Portlaoise Skatepark

Kenjd · 14-07-2006 12:27PM #1

Hi
Im in Portlaoise at the moment visiting some friends.
The council have built a skatepark/streetcourse for the locals down here. Its not big and consists of 1 quarter pipe bout 6foot high and facing it a flat bank the same height. In between this they have a raised section with a WIDE rail attached to it.
They also have 2 launch ramps and two rails, one rail is kinked and the other is about 12foot long, both of which are attached to the ground!
Whilst the ramps are good quality, metal frames with a skatelite type of surface, the layout is a bit cramped and not thought out well.
But hey its better than anything i had when i started skating 12 years ago!
It is a good stopover point if your travelling through and the local skaters and in-liners are very friendly!
Its located next to the old convent in the town.
I'll post some pics soon and a map showing exactly where it is!
Watch out for local scumbags who like to smoke dope under the ramps!!!
One of them walked up to me like he was going to start something until i turned round and he saw i was old enough to be his father!!!!
Although if my kids turn out like that i'd slap em!!! hahah
Anyway i'm not here to rant!
Pics soon
Later
Ken
PS respect to Roger K. for Bushy Park!!!!

Kenjd · 14-07-2006 07:49PM

Took some pics earlier on today and had a good session with the locals!!!
So will hopefully upload them tomorrow!!!:D

Kenjd · 15-07-2006 04:34PM

heres some picsof the ramps in portlaoise. I'll search the web and try and get a map up as well!!!!

Kenjd · 15-07-2006 04:35PM

and the last one! sorry if the quality isnt great but you get the general idea!!

And this photo shows what a pain in the arse kids who dont skate can be!!!
They just hang around getting in the way!!!!

shagman · 16-07-2006 12:22AM

This joke cost €60'000 . Tarmac surface too !Smart move Laois council. This is not a skatepark it is a joke, 60 grands worth of flatpack furniture in a carpark. And when I say flatpack furniture I mean it.....

RHINO is the skate park product division of Saunaco, N.V.. Based in Kaulille, Belgium, Saunaco was founded in 1969 by Jo van Winkel. From humble beginnings, it has grown into a very high tech furniture and woodworking manufacturer. From very basic components to intricate furniture designs, Saunaco supplies its products throughout the world.

and from the Rhino website....

Flat pack style of shipping and installation
Reduces shipping costs
Products can be easily disassembled and stored or relocated
Detailed installation instructions included for installation by your staff (supervised or complete installation available)

There ya go the obvious people to make great skateparks...flatpack furniture manufacturers!!!???

It gets worse waterford,galway, loughrea and dunshaughlin allready have built similar modular crap and I heavily suspect rhino will be getting the contract for the new galway park, dundalk skaters I think have been blighted by a similar junkyard.

moonboy · 16-07-2006 12:47AM

saw that galway rhino park today actually.
jeez it looks horrid and weird angled and stuff.
just a big bank and a big quater with a ****ty funbox in between.
and theres an amazing street spot about 30 seconds from it.

16-07-2006 11:20AM

that almost happened in lucan. thank god for concrete

Kenjd · 16-07-2006 12:32PM

60,000 for f*cks sake!!!
I could've built something a lot better with 10,000!!!!
We have to do something to stop this happening elsewhere!!
Dumb ass councils!!!!
I love when councils refer to skateparks as skateboard rinks!!! lol

wideangle · 16-07-2006 07:26PM

Will you still post a map how to get to it.May be worth a visit any way.Better than driving 120 miles to Killtorcan.:cool:

lostexpectation · 16-07-2006 09:11PM

where did the 60,000 grand go?

Kenjd · 17-07-2006 01:13AM

Heres the map anyway guys!!!

Exactly lostexpectation, sixty grand for that! Rhino must be wetting themselves!!!!

neilk32 · 17-07-2006 01:27PM

well ken whats up? i was skating with u last wednesday in portlaoise and then u snapped ure board. i wud just like to say portlaoise isnt all bad its good for sessions wit the locals and they are always willing to take you to the street spots anytime and theres plenty of spots. is anyone willing to try the 14 long steps at fitzmaurice beside the skatepark that have never been ollied. ground is a bit cobbly but u can get a bit of speed on it...

Kenjd · 17-07-2006 01:31PM

Hi Neil,
Yeah thats right! Did an ollie off one of the ramps landed wrong and bam!! board snapped!!! ah well not the first time!!! It was a great excuse to buy a new board!!!
As i said portlaoise is better than anything i ever had growing up!!!
Oh yeah and welcome to the boards!!!

red_ice · 17-07-2006 01:39PM

typical irish thing to do really lol, what a waste - not a single line in the place haha

neilk32 · 17-07-2006 01:42PM

use your imagination will u. it mite take a bit of creativity to find the lines butt they are there and some crazy **** goes down when ppl from all the local towns are there it is well worth a skate and ppl should check it out.

