The Playgrouns in Fairview Park

Tombo2001

Was walking through this park today.

In a distance of no more thant 200 metres I saw
- 1 shiny new playground, very large with lots of nice wooden swings.
- 2 older playgrounds, though also well equipped.
- 1 Skate park
- Zero children......

Is this a record.....

The population of Cabra D7 where I live is c25'000, and afaik there is only 1 playground in a public park/ place in the whole of Cabra, the one in the Bogies.

(There is of course the single lonesome slide in Mount Bernard Park, but it will be a sad day for Ireland if we are calling that a playground).

I should add some other stats in defence of Fairview.....that in one of the the above mentioned playgrounds I also saw
- 2 adults
- 6 unleashed, unmuzzled dogs
including
- 1 Rottweiler.

Am sure that would keep the parents away.....

2xj3hplqgsbkym

I went to the new wooden playground once but it's not suitable for a two year old. I'd say 3 plus as my little fella couldn't climb any of the things by himself and he's quite big.

Wouldn't go back anyway, I went on a Saturday, it was packed, but the 'clientelle' were not to my liking, a bit too much cursing and rough playing than we are used to!

The little playgrounds either side are really just for toddlers.

Orion

1. It's December. It's freezing. Most playgrounds are empty.
2. Not all dogs need to be muzzled.
3. Dogs don't have to be on a leash by law - they must be under "effective control" which includes trained dogs who come when called.
4. Rottweilers, by nature, are calm, friendly, intelligent dogs. Don't let the fact that sometimes they are made mean by their owners as guard dogs put you off them - any dog can be made mean. I'd hazard a guess that if it's in a playground there's a 99% chance it's a family pet.

5. ... and this is where I put the mod hat on - this is just a rant not a Parenting issue. I suggest you go to the Ranting and Raving forum which much more suited to this kind of thread.

Magzie

I could be wrong, but I remember hearing from somewhere that the new playground was part of the restoration works to Fairview park after construction of the Port Tunnel, so comparing it to Cabra isn't exactly fair.

Also, maybe you didn't see many kids in the playground because they were in school?

ezra_pound

I cycle through this park most evenings and the park usually has a lot of kids considering time if year, weather and short evenings etc. I haven't noticed the killer dogs though.

m'lady

Was in same park during the summer and it was full of kids of all different ages, no issues at all and no doggies!

MrCreosote

Orion wrote: »

.
3. Dogs don't have to be on a leash by law - they must be under "effective control" which includes trained dogs who come when called.
4. Rottweilers, by nature, are calm, friendly, intelligent dogs. Don't let the fact that sometimes they are made mean by their owners as guard dogs put you off them - any dog can be made mean.

A dog cannot be under effective control without a lead- no owner can guarantee 100% that they won't go crazy- not so flash if it's in a playground.

Dogs are unpredictable, so are kids- they shouldn't be mixing at playgrounds

Tombo2001

Orion wrote: »

1. It's December. It's freezing. Most playgrounds are empty.
2. Not all dogs need to be muzzled.
3. Dogs don't have to be on a leash by law - they must be under "effective control" which includes trained dogs who come when called.
4. Rottweilers, by nature, are calm, friendly, intelligent dogs. Don't let the fact that sometimes they are made mean by their owners as guard dogs put you off them - any dog can be made mean. I'd hazard a guess that if it's in a playground there's a 99% chance it's a family pet.

5. ... and this is where I put the mod hat on - this is just a rant not a Parenting issue. I suggest you go to the Ranting and Raving forum which much more suited to this kind of thread.

Most dogs are supposed to be muzzled, as you well know. These dogs were not trained (they were not responding to their owners commands) and therefore they were definitely, legally required to be on a leash.

Their owners had no children with them As you well know, adults are not supposed to enter playgrounds if they are not with children. Hence there was a question mark over their behaviour.

Any dogs behaviour will reflect their owners behaviour and includes Rottweilers, no matter how zen-like you feel that particular breeed is.


Most playgrounds are not empty. If you go to the playgrounds in St Annes Park, Phoenix Park, Stephens Green or any of the other major parks at lunchtime you will find at least a few kids.

Here we had not one, but 3 empty playgrounds beside one another.

I suppose you think its reasonable to have 3 playgrounds beside each other when other areas have none.

I dont. Is that giving out? Yes. Its that a Parenting issue? Yes.

Your suggestion on Ranting and Raving is condescending and offensive. Do you think I like being told I am "ranting and raving"? No I dont, at all. Are parents suddenly not allowed to give out about things that they think are wrong.

