Consistency needed along all parts of Dodder Greenway
THE Dodder Greenway has been a hugely transformative amenity developed in recent years. It has given thousands access to quality park walks along the Dodder from rural Tallaght to Ringsend.
Tallaght Community Council (TCC) made a significant contribution to the Part 8 consultation for its design before 2019 seeking a quality and consistency along all parts of the greenway.
Unfortunately, despite the many specific points we made, particularly the Avonmore Road area, there are some very visible disparities to be seen as you move west along the greenway in some key features.
- Park / Greenway Entrances
A new park entrance consisting of quality hand- built stone walls and red upright steel markers are the motifs along the new greenway.
Sadly, these stop at Ballyboden GAA club.
There are none in Tallaght, despite several key entrances along Tallaght into the greenway.
- Park & Stride Facilities – There are two new
car parks along the Tallaght section of the greenway, one on the Old Bawn Road and one on the Firhouse Road. They enable those unable to walk to the park to still access the enhanced park facilities on the greenway. These are very welcomed, valued and well-used.
Entrance to Dodder Greenway in Rathfarnham
However, at one new key greenway entrance at Avonmore Road the entrance lacks the quality finish all other new entrances got. There is a wooden fence along the path to the pedestrian bridge and a low stub concrete wall (existing for many years).
The lack of parking facilities is now becoming a huge daily issue – for park users and nearby residents alike.
“We welcome the Dodder Greenway as a hugely valued amenity in Tallaght. It provides an asset to all ages and abilities in our community. However, the drop in quality of the new entrances is obvious when you move west from Balrothery weir. It begs the simple question, why?”. says Liz Kennedy, Vice Chair, TCC.
TCC would like to call for immediate action to address both of these issues of unequal standards along the SDCC stretch of the Dodder Greenway,
- Upgrade ALL park entrances in Tallaght to the quality and aesthetic as those in Knocklyon and Rathfarnham to include hand-built stone walls and the red steel greenway markers.
- Provide sensitive off-street parking on the council-owned land adjacent to The Edge and the Dodder greenway entrance as was done on the Dodder View Road at Woodside Cottages in Rathfarnham. Free up the paths for pedestrians.