Kenjd · 17-07-2006 01:57PM

Yeah ur right Neil,
hell i was pulling great boardslides there...but then cos its cramped i was falling into the other ramps!!!
but hey i enjoyed it! Wouldnt mind that across the road from my house!!!
People should visit it and let the locals know that we have a vibrant skate scene in this country!!!
Neil is that map correct????

neilk32 · 17-07-2006 02:08PM

yeah im pretty sure thats right everybody in portlaoise knows where its is anyway. its really easy to find from the bust stop. and if your driving just get directions to the cinema and from the front of the cinema go straight ahead and turn right at fitzmaurice(big set of steps and monument) and its right there. i'm looking forward to skating it this wednesday cant wait..

JahEerie · 17-07-2006 02:44PM

Having been involved in both Lucan & Bushy its sad to say that some people in public office either:
(1) don't have a clue or
(2) are on the take.
Rhino ramps are a load of ****e.
When ya see what they actually charge, I don't know how they can keep a straight face.
Unfortunately councils won't do anything different UNLESS locals get involved.

At one stage Lucan was gonna be a similarly crap modular set-up.
After we explained what really worked with Derek Keating (councilor) things actually changed.
Bushy was something similar.

Rhino (& others) don't give a ****e about skatin - its just business.
If you're in the process of gettin a park in your area GET INVOLVED.
Anybody who thinks that materials other than concrete will work in (rainy) Ireland is deluding themself.
Concrete parks last forever & keep scenes goin.

The state awarded a million euro specifically for skateparks last year
- it sounds like a lot of money, but when its split up all over the country its not. As long as Rhino get their way, funding will disappear & ramps/modular crap will be rotting in the rain.

If ya want something done right, do it yourselves (are at least get involved with other people who can)

Cheers,

JohnBoy

IrishHomer · 25-08-2008 05:24PM

K I Think Its A Gud Skatepark:o

Cos Im A Crap Skater...:(

Ny Way Datz Wat I'd Say . Iz Dere Really Scunbags Under

The Ramp :eek: :eek:

:eek:

neilk32 · 26-08-2008 04:13PM

its closed down now i think, school needed room for prefabs, trying to relocate it.

Kenjd · 27-08-2008 01:50PM

Yeah heard that it was closed as well. Hopefully when they reopen one it'll be better. The ground surface was really bad, old tarmac...ouch!

shortys94 · 27-08-2008 03:12PM

Are there supposed to be any more skateparks in the pipeline?

wreckless · 29-08-2008 10:07AM

shortys94 wrote: »

Are there supposed to be any more skateparks in the pipeline?

There are still skateparks popping up. Castletroy just opened one, and Limericks cities skatepark has just opened also. Maradyke in cork is on the books, Athlone has started and Dublin are planing more.

The Dep. Of the Environment will not fund any more skateparks until the pilot scheme skateparks are completed and the report finished, then the minister can sign off on it , say if was successful or not, and then allocate more funding. And bolix to the recession, there is lots of money

Skateparks still to be completed as of August 2008 are Kerry Co. council - Tralee skatepark and Westmeath co. council - athlone skatepark.

funding was announced in November 2005, so, almost 3 years later eh?

shortys94 · 29-08-2008 03:17PM

You know the map of all the skateparks in Ireland, is that still up to date? I think you created it wreckless with google maps?

galwayfeen · 02-09-2008 03:59AM

i think i speak for everyone when i say rhino is bollix....OBVIOUSLY!
unfortunately there distributed in galway by a playground company LOL
at least we have a sick spot beside our sad excuse for a "skatepark".
anyone have any news on the athlone park,its gonna be concrete
and supposedly is nearly finished?

neilk32 · 03-09-2008 08:03PM

anyone know when athlone is due to be built? also whats the closest skatepark to bellfield? i move to college tomorrow.

galwayfeen · 03-09-2008 10:38PM

yo neil,the closest to bellfield would be the waterford city skatepark,its all concrete,in the "peoples park"

here's some footage of it from boarderco's tour: all the way up to 1:53

neilk32 · 04-09-2008 01:09PM

think you made a mistake there galwayfen belfield is in dublin. waterford is like 2hr 30min away there has to be something closer than that.

galwayfeen · 04-09-2008 04:20PM

ahhhhhhhhh right lol, well theres plenty to chose from then,
you'll find them all here:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=104250628546260356705.00043914dc0ace74c6ba9&om=1&ll=53.46189,-6.987305&spn=4.055984,11.854248&z=7

Kenjd · 05-09-2008 10:24AM

The closest park to Belfield would be Bushy. There are some great spots in UCD but i think its a bust. Your quite close to Monkstown but to be honest its sh*te, and you have to pay in, what a laugh.

the dustman · 19-08-2009 11:54AM

the park is gone...make a new one

Portlaoise Skatepark

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