THE LIBERTIES, DUBLIN is getting a public park.
After the idea was first suggested in 2013, activist group Cork Street Park were notified this week that a team to build the park had been chosen and would arrive at the site to officially begin work on a park for the area in the coming weeks.
The project is the first major project to be developed as part of the Liberties Greening Strategy, and also the first purpose-built public park for the Liberties community.
The plans include a pathway, benches, a playground, a terrace, skateboarding facilities, and spaces to add things in at a later stage.
Skate D8
The interest in Cork Street Park was sparked by skateboarding group Skate D8, who had campaigned to turn the derelict park into a place they could use.
It’s often difficult for skateboarders to find somewhere to practice: they can be moved on from areas that aren’t specially designated for skateboarders, while public benches and walls can sometimes be fitted with metal balls and strips to stop people from skating on them.
In October 2013, the city manager stopped the park from being levelled and began a process of consultation about how the space could be used.
In workshop groups with the local community, green space, community space, and a playground made up more than half of most participants’ priorities for the park.
These were added to skatepark facilities to create a park for community events and other activities.
At the centre of the park will be a large lawn for games and activities and smaller raised lawn for sitting and reclining. On the edges of this central area will be a terrace onto Cork Street, an enclosed play area, a picnic space, and a small exercise space.
There will also be a playground for children aged under 10 years old. The large play unit will have a series of levels with raised platforms accessible by ropes and steps and a lower level accessible to children with physical disabilities.
The terrace will provide a “hang-out space” for teenagers and a place for skateboarders to display their skills. While the Park design does not incorporate a café kiosk, the terrace is designed to accommodate one in the future.
The design of the pergola (a square timber structure with a flat roof and no walls) can also incorporate games such as a chess board on the ground and table tennis, if required.
Although there won’t be a specifically allocated area within the park for skating, the edges between the path and grass will be designed as a raised sculptural feature to accommodate activities such as skating, BMX, parkour, play and seating.
A nod to…
The pergola inclusion is inspired by the timber frames of the Tenters Field which was located nearby. The Tenters Field was where local textiles makers brought cloth to be stretched and dried.
The playground unit will incorporate mock building facades onto Chamber St to resemble the Dutch Billy gable fronted houses that once lined the street.
The play equipment is designed to make reference to the historical heritage of the area as being central to Dublin’s cloth working and leather tanning industry. This provides the opportunity to communicate this aspect of the local heritage to the children using the play area.
In a statement to TheJournal.ie, Dublin City Council said that the park was “a step forward in addressing the deficit of quality green space and outdoor recreation opportunities in this part of the city”.
It is one of a series of greening projects that the city council plans to undertake over the next few years to support the Liberties in being a great place to live and work.
The park is expected to be completed by this summer.
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