Dublin City Council plans to chop down 300 trees in Merrion Square Park
dublin |
environment |
other press 
Monday October 21, 2013 19:58
by T
The latest news from Dublin City Council is that they plan to cut down 300 mature trees in order to improve Merrion Square park. Apparently it is all in the name of giving it a facelift!
The council don't seem to realize that one of the most attractive features of the park is the 300 or so mature trees. Do they not realize it is a tourist attraction as it is? Who knows what their logic is but some lucky Tree Surgeon company is going to get a big windfall here which begs the question. Were the advisers behind this outlandish decision people who were going to gain by it in some way ?
The story has been reported widely in the last week or so in the press.
From the Independent:
The park is extremely popular with residents and is often visited by tourists.
In an event to mark Ireland's Presidency of the European Union earlier this year, visitors were invited to the park to place handkerchiefs on a tree in tribute to deceased or unwell loved ones.
The so-called Touring Tama, or “hanky tree” was displayed in the park for a period during the summer.
But plans drawn up by officials could see many trees of its like chopped down.
A council spokesman refused to be drawn on the exact number up for the cut.
Dublin City Council intends to prepare a conservation management plan for Merrion Square Park,” he said.
“It's planned to provide details on this to the November meeting of the South East Area Area Committee. No decisions have been made on the plan at this stage but further details will be available following the November meeting.”
It does all seem a bit radical and presumably expensive. Surely there are more pressing causes given the state of funds nationally these days?
If this is something that is likely to irk you then you should probably contact the council directly since they are likely to make decisions on this quite soon. Separately you could fill out their Parks Questionnaire which is running from Sept to 15th Dec but don't expect the input of that to feed into the input of the above. See https://consultation.dublincity.ie/parks/parks-questionnaire
Comments (5 of 5)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5Anybody willing to help please email tobinwr@tcd.ie . We need to protect green space and trees in our city.
Merrion Square is open to the general public and is a credit to the Park's Department. Is there a tree disease problem like Dutch Elm disease that has caused them to consider the removal of trees which greatly enhance this beautiful park. If not, it is scandal to remove the trees and disrupt a park that is already quite a splendid place to visit. Why would people waste money, particularly when the economy is in such dire straits carrying out un-necessary work and damage to the history and existence of such a park? Are there any underlying objectives? Dartmouth Square and Fitzwilliam Square attracted the attention of certain opportunistic make money fast people who thought that they could build under-ground car-parks. This failed to go ahead but Merrion Square parking potential may be up for consideration: should we be asking questions? Could there be a plan for Merrion Square and hence the destruction of trees?
Rumours abound and then go to ground. Did anyone ever hear that Merrion Square could be the next Temple Bar attraction and the emblem of the existing governments contribution to Ireland Inc? This would in fact be a good idea, and given the latest tax breaks for people to re-develop houses built prior to 1915, it is the properties that surround Merrion Square that should have an allocation of funds to ensure the Square is surrounded by occupied houses once more. The potential is massive. Recently it was reported that Johnnie Ronan, Treasury Holdings, has a property in Fitzwilliam Square and that his expired planning permission has been re-activated for a further five years. The ambition is to make the property a home. This was done in the early 1980's by Ib Jorgensen but the timing was not right then and few followed the trend. However now, with the emphasis of Smart urban living, things might be different.
During the last Government someone had the incredibly stupid idea to remove most of the trees in O'Connell Street. Ireland is about green, it is about trees. Why would anyone seek to cut them down when they are such a contributor. The saplings that are oven seen growing from the trunks of trees along the canal or in the Phoenix Park should be an education experience for children. There should be a nominated day, a location in need of trees, and children should plant the saplings be they Chestnut, Beech, Oak so that they understand about nature.
Smart urban village revival needs to learn from the people in the west of Ireland. Ballyvaughan, Co Clare, is host to an art college, to a community of all kinds of people who can use the technology to live aloof and afar but in a non urban space based on their choice of lifestyle. The key is technology facilitates them now to do this. Check out recent article about the Burren and how people created community at local level. Smart sustainable urban villages are a realistic possibility for Dublin and should be embraced. Nature endowed us with the privileges of water, greenery, trees, space, parks.
Everything in Merrion Square is artificial.
Composed and not natural.
If you let go a few Connemara sheep on Merrion Square you would have a pristine park without the overpaid human graspers .
Sheep don't demand wages.
Pristine and artificial to sheep roaming around Merrion Square.
What about some goats to eat up the greenery, nothing like them to cause havoc?
Did anyone see the plans for that adjacent area of Grafton Street in the Times?
Interesting times ahead for Dublin?
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