Beautiful village not helped by run down houses and 50km speed limit

Residents in Chapelizod have expressed concerns about dereliction and traffic issues in the village, with calls for pressure to be put on the council to make changes.

Instances of speeding and dereliction are visible in Chapelizod, with the “beautiful village” not helped by run-down houses and a 50km/h speed limit, according to Dublin South-Central TD Jen Cummins.

Dublin City Council own several of the properties that lie derelict, such as seven of the eleven St Mulberry’s Cottages on Martin’s Row currently on the derelict sites register.

Deputy Cummins said that residents requested that something be done to improve them, even suggesting that they could be used to help house the city’s homeless.

The local politican said: “It is a beautiful village, it’s really, really beautiful. But because there is dereliction, like every other city or town around the country, it brings it down.

“It makes it unlived in, unkempt and takes away from the rest of the village…different parts of the Main Street are owned by Dublin City Council and there needs to be pressure put on them to make sure they are on the dereliction register and to do something with them.”

The Dublin South-Central TD noted that the preservation and utilisation of derelict properties in the area could enhance the streetscape of the village.

The issue of speeding in and around the village has also caused concern for residents, with calls for the local speed limit to be lowered from 50km/h to 30km/h for the entire location.

Cyclists in the area also voiced their grievances with the condition of the cycle lanes in the village and Deputy Cummins noted that several sections of Chapelizod are “lethal.”

“People are concerned with speeding; they’re concerned with blind spots coming out of some of the estates.

“Speeding is a big thing. It’s 50km/h there but it should really be 30km/h. It’s a built-up area; there’s trucks coming in and out and they’re quite big and quite difficult.

“They said that, for cyclists, some parts of the village are actually lethal. There’s a group of parents who are acting as traffic wardens for the schools in the morning – that’s not acceptable.”

DCC have indicated that a council traffic warden will be assigned to the village, but the Deputy stated that they had previously opted against doing so as it would be “too dangerous.”

The problem with the recent BusConnects changes in October that saw the 26 removed and the 80 put in its place has been controversial and has disappointed residents also.

The 80 had a short-term realignment rolled out last month and a long-term change is planned for next year, having previously been expected in Q2 2026.

The delay in delivering the new merged service of the 80 and 130 from Liffey Valley to Clontarf might appeal to residents, however, as Deputy Cummins stated that residents told her they wish to “leave it as it is” right now, and that there are other bus-related issues they wish to have prioritised at the moment.

The bus route towards Lucan, which often involves a change, is not viewed as reliable by the Chapelizod locals, and many teens depend on them for commuting to their secondary schools.

“Those buses are also not as reliable. So, people are reliant – parents are driving their children to school – and it’s not a good idea when they’re trying to promote independence.”

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.