Occasional News October 2020

  1. Planning:
    1. MG Motors: An Bord Pleanála upheld DCC’s decision to refuse permission for 43 apartments in six floors over a basement. In doing so they decided not to accept their own inspector’s recommendation to grant permission. The Board decided that the proposed development would not be of an acceptable density & scale in this location or would seriously injure the residential or general amenities of adjoining property. Click:HERE
  1. Mount Argus Old Monastery: DCC has granted permission for an additional 21 units at the Homeless Family Hub. The conditions included a condition excluding the gate at Church Park Avenue and requiring the gate to be permanently closed and the fencing reinstated and made good. HCVCC and several residents associations are considering an appeal to ABP on the basis of the number and quality of the apartments, lack of open space and creating a new access from Mount Argus Avenue. Click: HERE
  1. Kenilworth Motors: Following strenuous representations from local councillors and the Harold’s Cross Tidy Towns Team, the developers, Harte Property & Investment, eventually cleaned up the forecourt this week. The serious graffiti remains on the façade. 
  1. Mount Argus Mill Apartments: Following a DCC Planning Enforcement Notice the railings that blocked access from the main boulevard to Mount Argus Church have been removed. A new Enforcement Notice has been issued requiring the removal of the recently installed pedestrian gates and bollards with a compliance date of the 28th of October 2020.
  1. Classic Cinema: A submission to comply with the treatment of the footpath where it adjoins and crosses the vehicular entrance was lodged. Click: HERE There are many on-going building control issues with the developers showing scant regard for neighbours, parking in private lanes, truck & diggers movements at anti-social hours and dangerously damaging the footpath to name but a few of the issues that have been the subject of complaints to DCC and the Gardaí.
  • 228 Harold’s Cross Road for sale. Click HERE

  • Level 3 Halloween in Harold’s Cross: 
  • The imaginative wizard Eoin Bairéad and his ever creative daughter Clíodhna have been haunting us to do something special for the VIP’s of Harold’s Cross who are banished from the traditional “trick-or-treat” excitement at Halloween 2020.

We’re asking you to don your most spooky thinking costume & come up with the most fiendish suggestions that will fit relatively easily into an on-line programme – song, story, dance, joke, poem, magic, trick or treat – that we could do locally but remotely via Zoom etc.

We’re hoping that we could schedule “planning” type events – like making decorations or recipes – on Saturday 24th and live events on Saturday 31st .

Please respond via email as required.

  1. BusConnects – The NTA has published the New Dublin Area Bus Network. All the details are HERE
  1. COVID-19: Unfortunately our Local Electoral Area – Kimmage-Rathmines is close to the top of the 14 day incidents of confirmed cases at 306 per 100,000 population (national average 116). Click HERE
  1. Here’s an extract of local items from recent Council Meetings:

Traffic:

Councillor Daniel Ceitinn

To ask the Manager in relation to Aideen Drive, Terenure, Dublin 6.are there any plans to make this road a through road, can he look at installing traffic calming measures on this road and what steps can be taken to reduce the traffic flow?

Reply:

Dublin City Council have launched a scheme investigating areas that have issues with rat running through residential areas and other dangerous issues. These schemes are known as Neighbourhood Transport Schemes.

Aideen Drive, Mount Tallant Avenue have been listed, along with Larkfield Park andClareville Road as a neighbourhood scheme. It was assessed by an engineer and ranked number 2 for intervention in the South East Area.

The issue of making Aideen Drive a one-way system has to be carefully considered with all movements and how it may affect traffic movements on the surrounding roads. This road will be assessed as part of the overall neighbourhood scheme. Aideen Drive is a through road from its junction with Derravaragh Road and Neagh Road to its junction with Aideen Avenue. Aideen Drive has speed ramps already located to slow vehicles.

