Dunsink Lane - When was it closed off?

Wishbone Ash

Hi all,

Was out for a long spin on the bike today. I went up Dunsink Lane at the Ratoath Road end but had to return again as it cordoned off about a mile in. Has it been closed for long? It's many years since I've been up there. I was intending to go around by the observatory and back onto the new River Road.

(I had to fight off half the dogs in Finglas on my way up only to have to turn back and do it all again! )

PS - I'm aware that the Rathoath Road end was closed off with concrete bollards for a while a number of years ago. It's the other end I'm asking about.

charlemont

I think the agreement with the residents was to open the original barrier and instead block off the part you just described. Not a place I'd frequent though, Your probably lucky to make it out safe.

Wishbone Ash

charlemont wrote: »

I think the agreement with the residents was to open the original barrier and instead block off the part you just described

Thanks charlemont.

charlemont wrote:

Your probably lucky to make it out safe.

I've been to worse.

Gumbo

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Hi all,

Was out for a long spin on the bike today. I went up Dunsink Lane at the Ratoath Road end but had to return again as it cordoned off about a mile in. Has it been closed for long? It's many years since I've been up there. I was intending to go around by the observatory and back onto the new River Road.

(I had to fight off half the dogs in Finglas on my way up only to have to turn back and do it all again! )

PS - I'm aware that the Rathoath Road end was closed off with concrete bollards for a while a number of years ago. It's the other end I'm asking about.

couple of years at this stage. cant give an exact date though.

John Mason

end of septermber 2004

Dirk Gently

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Hi all,

(I had to fight off half the dogs in Finglas on my way up only to have to turn back and do it all again! )

Once one dog spots you they all run out from both sides of the road. Walked my 2 dogs up there a few days ago, we were out numbered 5000-1. I was just thinking how quiet and eerie it was walking up the road, like the opening deserted city scene from 28 days later, then out of no where we were getting chased by dogs infected with the rage. Thankfully most of them didn't stray far from their own entrance ways.

Wishbone Ash

Dirk Gently wrote: »

Once one dog spots you they all run out from both sides of the road. Walked my 2 dogs up there a few days ago, we were out numbered 5000-1. I was just thinking how quiet and eerie it was walking up the road, like the opening deserted city scene from 28 days later, then out of no where we were getting chased by dogs infected with the rage. Thankfully most of them didn't stray far from their own entrance ways.

That's exactly what it was like (and a few children joining in too )

stovelid

Used to live near there and went jogging up there until I nearly got eaten by a big mad mutt from one of the sites.

gurramok

If my memory is correct, the barrier was erected first at the Ratoath Rd end resulting in a riot of protest around Oct 2005. Then it was removed and moved to the other end of Dunsink Lane where it has been since.

By the way, is the lane still a dumping ground for all sorts of rubbish? The council used to do a yearly clean!

gurramok

Irishbird is correct on the date. A bit of googling
http://www.breakingnews.ie/archives/2004/1012/ireland/kfqlaugbmhmh/
http://www.rte.ie/news/2004/1011/travellers.html

Degsy

A horrible place..i keep well away.

Wishbone Ash

gurramok wrote: »

Ifis the lane still a dumping ground for all sorts of rubbish? The council used to do a yearly clean!

It looks like it was cleaned recently. No large debris on the road and visible scrape marks presumable caused by a digger bucket cleaning up. The last time I was there, there was rubbish dumped everywhere.

Hannibal

The vast sums paid by FCC to members of the Joyce family to relocate from there was mind boggling, all have big compounds on the Ashbourne Rd now. I remember FCC wanted to clear the travellers out and rezone some of the land for proper housing estates and a new village type thing etc but now it just looks like a few million wasted making millionaires even richer while the area is still a cesspit.

Dirk Gently

Dotsey wrote: »

rezone some of the land for proper housing estates and a new village type thing etc

maybe the travellers done us a favour so.

John Mason

Dotsey wrote: »

The vast sums paid by FCC to members of the Joyce family to relocate from there was mind boggling, all have big compounds on the Ashbourne Rd now. I remember FCC wanted to clear the travellers out and rezone some of the land for proper housing estates and a new village type thing etc but now it just looks like a few million wasted making millionaires even richer while the area is still a cesspit.

my understanding was that Premier Builders got the lands for a song on the understanding that they had to remove the travellers and clean the site up.

they had received planning permission for 2,500 houses, apartments, a hotel, pub and shopping area.

But i am happy with the current status quo, i now have a lovely view from my windows

Degsy

irishbird wrote: »

my understanding was that Premier Builders got the lands for a song on the understanding that they had to remove the travellers and clean the site up.

they had received planning permission for 2,500 houses, apartments, a hotel, pub and shopping area.

