Smithfield Horse Fair

Dublin City Council will hold the Smithfield Horse Fair this Sunday 1st September from 9am to 1.30pm. This is the second Horse Fair to be held under new byelaws adopted by Dublin City Council at the start of the year. The fair now takes place twice a year, on the first Sundays in March and September.  As well as the traditional display of horses, Dublin City Council’s Arts Office and Libraries Service are also planning music and story-telling. Mary

Killala Road Swale

Following the flooding of homes on Dingle and Carnlough Road and Drumcliff Drive in 2011 I worked with residents and Dublin City Council to improve drainage and reduce the risk of flooding in the area. As part of this Dublin City Council undertook improvement works to the road drainage system in the area and built two swales on the greens on Drumcliff and Killala road to take overflow water.

Since the swale on killala Road was constructed last summer I have raised a number of issues with Dublin City Council regarding the swale which they have attempted to rectify. Unfortunately the heavy rain in July this year proved that the swale is still not functioning properly and I have again brought this to the attention of the head of drainage at Dublin City Council.

I highlighted the many problems with the swale including that large volumes of water have remained within the swale for a number of days after normal rainfall, that the base of the swale has remained water logged for several months now and is totally unsuitable for children to play in.

Following my request last week Dublin City Council removed rubbish that had accumulated in the swale and

have given me a commitment that structural work will be undertaken to fix the swale properly.

I will continue to work to ensure that Dublin City Council fixes the swale properly and the residents of Killala Road can enjoy the green as they have for generations and at the same time help to reduce the risk of flooding for other homeowners in Cabra. Mary

Granby Park

From August 22nd to September 22nd 2013 a vacant site on Dominick Street has been transformed into an urban pop-up park.  This empty site has been transformed into an imaginative, creative, free public space for everyone to enjoy.  Granby Park is a great addition to our city and our area.  Upstart, the non-profit voluntary arts collective, behind the project are looking for volunteers to help-out as Park Assistants.  For more information about becoming a Park Assistant send an email to helpout@upstart.ie.  Mary

Pay & Display Parking

Dublin City Council Parking Enforcement has confirmed that the Pay and Display

and Permit Parking Schemes for Iona Park, Iona Crescent and Iona Drive will come into effect on Monday, 2nd September, 2013. Mary

Free Mediation Service

Madiation Northside is a free service whose main objective is to assist the local community in resolving conflicts and finding a safer way to live and work together. It was founded by the Northside Community Law centre in 2004, and became also part of the Court’s initiative pilot project in 2010. From its begining Mediation Northside has relied on the support of volunteer community mediators properly trained to mediate disputes.  The service is available free to anyone living in the Northside area  to help them deal with different types of disputes including parental mediation, neighbourhood disputes, conflict coaching, elder mediation and many other. For any further information about the services offered by the Mediation Northside, please contact: Mediation Northside, Northside Civic Centre, Bunratty Road, Coolock, Dublin 17. Tel: +353-1-8482988 or click here.  Mary