Social Housing:

Mount Argus (FOLD Voluntary Housing Agency)

It was expected that these units would be handed over in March following the completion of snagging works. However, due to Covid 19 restrictions work was halted on the site and only recommenced on May 18th. All units were handed over on June 30th. Selections and interviews have been completed and all units are now allocated. The units will be managed by FOLD VHA. The units consist of 4 x 1 beds, 8 x 2 beds and 1 x 3 beds.

St. Pancras, Mount Tallant

3 x 1 bed units and 4 x 2 bed units will be acquired in this new development and handover was expected by the end of Q1, 2020. However, due to Covid 19 restrictions work was halted on the site and only recommenced on May 18th. Snagging works are almost completed and it is expected that the units will be handed over in the next few weeks. These units will be managed directly by DCC rather than an Approved Housing Body.

Q.2 Councillor Tara Deacy

A large number of residents have contacted me individually asking that a yellow box be installed at Larkfield Grove/Clareville Road junction. There is an increased volume of traffic on the Clareville Road/Larkfield Park in the evenings for about 90 minutes & 60 minutes in the mornings. The traffic queues going back from the lights at the Kimmage /Sundrive crossroads means cars are blocking the exit/entry to our street. Although most motorists are very kind, the majority are just parked there for 5 minutes blocking the residents out/in on the road.

A yellow box junction would clear a path in/out of our street similar to the one further up on Larkfield Park. Can this be put in place for the residents?

Reply:

The area engineer attended Larkfield Grove and Claveville Road on Wednesday 26th August 2020. From 4.30pm to 5.30pm the traffic was free flowing both inbound and outbound on Larkfield Park and Clareville Road. There were no issues with vehicles blocking Larkfield Grove. At this time the area engineer is unable to recommend a yellow box at Larkfield Grove/Clareville Road junction.

The area engineer is aware that schools are re-opening, and will monitor this location. If traffic is seen to block Larkfield Grove the area engineer will address and recommend appropriate measures.

  1. Local artists Eoin Mac Lochlainn (creative painter) and his nephew Pearse McGloughlin (songwriter & artist) have both been busy during the pandemic.

Eoin’s latest exhibition “Covid Eyes” opens today Sunday October 11th at the Olivier Cornet Gallery and runs until October 25th. It is a collection of images of eyes that Eoin posted on his BLOG every fortnight over the summer. A version of the exhibition is available on-line HERE. To book your visit Click: HERE

Pearse & Nocturne’s latest album “The Rest” was launched on October 14th. He is planning a real, live show in The Workman’s Club in Dublin on November 1st to mark the release of the album. They will be joined by two special guests Colm Keegan, the writer and poet and singer and songwriter Leila Jane. Tickets for that show are available  HERE

  1. Congratulations to the winners of the Heritage Credit Union Third Level Scholarship Award Programme. Click HERE
  1. The recent 50th Anniversary of the death of master uilleann piper and uilleann pipe-maker Leo Rowsome (born in Harold’s Cross in 1903) was extensively covered in the media. Click HERE, HERE andHERE
  1. The planet MARS is at it’s biggest & brightest this week as it makes its closest visit to us (38.5m miles) for another 15 years. See: HERE. DID Electrical has a spectacular offer of a starter telescope, binoculars & microscope kit for just €49.99. Click: HERE
  1. Here’s contact details for our Kimmage-Rathmines Councillors:

Deirdre Conroy (FF) deirdre.conroy@dublincity.ie / 086 280 5413

Carolyn Moore (GP) carolyn.moore@dublincity.ie/ 087 645 2800

Tara Deacy (Soc D) tara.deacy@dublincity.ie / 087 938 9904

Pat Dunne (I4C) pat.dunne1@dublincity.ie / 087 776 4422

Anne Feeney (FG) anne.feeney@dublincity.ie / 087 295 5256

Mary Freehill (Lab) marycfreehill@gmail.com / 086 812 6378

  1. Many more FREE EVENTS in Dublin this week HERE
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