Cabbage Patch park revamp

A plan is under way to give the historic cabbage patch park off Kevin Street a revamp and create a safe space that can cater to all members of the community.

In recent years, the patch – a former graveyard that contains a small all-weather football pitch – has become associated with anti-social behaviour and no longer serves the community as it once did.

The project, expected to take three to five years to complete, is being funded by Dublin City Council with an investment of about €3.5million. It is also being backed by local groups such as the Iveagh Trust, YMCA, St Patrick’s Cathedral, Iveagh Celtic Football Club, and An Garda Síochána.

“The area has been left in neglect and this has led to anti-social behaviour especially around Halloween time,” said Kelley Bermingham, who works at the community offices of St Patrick’s Cathedral. “There’s a real need for a change of dynamic in the area.”

She said that at the moment there’s no space for the local football club to play league games but hopes that in the future they can make this possible.

Bermingham also hopes to get everyone in the community involved in the project. “The scouts are helping with the project so in the future they can make use of the grounds to practice for their camping trips.”

Another group hoping to help out are “Care After Prison” who support people who are affected by imprisonment. Bermingham said, “the plan is that they’ll help by making flower boxes for the gardens.”  

After a successful public meeting on February 19th, Bermingham said it was clear that people are enthusiastic about the revamp. “This is the most goodwill I have ever seen for a project like this. The majority of people in the area want there to be a change.”

According to Bermingham, it’s also the first time the Garda Síochána have been involved in a project with even the superintendent attending the meeting. “There has been a lot of anger targeted towards the Garda and we’re hoping to change that perception with better policing of the area.”

There are other ways for the public to get involved. People can submit their ideas for the gardens to southeast@dublincity.ie. The Liberties Dublin Twitter and Facebook pages will also be posting about further meetings or updates on the project.