Clontarf FC - 'We're homeless'

TallGlass

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/were-homeless-dublin-football-club-object-to-planned-housing-development-36515761.html

Dunno what to make of this, are they honestly upset or is it just a case of the Clontarf not wanting houses/apartments build. I do agree with them that St Annes Park should have work done on the grounds to enable better pitches, not only for 'Clontarf FC' but for anyone else.

I'm not sure how there homeless either, there is plenty of green space around the area they could use as temp solution.

ArmaniJeanss

TallGlass wrote: »

I'm not sure how there homeless either, there is plenty of green space around the area they could use as temp solution.

Its effectively homeless in junior soccer terms, the league won't accept you unless you have access to either private land or to a council pitch.

The 'temp solution' which I think you are suggesting of just using a bit of the green area down the end of the estate is unacceptable to the league admins, as there'd be no guarantee re its availability on a week to week basis. Possible insurance issues also.

Many clubs wouldn't be able to maintain such an adhoc pitch anyway (surprising how much ground damage a few games can do this time of year) which is why council pitches are such a popular option.

odyssey06

The land was sold to the religious order in the 50s for community use.
Now it is being sold off to private developers for millions.

Why does the religious order need to lay its hands on so many millions?
Could it have anything to do with this?
https://vincentians.ie/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Statement-from-the-Vincentian-Congregation.pdf

I suppose the Vincentians had a choice between moral bankruptcy or financial bankruptcy.

The land should be CPO'd back to community use / the order should have followed their principles and offered the land for sale back to Dublin City.

TallGlass

ArmaniJeanss wrote: »

Its effectively homeless in junior soccer terms, the league won't accept you unless you have access to either private land or to a council pitch.

The 'temp solution' which I think you are suggesting of just using a bit of the green area down the end of the estate is unacceptable to the league admins, as there'd be no guarantee re its availability on a week to week basis. Possible insurance issues also.

Many clubs wouldn't be able to maintain such an adhoc pitch anyway (surprising how much ground damage a few games can do this time of year) which is why council pitches are such a popular option.

Whats wrong with them using the Clontarf Astro Pitches is that not perfectly suitable for them to use?

thereality

odyssey06 wrote: »

The land was sold to the religious order in the 50s for community use.
Now it is being sold off to private developers for millions.

Why does the religious order need to lay its hands on so many millions?
Could it have anything to do with this?

A lot of these property /land sales by the Church are going to pay for redress from them being not so wholesome over the years. Most Catholic bodies have their redress still outstanding

odyssey06 wrote: »

The land should be CPO'd back to community use / the order should have followed their principles and offered the land for sale back to Dublin City.

Personally I don't know what Dubliners obsessions with parks, parks and more parks. Dublin has by far the worst parks in Europe. They are literally grass, maybe a carpark and a few trees. You are out of luck in most parks, if you want to do anything other than walk on a damp broken footpath

I personally would have zero issue with park space in Dublin halved, if the remaining half had football pitches, tennis courts, running tracks, nice playgrounds, coffee stands in the likes of the Phoenix Park. At the moment you will be asked to leave playing football in Merrion Square. There is little point having vast parks like St. Annes etc if you can only mainly use them for walking in

odyssey06

thereality wrote: »

I personally would have zero issue with park space in Dublin halved, if the remaining half had football pitches, tennis courts, running tracks, nice playgrounds, coffee stands in the likes of the Phoenix Park. At the moment you will be asked to leave playing football in Merrion Square. There is little point having vast parks like St. Annes etc if you can only mainly use them for walking in

Have you ever been to St. Annes cos it sure sounds like you haven't so I have no idea where you are coming from with this... St Annes Park is nothing like Merrion Square in size or facilities.

If you halved Merrion Square would you even have room for a football pitch??? We're talking about a green area in the heart of the city... one of the few such green areas in a concrete world, and much appreciated by many a worker on their lunchtime break from their office as an oasis of calm.

ArmaniJeanss

TallGlass wrote: »

Whats wrong with them using the Clontarf Astro Pitches is that not perfectly suitable for them to use?

I'm out of touch with the junior soccer scene but I'm fairly sure that most of the leagues are still grass pitch only leagues. (Happy to be corrected on this point if anyone knows otherwise).

