An aerial shot of the new bolwing green beside Tallaght Stadium and Old Bawn Communty School
Positive feedback for bowling green in Sean Walsh Park
A proposed bowling green close to Tallaght Stadium would be “a great community initiative” and amenity, particularly for older residents.
South Dublin County Council held a Part 8 public consultation for a synthetic turf bowling green in Sean Walsh Park, on a small site between the Old Bawn Community School basketball courts and Whitestown stream, in “an area of scrub and amenity grassland”.
According to the Appropriate Assessment Screening Report prepared by the council, the proposed development “will provide a bowling green to promote the sport and amenity use of Sean Walsh Park, enhancing the recreational and amenity of the lands”, in accordance with the South Dublin County Development Plan 2022-2028.
Construction of the green is predicted to take up to 10 weeks, beginning with the “clearing and grading of the site, followed by the installation of drainage for ensuring proper water runoff” and a base layer topped with a fine grade levelling layer to provide stability, covered with a “high-quality synthetic turf surface”.
Nine submissions were lodged on the council’s consultation portal during the public consultation from December 19 until February 4, most of which were in favour of the development.
Oliver O’Brien, the president of the Irish Bowling Association said lawn bowling is “growing throughout the country” and that over time the facility “would develop into a community hub and significantly increase usage of the excellent Sean Walsh Park”.
“I commend South Dublin County Council for this initiative and will be delighted to help in any way I can to get a new club in Tallaght up and running,” he said in his submission.
Clann Housing, housing service who manage 81 age-friendly homes in The Weir development beside Tallaght Stadium, stated their residents had already given great feedback for the green.
“The feedback from residents includes an interest in setting up teams, inviting other local Clann Housing schemes to set up teams to compete, residents will no longer need to travel far to play, and it will encourage older residents living alone to get involved, due to the location being so close them,” they said.
Feedback from other local Tallaght residents hailed the development as a great community initiative, though one submission expressed concern over the removal of up to 20 native trees to make way for the bowling green.
“I hope that SDCC will plant as part of their program at least twice as many trees as mitigation for the felling here, and perhaps members of any bowling clubs using the bowling green in the future could be included in the replanting,” they said.
Along with submissions from TII and Uisce Éireann, one of the nine submissions objected to the site being used for a bowling green, instead suggesting it be offered to Tallaght RFC for a club house.
“Tallaght RFC have been begging for years for a land to call their own in order to advance the club and build their own club house, I don’t know ANYBODY who plays bowls, but I know several hundred kids and adults who play rugby,” they said.
A report on the proposed development and the public consultation was presented and agreed upon by elected members at the full council meeting on Monday, February 9.
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
