Tyrrelstown To Lose Youth Officer.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009


Tyrrelstown will lose its popular youth officer Julie Gosselin at the end of the month because of government cutbacks. Julie has been a fantastic asset to Tyrrelstown over the last two years and everyone is very disappointed to see her go. It is not simply the work she has done with the youth and clubs in the area but the very valuable network that she has built up in a new community of over 4000 people. Minister Lennihan promised before each of the last two elections to provide permanent schools and a community centre for Tyrrelstown. The Department of Education is still dragging its heels on the acquisition of the site, so the least the government could do is to continue funding the youth project.


Julie began working with Foroige in October 2007 to provide youth services to young people between the ages of ten and eighteen in the Tyrrelstown area with a particular emphasis being placed on the importance of integration and intercultural exchange in an area widely diverse in terms of ethnic groups. County Dublin VEC funded the project but warned in March that due to government cut backs they would not be able to continue for much longer.

It is disappointing that the VEC could have allowed something like this to happen. If this project is not continued, the cost down the road will likely be much higher. The youth in the area need the leadership and continuity provided by someone like Julie and any talk of replacing her with a temporary part time worker is simply not acceptable.

Julie will now work on another project for Foroige in Tallaght but she is not looking forward to breaking the news to young people in Tyrrelstown. She had set up were a girls group for 12 to 16 year olds revolving around girl’s health and physical activity and a Friday youth club to cater for 10 to 13 year olds. The popular TYT Youth Café provided a safe environment for older children where they are encouraged to develop themselves and where they take part in activities that constitute a form of informal education.

“Self-development of the young people and their community, actively and consciously is one of the key elements in Foróige’s projects,” according to Julie.

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Additional Submission on Lynam Development

Tuesday, October 6, 2009


We refer to the above application and note the receipt of significant information from the applicants.

In its request for additional information the Planning Authority commented that

“Having regard to the location of the subject site within a 5-10 minute walking distance of Clonsilla Train Station, and the ‘SC’ Suburban Centre zoning objective that pertains to the subject site, the proposed mixed-use development and increased density in the southern portion of the site are welcomed by the Planning Authority.
Notwithstanding this, the proposed development, which has considerable frontage onto the Clonsilla Road, fails to take due cognisance of the special village character of Clonsilla which is characterized by its linear village and is accentuated by the attractive and extensive tree planting on either side of the Clonsilla Road.”

In our original submission we suggested that higher density on this site was unnecessary given that three thousand high density units were being provided in the nearby Hansfield SDZ. Since this is the only remaining site to be developed along the northern side of the Clonsilla Road there is a strong argument for providing densities and housing types similar to what is already there in the Castlefield and Portersgate Estates. Were this to be the case there would indeed be a need to retain the trees and hedges along the roadside. However, it is difficult to understand how the current hedges and trees, if they were to be retained, could possibly screen the proposed four storey ‘shoe box style’ apartment blocks from those using the road or the unfortunate residents of the cottages across the road.

Some aspects of the additional information are very welcome. The decision to move the site further to the east, away from the Portesgate Houses is to be welcomed and will help to preserve the trees and hedging there.

The Arborists report, which has been accepted by the parks department, states that the trees along the Clonsilla Road cannot be retained due to root damage from previous works along the road and because of the requirement for new underground services proximate to the boundary. Presumably, for the same reason, this means that no new trees of any considerable size can be planted here and that only a patched up old hedge will remain to screen off the proposed apartment blocks.

The special character of Clonsilla village is based on a number of factors and not just the tree planting on either side of the road. This development will change forever the vista as one travels along the road from east to west. It will make development on the southern side of the side of the road inevitable given the damage it will cause to the residential amenity there.

At this place and time we feel that the need to retain and protect the unique character of Clonsilla village outweighs any requirements for higher density at this location.


Yours Sincerely,


Cllr. Kieran Dennison
Dr. Leo Varadkar T.D.

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