South Dublin school’s plans to create ‘private Aviva’ in Rathgar square face local backlash

Plans to develop a “private Aviva” in a Victorian square in South Dublin have resulted in significant backlash from nearby residents who argue it will cause “irreversible damage” to the area’s biodiversity and heritage.

Passersby would be forgiven for thinking Kenilworth Square in Rathgar is a public park, but it has been nothing of the sort for decades.

The three-hectare square has a long-standing and contentious history, largely due to its private ownership which appears to have been at odds with residents for decades.

Originally a community space dating back to the construction of the houses in the 1850s, it has acted as a sports grounds for St Mary’s College in Rathmines since its purchase in 1947 from a resident who owned the leasehold.

Now, residents surrounding the square argue its proposed redevelopment will pose significant disruption to the community and cause “irreversible damage” to biodiversity, nature preservation and heritage.

The plans proposed by the school involve the replacement of three grass pitches with an AstroTurf pitch and a hybrid pitch. This is alongside the erection of six 18m-high floodlights, and the construction of a car park, a spectators’ area and a new pavilion for changing rooms, all of which prompted one resident to describe it as the school’s “own private Aviva”.

The plans also provide for a replanting programme, to compensate for the removal of mature trees, some of which residents say date back to the 1860s.

St Mary’s plans to make the grounds available to local sports clubs amid a scarcity of pitches in South Dublin, with residents claiming it is purely a “commercial venture”.

“This is not a local spat of residents versus St Mary’s. It is a far bigger issue, and it should concern all Dubliners,” said Martin Joyce, who set up the Protect Kenilworth Square Committee along with three other residents.

“So much of Dublin’s heritage has been destroyed and with the recent passing of the landmark EU Nature Restoration Law, the plans by St Mary’s College fly in the face of nature conservation,” he said.

A younger couple on the square questioned why they had to follow strict rules when upgrading their newly purchased home, one of the 87 protected structures in the square, while St Mary’s College can “tear up grass and lay down plastic”.

All but two of the surrounding houses, which were developed surrounding the plot of land, are protected structures which are steeped in history.

For example, it was at the door of number 53 where Arthur Griffith stood moments before entering and handing Éamon de Valera the final draft of the Anglo-Irish Treaty on December 2nd, 1921. The house acted as de Valera’s temporary presidential office during the negotiations after his house on Cross Avenue in Blackrock was raided by British soldiers.

Just two doors down, albeit roughly two decades later, Louis le Brocquy painted Tennis Courts in May, Kenilworth Square, Dublin, 1944 while residing at number 51.

The proposed development is the latest hurdle in a long-running saga surrounding the park’s ownership.

While residents maintained access to the land after its purchase in 1947, things took a turn for the worse when a fence was erected to stave off an increase in antisocial behaviour in the 1990s.

Some residents still have a letter from 1999, seen by The Irish Times, which assured their continued access in light of new fencing. However, the gates were locked to residents and the public.

That same year, locals took a Circuit Civil Court case seeking a declaration that they were entitled to a right of way to use the park. Judge John O’Hagan ruled that they were not entitled to a right of way or “private key” access, and since then they have found themselves looking in from the perimeter.

“We raised two sons in this house, and neither has ever been in that park,” said a local mother who has lived there for more than 20 years. “There’s a sign there that says ‘no dogs allowed’ and ‘no trespassing’, they might as well say no dogs or locals,” said another resident.

Mr Joyce, however, said the campaign, which is backed by conservationists and historians, was “not about access at all” but to protect the integrity of the square and “prevent its commercialisation”.

“We have learned over 25 years to live with no access and have rallied now against the proposed destruction of the park and its vital wildlife habitats and ecology, nothing else,” he said.

Since the plans were revealed in April, Mr Joyce said the committee had made numerous attempts to engage with the school and its planning consultants, but had been unable to secure meetings.

St Mary’s College, which has not yet applied for planning permission, declined to comment. However, those familiar with the plans say the development is “not being seen as a commercial venture – rather a timely upgrade of facilities”.