeen Angus is our most prominent breed
We receive the bucket-reared calves at 12 weeks of age and they’re grazed until November
housed with silage and a kilo of concentrates
grazed again early the following spring and finished from the beef shed eating homegrown grass
We also finish under-16 month weanling bulls using our own farm-grown grain.”
Tillage: “We grow and harvest winter barley and spring wheat
Our winter barley will be ready to cut in two to three weeks
Aldi Sustainable Calf Rearing Scheme: “We got involved with the Aldi Sustainable Calf Rearing Scheme last year
Our original batch will be finished this winter
My relations with Aldi have been good so far but the proof will be in the pudding this winter when I get the cheque
I’m using the scheme as a hedging tool for my farm business
The security of the contract price with the Aldi scheme appealed to me as the entire Brexit scenario brings uncertainty to future beef prices.”
Quotable quote: “Managing all animals on the farm
Whether it’s shooting or using a gas banger
they need to be kept away from our winter barley.”
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three panels of steel fencing stood around the Knockmaree Dolmen
Inside the temporary enclosure were four yellow parking cones and a wrap of red and white tape
The dolmen – or cromlech – resembles a rugged
and – save for the more recent additions – around 5,000 years old
The fencing now up is an interim security measure after a chunk of the dolmen’s capstone broke off
says a press spokesperson for the Office of Public Works (OPW)
But they didn’t say how the stone became unattached again earlier this month
Despite being the oldest identified human-made structure in the Chapelizod area
Members of local history and neighbourhood groups have been asking the OPW since the 1990s for better protection of the ancient site
“We had asked the OPW to put a little fence around it,” he says
“It’s important because it’s not just a stone
Kavanagh ascended Knockmary Hill to survey the dolmen
The thin frost on the grass was thawing as he scaled the slim and steep path leading from Park Lane up to Knockmary Lodge
Across the surface of the dolmen’s L-shaped capstone were cracks
They lit a little fire underneath and kept throwing sticks on the fire
And at the corner where the latest break occurred
its absence was evidenced by a jagged square scar
A wedge of the capstone has come clean off
Kavanagh’s wife spotted it while out walking their dogs on the first Saturday morning in February
she said there’s a lump after being knocked off the cromlech.”
She took photos showing the hefty wedge on the ground
Alongside it was a set of pronounced track marks from a piece of machinery
the faded track marks were still visible beside the Neolithic tomb
The morning after his wife had noticed the break
He wanted to photograph the fragment to check if there were any impact marks
The Office of Public Works’ spokesperson said its workers had inspected the dolmen
“It would appear that this repair has now failed with a small portion of the capstone […] becoming unattached.”
The OPW plans to repair the capstone with the help of the National Monument Service
the area has been secured with temporary fencing
There isn’t even an information board to tell strollers-by about the historic significance of the dolmen
as he wandered around the monument on Monday
Dating to sometime between 3,000 and 2,500 BC
the Knockmaree Dolmen is the oldest evidence of human activity in Chapelizod
according to the Chapelizod Heritage Society’s historic journal
It was uncovered in 1838 by workmen who were carrying out improvements in the park on the behalf of the Commissioner of Woods and Forests
A lieutenant from the Ordnance Survey of Ireland happened to be passing by on his horse
The workers were removing an ancient tumulus
when they uncovered four clay urns containing cremated bones
president of the Council of the Royal Irish Academy told a committee meeting on 28 May 1838
and the workmen were stopped from proceeding further.”
with a further five used to form the tomb’s enclosure
Inside the tomb were two male human skeletons
the discovery had the potential to “throw much light on the disputed question of the origin of ‘cromlechs’.”
Kavanagh says that the artefacts found in the burial
including a flint knife and shell necklace
“And the cromlech has never been protected since.”
