Allotments in Dublin?

Lao Lao

Hi all - I got to speak to Michael of the SDAA last night and he has given me some helpful info which hopefully we can use to set up the NDAA.

The first meeting (which is been discussed) is basically where we should set up an ad-hoc commitee / steering group.

As I've already mentioned to Funinnseog, I have no problem chairing this and she has volunteered to be secretary. Similarly, if anybody else wants to chair instead, I have no problem with that either.

We also need to brainstorm to assertain people talents/skills e.g. - somebody is an IT wizard and can set up a website, etc and what time people can give to the new organisation.

From there, the steering group needs to set down the goals/aims/charter/constitution of the NDAA.

With this done, we would then have an inaugral meeting to formally launch the NDAA where we would seek nominations for Chairperson, Treasuar, Secretary & members of the Executive Committee- (I guess we would need a few members by then )

We would also need to charge a fee for membership (the SDAA charge €10 per annum which seems very reasonable) to cover costs of mail shots, newsletters etc

Once we are up and running, the Executive Committee should be meeting once every 5/6 weeks.

Michael also gave me details of the UK allotment group which covers the whole of the UK. I will be joining that group so I can avail of their free info and advice. I may not get around to this before we all meet up initially however, I think that this will be most likely info/advice that the steering committee will need.

Either of the locations mentioned so far are good for me although St Anne's is closer and I can make most week nights or weekends ( I'm not around the w/e of 29/30/31 of Aug)

Brian

bonjoyle

Hi Folks,
A meeting is needed i think, rather than blog post tennis!!! No problem with either venues and can make it most days, except both upcoming weekends. Let me know the final decision and i'll be there...

Fuinnseog

Fabien - sorry! I'm a plonker! I've pm-ed the phone number now!

LaoLao - great work, i'll email people today to set up the meeting.

fionn67

Hi
Friend of mine lives in Blanchardstown,
Anyway he just got an allotment in Rathbeggin which is apparently a 10 - 15 min drive straight up the N3 from his house (its called rathbeggin)

First 30 Allotments were gone in no time (its private strip of land being bissected by new road) but another 30 just come on stream (about 2x 6 mtrs but thats a guess) 8 gone already> € 300 a year includes area for tools some free wood.Went out and had a look ..very very impressed was really really tempted myself but was honest enough to admit its just TOO far for me

Anyway my friend is talking about coming on Sunday if he can (and no-one objects - in fact he'll probably be the only member of the NDAA that actually has an allotment ) if your there have a chat with him.....hopefully hes bringing me some potatoes his first crop ......he's so proud

Anyway Hope this helps

blanchdub

Hi Fionn67,

Many thanks for the information. I'll have a chat with your friend.
Is 300 euro the normal price for a private allotment? Is the allotment much bigger than what we get with the Fingal co co?

FYI I received a letter from Fingal co co inviting me to an open day for a new allotment in Donabate where Council officials will be available to answer to questions on Saturday 23rd.... they hope to have this new allotment ready for the 2009 season.

I will bring the letter on Sunday.

Hi Fuinnseog,
I will ring yor contact tomorrow

blanchdub

Fionn67,

I found their web site: http://www.rathbegganlakes.com/allotments.php

OldGoat

blanchdub wrote: »

Hi Fionn67,

FYI I received a letter from Fingal co co inviting me to an open day for a new allotment in Donabate

I got the same letter. Looks like all those emails eventually paid off. The meeting should produce a heap of useful information for us to use in kick-starting DCC into giving us some land.

See ya all on Sunday.

Dr Galen

hi all

haven't checked this thread in ages but I got a letter recently from local TD Leo Varadkar about the Tyrellstown plots. I had been onto him before about it and he said he'd look into it and see if he could do something.

Anyways, gave Fingal CoCo a call, and I'm about 100 on the list at present, but the nice lady said that with the new Tyrellssown plots coming onstream soon enough I'd probably be looking at getting a plot by the end of year as I'm in the locale etc, this would be the first round of allotment allocations for the new ones.

Fair play to those who are trying to get the NDAA set up. please keep me posted and I'lll keep an eye on the thread.

Elvisgirl

It was great meeting you all yesterday. Looking forward to the next one already. Thanks to Brian and Sarah for the great work so far. I feel like a headless chicken myself, but I'm willing to learn.
Aideen.

OldGoat

Elvisgirl wrote: »

I feel like a headless chicken myself

[Mental Image of a headless chicken, wearing a cape, doing Elvis impressions while pulling weeds from between the cabbages]
Eeewwwww!:p

Fuinnseog

It was great to meet everyone yesterday , but i have to ask did anyone actually pay for their coffees??? I completely forgot about it when they gave us the bums rush!! doh! Well that's what they get for closing early i suppose...;)

i'll mail round some notes from the meeting later on.

fionn67

oh dear, no didn't pay for coffee but yep great to meet everyone
see you all on the 27th

Elvisgirl

Crap! I never paid for my coffee either. Oh well, they didn't seem too bothered about it. Hee hee Old Goat, I love that image of the headless caped Presleychick!

