Porterstown Park - Athletics track

Last I heard was that the work to lay the track was "highly weather/temperature dependent" and that they hoped that it would happen in March/April but obviously not...

The running track was laid about 2 weeks ago. I wonder why the lanes haven't been marked.

MSB posted photos: https://www.facebook.com/msbathleticsclub/posts/pfbid0S7FzesdMzy1W11HNBohu8jU9cBAYDpSYnp4rqcZaEWhmBzGJhg5mKvL3t3hDo7LDl

Considering all the housing nearby those people could walk or cycle to Porterstown Park. A full size pitch was lost to create the overflow car park.

I live a 1km walk to the place. It's 1.5km by car. Some of neighbours drive.

I would extent the "able to walk/cycle" radius a good bit but I am biased. We've cycled to NAC (5km each way) to training.

If those within a reasonable radius did not drive it would take pressure off the small amount of parking, making it available to visiting teams. Furthermore, it would be nice if more people used the LCC car park which is open specifically for Porterstown Park overflow. Instead drivers park on the footpath and cycle track. And FCC Traffic Wardens do not do anything about it.

Yes, the narrow in/out slows movements. A second exit is probably not possible because the sight lines are already poor (especially those coming from Castleknock Hotel side).

As for bike parking, I bring mine pitchside. There are new ones between the clubhouse and new track.

LCC parking is very poorly advertised. It's the last menu item on the website - it should be front and centre. Team managers should have been telling parents about it every week but my son's managers only mentioned it once ever.

I didn't suggest a 40 minute radius. Even 2km (20min walk) would help matters.

I was in Rathcoole recently. They have 3 full size pitches (same as Porterstown though it does not have GAA pitches). Their car park is about 50 spaces. They have someone at the gate limiting access to team managers. Everyone else is told to go elsewhere.

Do you think that they should they expand parking in Porterstown?

I see the overflow is open again.

I cycle by this every day so called in yesterday evening for a gander, looks class in fairness but so disappointing to see high chain mail fencing all around it and locked gates. No means of access so I guess unless you're a member of an athletics club and go during their allotted spots, takes any impromptu user out of the equation.

Similar to the cycle track/velodrome type set up in Sundrive Park in Dublin 8, used to go to that occasionally and do laps of an evening until scumbags set plastic bollards on fire on the track and destroyed sections of the tarmac. After a lengthy repair, chain mail fencing was erected and no one could use the facilities unless an accredited member of a time trial club and go during organised meets.

Guess you can't have nice things in this country and they need to be kept behind lock and key for fear of scumbags and wanton vandalism.

MSB posted photos 2 weeks ago and someone asked about access.

The reply: "All this detail is still being ironed out but it definitely won't be free to use at any time as it will be co-managed between MSB and Celtic FC and these clubs will have priority slots. When the clubs are not using it there will be a booking system open to all. Full details still being worked through."

I wonder could they incorporate it into the Saturday 5k parkrun such that the run starts and ends with a lap of the track. Might be a way of opening it for everyone to use once a week and would be a fairly unique parkrun feature in Ireland. Not sure if the position of the track would tie in with the existing parkrun course. Obviously parkrun is free so there could be no charge.

That's ridiculous. It's publicly funded, it has taken up a huge part of what was a publicly accessible park. To fence it off and block access to the general public like that and just give certain groups access is wrong.

It would. The open track at Kilbogget Park, Cabinteely, was badly damaged several times by joyriders and arsonists.

An investment like that at Porterstown needs to be protected from the worst destructive gobshites of society, just as you would fence off Tennis courts or a BMX track.

Have the access rules/procedures been developed yet? The construction took long enough so that would have been a good time to get on with coming up with them.