But i am happy with the current status quo, i now have a lovely view from my windows

Its could actually be a lovely area if it was cleaned up and maybe landscaped a bit..the section where the little stream is is quite scenic.

Dirk Gently

Degsy wrote: »

Its could actually be a lovely area if it was cleaned up and maybe landscaped a bit..the section where the little stream is is quite scenic.

That little stream seperates dub 11 from dub 15 so Fingal Co Co have control of everything from the stream west. It could be a lovely little walk alright with a bit of a clean up. Originally there was a garden further down that stream and a little wooded area which is over grown now but still there. The ruins on the far side could also be restored or even just cleaned up a bit. The original walled gardens are still there.

I must get onto fingal and check out who owns what. It's a huge plot going from valley park up dunsink road and around the river road, if even some of it could be used for recreation it would be great. I think there's issues with private land and also the finglas horse and pony club which use some of the land. It seems a shame not to have it opened up for recreation especially with the new addition to tolka valley park nearly complete. Last thing I'd want to see on it would be another housing estate tbh.

Degsy

I've often wondered if there were any fish in that stream..it was probably a trout stream back in teh day.

Dirk Gently

Back in the 80's/90's we use to net minnow for bait from the stream and walk down to the tolka for trout then. It's a decent stream in wet months but in summer it's more like a puddle in parts. It's also stepped on morgans property before going into the tolka so trout wouldn't get too far up from the tolka.

Degsy

Dirk Gently wrote: »

Back in the 80's/90's we use to net minnow for bait from the stream and walk down to the tolka for trout then. It's a decent stream in wet months but in summer it's more like a puddle in parts. It's also stepped on morgans property before going into the tolka so trout wouldn't get too far up from the tolka.

Who is this Morgan? Is he local landowner?

Dirk Gently

yeah, it's the flower centre up scribblestown lane. That stream runs through his property before entering the tolka.

gurramok

Dirk Gently wrote: »

I must get onto fingal and check out who owns what. It's a huge plot going from valley park up dunsink road and around the river road, if even some of it could be used for recreation it would be great. I think there's issues with private land and also the finglas horse and pony club which use some of the land. It seems a shame not to have it opened up for recreation especially with the new addition to tolka valley park nearly complete. Last thing I'd want to see on it would be another housing estate tbh.

I was once told back in the late 80's the land was owned by some offshore owner(perhaps French) who just didn't care about the land hence it was used for all sorts. Thats a rumour though.:)

John Mason

i have to say we used it a lot during the summer.

a bit of guerilla gardening, blackberry, sloe, elderflower and elderberry picking

its also lovely for a stroll in the evening or a chill out at the stream

SteoL

Dirk Gently wrote: »

Degsy wrote: »

Its could actually be a lovely area if it was cleaned up and maybe landscaped a bit..the section where the little stream is is quite scenic.

That little stream seperates dub 11 from dub 15 so Fingal Co Co have control of everything from the stream west. It could be a lovely little walk alright with a bit of a clean up. Originally there was a garden further down that stream and a little wooded area which is over grown now but still there. The ruins on the far side could also be restored or even just cleaned up a bit. The original walled gardens are still there.

I must get onto fingal and check out who owns what. It's a huge plot going from valley park up dunsink road and around the river road, if even some of it could be used for recreation it would be great. I think there's issues with private land and also the finglas horse and pony club which use some of the land. It seems a shame not to have it opened up for recreation especially with the new addition to tolka valley park nearly complete. Last thing I'd want to see on it would be another housing estate tbh.

When I lived in Finglas we used to refer to those ruins as 'Slater's Castle' with all the haunted rumors that usually accompanies such a thing.

We used to drink and 'smoke' in the valley there Hope that's stopped now.

Dirk Gently

gurramok wrote: »

I was once told back in the late 80's the land was owned by some offshore owner(perhaps French) who just didn't care about the land hence it was used for all sorts. Thats a rumour though.:)

yeah, think it was an english land owner who fecked off to monte carlo. He could never be contacted though. Not sure if he's still alive or has any claim left on the land.

Rumour has it slater's still alive though.

Hannibal

gurramok wrote: »

I was once told back in the late 80's the land was owned by some offshore owner(perhaps French) who just didn't care about the land hence it was used for all sorts. Thats a rumour though.:)

I think I remember an English woman being mentioned when FCC were trying to track the owners down a few years ago to make a CPO, and then the travellers were claiming squatters rights as there had never been an attempt to remove them from the land which resulted in I think €5.5m paid out to remove some families courtesy of FCC.
As far as I know although the Lane is officially on FCC land, DCC look after some of the sites of which I think there's three in total. The same is at postal level where D11 take St Marys Park and D15 take the rest.
It must be said though that not all the dumping in the Lane is done by travellers and there has been cases of trucks being caught in the act and allegations by the travellers of settled people dumping their household rubbish.