Janey_Mac

Tombo2001 wrote: »

Most dogs are supposed to be muzzled, as you well know. These dogs were not trained (they were not responding to their owners commands) and therefore they were definitely, legally required to be on a leash.

The following dog breeds are the only ones that are supposed to be muzzled.
American pit bull terrier
English bull terrier
Staffordshire bull terrier
Bull mastiff
Dobermann pinscher
German shepherd (Alsatian)
Rhodesian ridgeback
Rottweiler
Japanese akita
Japanese tosa
Bandog

You're right about the leash, obviously, if they're not responding to commands.

Their owners had no children with them As you well know, adults are not supposed to enter playgrounds if they are not with children. Hence there was a question mark over their behaviour.

I can find no laws about adults being in playgrounds. I have never heard such a thing before. Some individual playgrounds may have that policy.

I think you need to reconsider the meaning of the phrase "as you well know." It doesn't automatically make what you're saying correct.

Any dogs behaviour will reflect their owners behaviour and includes Rottweilers, no matter how zen-like you feel that particular breeed is.

You didn't mention the owners' behaviour. Certainly, someone who behaves in an anti-social way is less likely to train their dog well. Were they behaving in an anti-social way? I live near Mountjoy Square, and there are plenty of locals who walk their german shepherds, rottweilers and staffies in the area, and it's very rare I see any of those "dangerous" breeds behave badly. The owners are usually happy to let me stop and fuss the dogs; I've only once been told that the dog might bite. So you really can't make assumptions based on the breed of the dog or the appearance of the owner.

Most playgrounds are not empty. If you go to the playgrounds in St Annes Park, Phoenix Park, Stephens Green or any of the other major parks at lunchtime you will find at least a few kids.

Here we had not one, but 3 empty playgrounds beside one another.

I travel past the playgrounds there the odd time, and the only time I've seen them empty has been in very bad weather, in the middle of the schoolday, or late at night. So since the weather was very cold and it was the middle of the schoolday, do you think that might explain it?

Do you have any evidence for chronic underuse of the playground?

I suppose you think its reasonable to have 3 playgrounds beside each other when other areas have none.

I dont. Is that giving out? Yes. Its that a Parenting issue? Yes.

Your suggestion on Ranting and Raving is condescending and offensive. Do you think I like being told I am "ranting and raving"? No I dont, at all. Are parents suddenly not allowed to give out about things that they think are wrong.

That would totally be an issue worth discussing. I think a constructive way of doing so would be to discuss areas that need playgrounds added to them, rather than complaining about this one time you saw Fairview empty.

Janey_Mac

Janey_Mac wrote: »

That would totally be an issue worth discussing. I think a constructive way of doing so would be to discuss areas that need playgrounds added to them, rather than complaining about this one time you saw Fairview empty.

And in the spirit of...

I think it's great the number of playgrounds that have been built in the last ten years or so. There were certainly none in my town when I was a kid, but there are now two.

Are there any other areas like Cabra that got missed out? And are there any plans for playgrounds or potential locations for them that people could start campaigning to the council about?

Zulu

MrCreosote wrote: »

A dog cannot be under effective control without a lead-

Wrong.

no owner can guarantee 100% that they won't go crazy-

No person can guarantee 100% that they themselves won't go on a killing spree. Thankfully we don't live in a world that demands such ridiculous assurances.

Dogs are unpredictable, so are kids- they shouldn't be mixing at playgrounds

Playgrounds are great places for kids to mix, and for you to socialise your children.

Tombo2001

Ok......we have a situation where the people of boards think that its A-OK for lone adults to wander around childrens playgrounds, for them to bring packs of dogs into playgrounds, and for multiple playgrounds to be built beside each other.

If this what people think is right and proper then I am obviously going mad. I will bow out of this conversation. Have a nice day folks.

Sleepy

That playground is being destroyed quite quickly by the local teenagers, bits of the play apparatus are broken already, the surroundings are covered in broken glass and beer cans. Such a shame that some sections of society can't just leave a kids playground be for kids.

Orion

Tombo2001 wrote: »

Ok......we have a situation where the people of boards think that its A-OK for lone adults to wander around childrens playgrounds, for them to bring packs of dogs into playgrounds, and for multiple playgrounds to be built beside each other.

If this what people think is right and proper then I am obviously going mad. I will bow out of this conversation. Have a nice day folks.

Fair enough. When you come back try to be more constructive than this. Thread closed.