New playspace set to encourage greater intergenerational contact
By William O'Connor
THE NEW natural playspace at Avonbeg was officially opened last week by Mayor Sarah Holland.
The opening, a celebration of community, was attended by children from Scoil Santain, South Dublin County Councillors, residents and local community groups.
Important among the guests were the children from the Amplifying Voices group, who worked for several years on getting a playground for Avonbeg.
Their contribution to the playspace was marked by the presentation of certificates by the Mayor and in a speech by Fergus Finlay, CEO of Barnardos.
The playspace at Avonbeg is unique in its design, with influences from ancient Celtic monuments.It is reminiscent of ring forts with circular mounds and tall standing stones and is a very striking addition to the area.
The playspace has swings, a slide, a giant spinning disk as well as a huge sand pit and lots of hills and rocks for free play. Already the playspace has proven very popular with local children and is also loved by the pupils of Scoil Santain.
The local community in Avonbeg deserve special thanks for their involvement in delivering the facility. They, along with local councillors, worked very hard to ensure that this playspace is one of the best. The project was also supported by Dominic’s Community Centre.
Another original feature in Avonbeg Playspace is the intergenerational play. Many of the senior members of the community supported the children in their campaign to get a playground and they came up with the suggestion that it would be an ideal location to build a boules court.
As well as facilitating the local club, it gives a sense of ownership of the playspace to a wider section of the community and creates greater contact between people in the community.
The playspace will continue to grow in the next few months with more planting and the further addition of features, this will add to the play value and experience of this very unique playspace.
