No man's land near St Finian's school off Jugback Lane, Swords

pinkypinky

Despite living in the area for years, I only recently discovered this little area between the water treatment plant and the school. Some bushes were cut down and I spotted it.

Unfortunately there's a lot of dumping and obviously the bushes were cut down to make it a bit safer to walk through.

It could be a great little amenity if it's spruced up a bit.

McAlban

Do You mean between St. Finian's and the Council Depot? Here

This was originally, when the By-Pass was being built, supposed to be the new R125, extending from the Roundabout on the R132 at the Sluagh Hall all the way to the other Council Depot on the Rathbeale Rd. Google Maps will show you the alignment which is still preserved or in use as residential roads.

I believe once residents moved into Pine Grove, Broadmeadows etc. they objected to the road and watery lane was upgraded instead, but I've only ever heard anecdotes. I was very young at the time.

pinkypinky

Yes, that's exactly the place.

Singer

The road was built, but never used. It came up a while ago when the Swiftway proposal wanted to use the route. There's some references to it in various articles in the Fingal Independent:

http://www.independent.ie/regionals/fingalindependent/entertainment/new-arrivals-breathe-life-into-swords-posh-grove-27787046.html

http://www.independent.ie/regionals/fingalindependent/news/call-for-meeting-on-green-space-at-jcs-supermarket-30018941.html

http://www.independent.ie/regionals/fingalindependent/news/the-mother-and-father-of-a-row-over-bendy-buses-30882866.html

McAlban

Great Info Singer,

I went to school in St. Finians and always wondered about this stretch of "Road". I'd cycle down it rather than brave the Rathbeale Road.

I had heard from the Father in Law about this. They lived close by, off the Rathbeale Road and anecdotally he claimed the upgraded R125 (no idea what it was called back then); was routed through Watery lane and the Social Housing Estates of Mooretown and Abbeylea rather than the "Posh" estates of Pine Grove and Broadmeadows.

The safety point is valid, I know of at least one child killed on the stretch between the entrance to Pine Grove and JC's, by a speeding motorist in a 50kmph Zone. However one death in 30 years is a very low number. Compare it to the Murrough Road and Glen Ellan roads which are built between two estates also, but to a very high quality.

Closed by Ray Burke, that bastion of Public representation and the cheek of Ann Devitt to criticise a planning application! Hard to Judge without further info. But Stinks of NIMBYism.

The Loss of Green Space is also a Straw Man Argument, Approx 4,000sqm out of 43,000sqm. Less than 10%!

L1011

You can clearly see the path reserved to run further west as well - suspect its a rare case of forward planning rather than objections stopping. People will talk up their "impact" on something not happening. It was clearly never going to be part of the bypass as its on the wrong axis!

McAlban

It wasn't meant to be part of the By-Pass; By looking at the alignment you can see it was probably meant to be a feeder road to the Roundabout in Lissenhall. "bypassing" the village centre.

This was a Planned Route, indeed forward planned as you say, but looking at Stingers linked articles the residents themselves say they buried the road to stop it being used.

In the attached, you can see the Original Route (Pink) the Current Route (Orange) and in Red the built up areas at the time. (Mid 70's).

The Davestator

I went on a field trip down that road with my St. Finians science class in 1993!