OldGoat

Am I the only one who paid for coffee? What kinda people am I associating with? [Note to Self: Get VERY big lock on the shed]

Lao Lao

OldGoat wrote: »

Am I the only one who paid for coffee? What kinda people am I associating with? [Note to Self: Get VERY big lock on the shed]

It's ok, ur not alone, I paid for my hot chocolate, even though Fuinnseog tried to drink it on me :D

Good to meet you all and looking forward to the next meeting on the 27th!

Fuinnseog

Hey with service that slow I figured i'd just take whatever the waiter gave me! :D

OldGoat

Morning All.
I've been a bit swamped at home so I've only just got to catch up on the Emails that have been circulated. Fab, I'll have a look at the website you created and see what I can do to help out but it sounds like the Google site you are using is suitable for our current needs.
Sarah, may I ask why I've suddenly become known as 'Sean'? It's strange seeing my dad's name appearing all over the emails.

Just a quick thought to leave you all with...Should we just be using this association as a short term group, only staying together long enough to persuade the Council to give us some land and then for us to go on and form more local associations such as the Saint Annes Allotments Association or the War memorial Allotments or the Blanchardstown Allotments etc., or are we in it for the long haul, always working with other allotments groups to get more and more land from the Council in other parts of the City?

Sundew

After visiting some wonderful allotments in Didsbury,Manchester yesterday thought I would post some links to a brilliant website for allotments in the city of manchester.It seems like all the allotments have their own commitee etc but come under the umbrella of the Manchester Association of Allotments. A brilliant idea is that the site has a map of the sites available around the City and suburbs. The map has colour coded flags by how likely you are to get an allotment in a particular site!
http://www.amas.org.uk/manchester_allotments/

I also passed this small allotment site in Fallowfield which is overlooked by residential housing on one side and has secure fencing along the roadside. Unfortunately I could not gain entry to the site as nobody was working on it when I visited!

http://www.amas.org.uk/manchester_allotments/plots/wellington_road/

Fuinnseog

OldGoat - Sorry about that, i don't know why i'm calling you Sean . I'll update the minutes...

As for the longevity of DAA, i think that as each allotment is formed it will need some sort of organisation and smaller allotment mini-associations will be needed but there may still be a need for DAA in the same way that SDAA represents allotment holders in general.
However, by the time we get our allotments and form the individual allotment associations, i would hope that we would have enough members of DAA to replace us at that stage, if needed.
After all, the DAA can only exist if it has enough interested people so i guess we'll just have to wait and see.

OldGoat

Just incase anyone wanted any background. Found this posted on a bulletin board in D.C.C.

Talk on St. Annes Park, Raheny 27th August @ 7.00pm
Joan Ussher Sharkey, author of 'St. Anne's-The Story of a Guinness Estate' will be giving a talk on St. Annes Park in Raheny Library on Wednesday, 27th August @ 7.00pm.
FREE. All Welcome!!

Fuinnseog

Is that not the date of our next meeting too?

Dr Galen

any chance of getting a look at the minutes of your meeting?

OldGoat

Fuinnseog wrote: »

Is that not the date of our next meeting too?

Damn, I never noticed that. I recon it's a conspiricy. The Council have heard rumblings of disquiet in the area and are trying to disrupt the movement with this blatant 'Divide & Conquer' technique. As I see it we have two choices.
1: March on the Library with placards raised and cause maximum disruption to the Talk with our demands for recognition and parity with the other Dublin Councils...
Or
2: We go to the pub.

Hummmmmmmmm...Pint please Bar-Stewart.

Avellana

Just a point of information on SDAA. We cater for just the South Dublin County Council area, not the whole of Dublin south of the Liffey, in case you thought we're bigger than we are! Fair play to you all for getting your act together. Wish you luck with it.
SDAA member.

bigtom71

Fuinnseog wrote: »

Are you in Fingal or Dublin City Council LaoLao? I am interested in getting an allotment on the northside and I'm in Dublin City Council. The council have told me to try and get as many interested people together (at least 5-6) and to try and identify suitable lands which the council can then purchase through a compulsory purchase order or suitable parklands.

So if anyone out there is interested in setting up allotments, public on the north side of Dublin City Council or private anywhere on the northside, please let me know and perhaps we can start to lobby the council as a group or identify private lands for lease to a group.

Hi Fuinnseog,
I would also be interested in setting up an allotment area on the Northside - accessability depending (i.e. I live in Beaumont and probably wouldn't want to be travelling to the other side of Blanchardstown. But who knows).
You can PM me if you get any progress or numbers together.
Cheers,

Tom...

OldGoat

Am I right in thinking we are meeting at 7 o'clock in Harry B's on the 27th?

fionn67

Hi Old Goat
Think so, Well I plan on being there tomorrow at 7 anyway, can only stay until about 8 though
Looking forward to it

Fuinnseog

Avellana - Yes, as "Dublin Allotments Association" we hope to represent Dublin City Council (north and south) as well as Fingal CoCo residents.

Old goat - Yep tmw at 19.00, see you there. Likewise I can only make it for about 1 hour. Will circulate final agenda later today.

Mystik, please PM me your email and I will fwd on notes.

Deathincarnate

I'm a bit late to this thread. But I'm another D5 Northsider that would be interested in an allotment. Any group representation would be a great idea.

Sundew

Deathincarnate wrote: »

I'm a bit late to this thread. But I'm another D5 Northsider that would be interested in an allotment. Any group representation would be a great idea.

The more interest the better