The broken wedge has only highlighted an issue that members of the Chapelizod Heritage Society
the Chapelizod Old Village Association and Chapelizod Tidy Towns had been raising with the OPW since the 1990s
Each of the local organisations had recorded and reported the fissures and hairline cracks that preceded the latest piece of damage
Permanent protection should already have been in place around the monument before this could occur
During a Dáil Éireann debate in March 2006
Sinn Fein TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the then-Minister of Finance
Brian Cowen why the OPW had failed to protect the dolmen
It had deteriorated in recent years due to traffic and other activities
before querying when a plaque explaining its history would be erected
The then-Minister said the site was not at risk from traffic
which reported that there was no evidence of damage since the capstone was repaired in 1973
“The possibility of erecting an information plaque at the site will
Fine Gael Senator Mary Seery Kearney says Kavanagh brought her to see the landmark in 2022 as part of the most recent local effort
The actual item is there without any railings around it.”
In correspondence with the Minister for Heritage
she was told that the OPW would need to carefully consider the heavy impact that fencing could have on the monument
Minister Noonan wrote that as part of its restoration
the OPW Conservation Architect recommended lime putty be used to fill its joints
with this replenished at regular intervals
would arrange for a structural engineer to assess the capstone
also noting that signage could be created to dissuade people from clambering on it
the minister told Seery Kearney that a structural engineer assessment and signage forms would make up part of the OPW Business Plan for 2023
There still wasn’t any signage near the monument
They have picnics on it without realising that it is 5,000 years of history
The OPW didn’t respond by the time this was published to questions about whether it would consider putting up permanent fencing
The Minister for Heritage did not respond to a request for comment either
Kavanagh takes a Chapelizod Heritage Society pamphlet out of his bag
On its cover is a photograph of the cromlech
Michael Lanigan is a reporter at Dublin Inquirer
You can reach him at michael@dublininquirer.com
a visit to the Strawberry Hall pub has become an annual Christmas tradition
Noeleen Cummins calls out from behind the main bar
“You’re lucky you weren’t here for the language earlier,” she says
she walks over to a small wooden alcove where
her sister Anne Hayden untangles a string of lights
It’s Thursday at 3pm and day three of the project for the sisters
They won’t be done decorating before Sunday
co-owner of the Strawberry Hall pub in Chapelizod
“There is no way they’ll be done by Friday,” says Declan
Part of the reason for that is that each year
most publicans content themselves with a tree and perhaps some glowing lights strewn along windowsills or the bar
Some go further and plaster their windows with white paint or unexplained Bart Simpson heads
But the Strawberry Hall – it’s slight remoteness on a small road by the River Liffey surrounded by green in Chapelizod making it a destination – is different
the calls will start from people asking whether the lights and decorations are up yet
“They’d driven 70 or 80 miles to see the Christmas decorations,” says Hayden
The pub has belonged to the family since 1927
and its Christmas decorations were taken in charge by Declan in 1974
I’d finish working behind the bar and work right through til 9am the following morning.”
Covered in green-gold leaf-shaped tinsel and lit by hundreds of multi-coloured LED lights
the pub’s ceiling remains hidden until late January
another Santa stares across the room to rows of Santa-themed cushions on wooden benches
standing in a small nook to the bar’s right
The tap-tap-tap of a hammer sounds from left of the bar
we did a couple of hours on Tuesday and Wednesday,” says Noeleen Cummins
When husband Declan stopped decorating the pub about 10 years ago
If you’re looking for refined and whatever … ”
“You wouldn’t be getting that,” says Noeleen
Gold and red tinsel spills out of open boxes
the sisters move in to decorate a small room at the back of the pub
Though it doesn’t always go to plan,” says Hayden
Decorations at the Strawberry Hall vary in age
The latest addition – alongside Christmas-themed blankets
candy canes – are small lantern-shaped candle holders
The sisters are confident they’ll finish up by Friday evening
This is the Christmas calm before the festive storm
arriving each year for what the sisters call “the squeeze”
I was over at the door fixing some decorations,” Hayden says
mimicking the five-year-old’s reaction seeing the decorations for the first time
“Then a couple came in with their daughter,” says Hayden
Says Noeleen: “It was exactly the same reaction as the child.”