And even if it is allowed it seems from the original article they have 30 teams, so on an average weekend will have 15* home games. So they'll need 15 120 minute time slots on these astro pitches in a 5 hour interval on Saturdays and Sundays. I'd be surprised if these pitches are so little used that such availability exists.

(*Some weeks they'll doubtless have 20+ home games including some cup games for which they'll need even longer slots).

humberklog

thereality wrote: »

A lot of these property /land sales by the Church are going to pay for redress from them being not so wholesome over the years. Most Catholic bodies have their redress still outstanding



Personally I don't know what Dubliners obsessions with parks, parks and more parks. Dublin has by far the worst parks in Europe. They are literally grass, maybe a carpark and a few trees. You are out of luck in most parks, if you want to do anything other than walk on a damp broken footpath

I personally would have zero issue with park space in Dublin halved, if the remaining half had football pitches, tennis courts, running tracks, nice playgrounds, coffee stands in the likes of the Phoenix Park. At the moment you will be asked to leave playing football in Merrion Square. There is little point having vast parks like St. Annes etc if you can only mainly use them for walking in

The Phoenix Park has 3 coffee shops/restaurants excluding the zoo. It has a few playgrounds, one excellent one for toddlers beside the interpretive centre. It has football, cricket and polo pitches. It has lakes and nature walks, art galleries and space for the radio controlled flying club. Walled gardens, farmers markets and craft fares.

St. Anne's has football pitches, coffee shop, art gallery, artist studios, allotments, walled rose garden, pitch and putt course, a race course for remote controlled racing cars, farmers market and craft fare, a brilliant playground and a natural BMX trail and jump area in the forest.

Merrion Sq. doesn't really lend itself well to football playing with the layout of the gardens but I think it's utilised pretty well considering it's in a business district. The food market from Spring to Autumn is good as is the outdoor cinema nights and street performance festival. It could pick its game up with regards to its playground.

I think our parks hold up well in comparison to other cities of its size in Europe.

spurious

humberklog wrote: »

St. Anne's has football pitches, coffee shop, art gallery, artist studios, allotments, walled rose garden, pitch and putt course, a race course for remote controlled racing cars, farmers market and craft fare, a brilliant playground and a natural BMX trail and jump area in the forest.

Plus tennis courts, a petanque area (I kid you not), the pond, the follies, the nurseries, the Clocktower gardens, the arboretum, the dog park, the Chinese Suzhou garden plus the fantastic carved Monterey Cypress.

**edit forgot the physic garden with herbalist things in it.

humberklog wrote: »

I think our parks hold up well in comparison to other cities of its size in Europe.

Absolutely and in particular St. Anne's. Another northside gem.

humberklog

@Spurious...

Yeah I could've well went on and on with each park.

Over the last 15 years there has been a great rejuvenation of the public parks. I think the OPW and the councils have done well in transforming them with really good playgrounds (Malahide Castle for e.g.), encouraging small businesses like cafes, markets, bike rental etc.
Great work has been done on developing old buildings that for years were falling to ruin or not being utilised fully- Malahide Castle, Red Stables, Ardgillan Castle, Swords Castle.
I know most of my references are Northside but I know more about that area.

As for the proposed development in St. Anne's I really didn't see that as a big deal. If I've been looking at the correct plans that parcel of land wouldnt be hugely missed as a public utility. But that's just my opinion.

thereality

odyssey06 wrote: »

If you halved Merrion Square would you even have room for a football pitch??? We're talking about a green area in the heart of the city... one of the few such green areas in a concrete world, and much appreciated by many a worker on their lunchtime break from their office as an oasis of calm.

How did you interpret half the park space in Dublin City as half every park in the City?

Lack of Green space in Dublin City? Iveagh Gardens, St. Stephens Green, along the canal, Trinity College, Pearse St Park, St Patricks Catherdal, Dublin Castle etc etc. There is no shortage of green space in the City.

I understand it is nice for workers to sit in the park before they go home to the suburbs. It would also be nice for residents in the City to have places to play football, etc rather than having to take public transport to the suburbs as commuters want calm parks

The road running through the phoenix park is a joke. The English Garden in Munich is considering removing the road that barely runs through it. Not one in Dublin appears to care that the Phoenix Park is used as a shortcut to the city for commuters.

It is lovely that commuters are happy with City Centres parks are calm for them to eat their lunches before them go home to their homes in the suburbs...