Plans to develop a “private Aviva” in a Victorian square in South Dublin have resulted in significant backlash from nearby residents who argue it will cause “irreversible damage” to the area’s biodiversity and heritage.
Originally a community space dating back to the construction of the houses in the 1850s, it has acted as a sports grounds for St Mary’s College in Rathmines since its purchase in 1947 from a resident who owned the leasehold. The plans also provide for a replanting programme, to compensate for the removal of mature trees, some of which residents say date back to the 1860s.
All but two of the surrounding houses, which were developed surrounding the plot of land, are protected structures which are steeped in history.the final draft of the Anglo-Irish Treaty on December 2nd, 1921. The house acted as de Valera’s temporary presidential office during the negotiations after his house on Cross Avenue in Blackrock was raided by British soldiers.The proposed development is the latest hurdle in a long-running saga surrounding the park’s ownership.
That same year, locals took a Circuit Civil Court case seeking a declaration that they were entitled to a right of way to use the park. Judge John O’Hagan ruled that they were not entitled to a right of way or “private key” access, and since then they have found themselves looking in from the perimeter.
“We have learned over 25 years to live with no access and have rallied now against the proposed destruction of the park and its vital wildlife habitats and ecology, nothing else,” he said.