Campaign group seeks judicial review over planning exemptions granted by Dublin City Council
Originally a community space when the houses were built in the 1850s, the three-hectare park has been used as sports grounds by St Mary’s College in Rathmines since 1947, when the college purchased it from a previous leaseholder.
In July, the school applied for a planning exemption to install an astroturf sports pitch and 1.2-metre fencing at Kenilworth Square.
Dublin City Council (DCC) planners granted the exemption on August 22.
However, this decision has left a group of “concerned parents, locals and residents” outraged, prompting them to prepare the judicial review case against Dublin City Council.
According to the campaign group Protect Kenilworth Square, the exemption is just the “first stage of a major development” being planned, including six 18-metre-high floodlights, a new car park, and a pavilion for changing rooms.
Residents fear this is only the beginning of the changes at Kenilworth Square and 2,700 people have signed a petition opposing the overall redevelopment.
The committee has also raised concerns about “irreversible biodiversity damage”, as the plans involve felling eight heritage trees dating back to the latter half of the 19th century.
A source familiar with the plans on behalf of St Mary’s College, said: “While it is necessary to take down some ‘end-of-life’ trees at present for health and safety reasons, believed to be around eight, there are three times the number of new trees being replanted.
“The Kenilworth Square project is primarily concerned with providing upgraded facilities for the school as well as several local sports clubs who face a shortage of adequate training and playing facilities.
“Along with two new pitches (one being 4G to improve all weather access) is the replacement of the clubhouse with a new single-storey clubhouse which is more in keeping with the square’s architecture.
“It will include environmentally friendly additions including solar panels.
“The new pitches are not only for the school, but they are also being made available to the wider community.
“This is the same model the school used with its new front pitch in St Mary’s College in Rathmines where hundreds of boys and girls train most evenings of the week for a variety of local GAA and football clubs,” they added.
A spokesperson for Protect Kenilworth Square said: “The matter is now subject to judicial review. We hope that the findings will concur with our view that this exemption is inappropriate.”
A spokesperson for Dublin City Council said they “cannot provide a comment” at this time.
On October 10, St. Mary’s College reached out to residents of Kenilworth Square to provide an update on proposed developments and to invite feedback.
“We would like to hear from residents of the Square, whether via email, letter, or in-person meetings,” the college said.
It also confirmed plans to introduce “six focused floodlights” and “replace the old pavilion” with a new, energy-efficient structure designed to accommodate both boys and girls.
The college said it hopes to “enhance sports facilities for students and local children”, adding that “for every one tree removed, we will plant an additional 9.25 new trees”.
“Our goals are to improve the sports facilities in Kenilworth Square for the students of St Mary’s College and to change a space currently utilised by just one school into a community resource for local boys and girls,” they added.