Cónal Thomas is a city reporter for Dublin Inquirer
PLANS for a Large Scale Residential Development (LRD) of over 100 units in Chapelizod have been lodged with Dublin City Council
The applicant is property group Linders of Smithfield Ltd and the site is located at the former Linders site
According to Dublin City Council’s weekly planning list
the submission is at Stage 2 (pre-planning consultation)
No documents are available to view until the application is lodged at Stage 3 of the LSRD process
LRD’s are developments of 100 housing units or more
or student accommodation developments comprising 200 bed spaces or more
C&F Quadrant is a member of the Linders of Smithfield Group of companies which is owned by the Linders family
The Linders Group is over 70 years in existence and is a successful property holding company that also operates two trading entities
namely C&F Quadrant and Linders Renault of Chapelizod & Finglas
Linders currently own and operate several high-profile commercial properties in Dublin city
These include Metropolitan House on James Joyce St
Arran Court on Arran Quay in Smithfield which is home to several large law firms
The Distillers Building in Smithfield and also Haymarket House in Smithfield
Current commercial property tenants include Irish Water
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A PLOT of development land at Willow Vale in Chapelizod
with a feasibility study for the development of 29 residential units
has gone on the market with a guide price of €2.7m
The plot of land measures 5.3 acres and has 200m of frontage to the River Liffey
while the sale also includes two properties
a four-bed detached property located within the site
a three-bed semi-detached property located on Chapelizod Road
The subject site comprises two zoning objectives in the local County Development Plan
A total of 0.52 acres of the land are zoned for residential use
while 4.8 acres are zoned for open space use
It is noted in the property listing by selling agent Andrew Sherry from Savills that a feasibility study has been prepared indicating the potential for 29 apartments on the site
The immediate area is surrounded by various amenities such as the Phoenix Park and a number of schools including St Patrick’s National School and Mount Sackville Secondary School
The plans submitted for the 131-home development did not include space for a new creche – an issue An Bord Pleanála has flagged with the developer
Katarzyna Czarkowska says she’s worried that when her creche
parents in Chapelizod will struggle to find childcare
She’s run Magic Moments from Quadrant House on Chapelizod Road since 2014, but last June, she got a one-year notice period from her landlord for her creche to close to make way for a development of 131 homes
“I just felt like I’m letting parents down
hasn’t so far proposed a replacement creche
and parents in the area say that there are already limited options
Parents will have to drive from the already traffic-choked Chapelizod to find childcare
“There won’t be anywhere that can possibly take on those children that I’m seeing at the moment,” says Elaine Dunne
chairperson for the Federation of Early Childcare Providers
153 Dublin creches have long waiting lists
according to a survey that the federation did last week
“Dublin is struggling and has massive waiting lists,” says Dunne
Czarkowska has turned down more than double the number of children Magic Moments can take care of
People who are pregnant call already stressed out by the search for places
The village needs to add one and get to three creches
rather than lose one and fall to one creche
Denise O’Brien has no idea where she will send her three-year-old daughter once Magic Moments closes
so she needs somewhere close to Palmerstown
“It’s crazy because there is a good few creches around
but childcare wise they’re all full to the maximum.”
Some of them offer spaces just for the Early Childhood Care and Education Program (ECCE)
where the government pays for three hours of pre-school childcare per day for kids over 2 years 8 months
But that’s not helpful for her and other parents
“The majority of people that come here are working parents
She likes working at Magic Moments and it pays well
“It’s a lovely little creche and the owner is like
“And it could almost be that I’m gonna have to say no to a job because I don’t have anywhere to put my child.”
Dublin City Council has not yet responded to queries asking whether they have done a survey of childcare needs in the area
A February 2022 report by the Dublin South City Partnership for Inchicore
found that future childcare needs in the area are unlikely to be met due to new developments being built without childcare
(A pilot scheme for disadvantaged parents in the area, who miss out on the National Childcare Scheme
National guidelines for apartments, set in 2018 by the Department of Housing, say that
when working out if more childcare facilities are needed
planners and developers should look at how big a new development is
“One-bedroom or studio type units should not generally be considered to contribute to a requirement for any childcare provision and subject to location
to units with two or more bedrooms,” the guidelines say
There were planning guidelines for childcare facilities drawn up in 2001
which recommend one childcare facility for every 75 homes
while promising a review of the 2001 rules
any communal facilities such as childcare spaces within apartment schemes should not be imposed if the developer did not propose it already
They “should be subject to negotiation and agreement with the developer as part of the planning process”
because “the provision of such facilities is likely to have significant implications for management and maintenance costs for future residents”
Linders Car Dealers hasn’t responded to queries sent via email as to whether they had considered the need for childcare in the area as part of their application
and whether the final proposed development would include a creche
The An Bord Pleanála inspector’s report on the planning application for the apartment blocks that would replace Magic Moments said that more clarification on the provision of childcare is needed
recognising that the creche will be closed
“A replacement creche facility is not proposed and the existing facility has been included within the baseline data presented,” it says
suggesting that there was an analysis done that counted the Magic Moments creche within neighbourhood provision
An Bord Pleanála did not respond to queries sent Monday asking for clarity on that
says the council can ask the developer to build a creche but can’t force it to do so
“There is no legislation on the planning authority
that in the planning at some stage there is a creche,” she says
Putting amenities next to new housing developments has been reactive rather than proactive
then Chapelizod would have had another school.”
the council negotiated with developers that they would provide childcare facilities
but there needs to be a [childcare] requirement,” he says
says there should have to be space for childcare within new apartment developments
of the Federation of Early Childcare Providers
says local authorities need to enforce that creches must be opened within new developments
“And that they shouldn’t be allowed to be sold off to become something else.”
because the local creches won’t be able to facilitate
To the right, towering over Magic Moments, is the copper scaffolding of a building site for 71 council apartments
The development includes a space for a Scouts’ or community hall
Czarkowska says she was thinking of trying to rent the hall
and she may only be able to do ECCE and after-school sessions there
It would also need to be kitted out to meet childcare regulations
“I don’t even know if it’s gonna be financially possible for me to do it
because it depends how many children I could have
says she wonders why a Scouts’ hall was considered ahead of childcare
I hope my kids get to go to activities and things like that
I need the basics before I can give them the privileges.”
says that in general if there is space for a creche in new council complexes
the council should make sure the rent is affordable for childcare providers
“So that they can in turn open their doors and charge the same amount to the parents.”
Childcare providers have in the past been priced out of buying new creche spaces built as part of big developments
from the Federation of Early Childcare Providers
“They’re out-pricing us in the amount they want for them,” she says
“For a service that should be €400,000 to buy
they’re out-pricing us by €100,000 or more
to make it impossible for us to get them.”
The creche space will then be sold as something else
“We can’t afford to buy them because obviously we’re chronically underfunded.”
If the council built space for a creche in Chapelizod
it would guarantee it for future generations
“So that it has the security that no one can come along and knock it down to build apartments.”
but there seems to be a stigma around them
Czarkowska says running the creche during the pandemic was challenging
“Many creches are closing, many creches didn’t survive,” she says, as childcare doesn’t make a lot of money, and there isn’t much government support
“It puts pressure pressure pressure pressure on you,” she says
It all means that closing Magic Moments will be a bit of a relief
Czarkowska doesn’t want to set up a creche in some other part of the city
Dublin 20) April 11th 2023 (peacefully) surrounded by her family in the tender care of the staff at St
Beloved wife of Edward (Eddie) and much-loved mother of Jennifer
predeceased by her parents James and Margaret and sister Betty
“Ar dheis Dé go raibh a h-anam dílis”