{"id":66857,"date":"2025-10-08T10:09:10","date_gmt":"2025-10-08T10:09:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/66857\/"},"modified":"2025-10-08T10:09:10","modified_gmt":"2025-10-08T10:09:10","slug":"dublin-grandmother-discovers-plan-to-demolish-home-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/66857\/","title":{"rendered":"Dublin grandmother discovers plan to demolish home \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Patricia Barber (83) has lived in the same house in Ballymun<\/a>, Dublin<\/a>, since 1967.<\/p>\n

Barber had no intention of leaving until a planning application appeared in August threatening to raze it to the ground. <\/p>\n

She was never informed of the plan to knock down her home of 58 years until a site notice appeared on the green outside detailing a new 463-unit development by Tuath Housing Association<\/a>, an approved housing body.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe neighbour knocked on me door and he just said to me: \u2018Patty, they\u2019re going to take down your house.\u2019 I was thinking: \u2018Feck off with yourself,\u2019 but that\u2019s exactly what it said. I couldn\u2019t believe it,\u201d Barber says.<\/p>\n

The planning application to Dublin City Council<\/a> shows the scheme spans over three hectares of land, including the Coultry Road site, where the former Ballymun flats were located before being demolished in 2012. <\/p>\n

It comprises 190 one-bed homes, 226 two-beds and 47 three-beds, in 10 blocks up to six storeys high.<\/p>\n

The development involves the demolishing of four family homes, 62-65 Coultry Gardens, as well as two community gardens. <\/p>\n

A decision on the planning application is due by the middle of October.<\/p>\n

\"GardíníGard\u00edn\u00ed Gl\u00f3r na nGael community gardens, which would be demolished under the planning application, has vegetable patches and mature trees. Photograph: Dan Dennison <\/p>\n

Dublin City Council said it would not be commenting on the Ballymun plan.<\/p>\n

In response to questions from The Irish Times, Tuath said it \u201cunderstands concerns in relation to a number of homes affected by this development\u201d and that it would \u201cengage with local residents to ensure that information is clear, concerns are heard and the benefits of the development are understood\u201d.<\/p>\n

Barber was born and raised in the city centre neighbourhood of East Wall, before moving to Ballymun on March 10th, 1967, with her husband and three young children.<\/p>\n

She describes the move as like \u201cgoing out to the countryside\u201d. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt was pure country, there were cows and all,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was great, we had great neighbours. I know when the flats went up, some of the kids were kind of carrying on, but it was no different from anywhere else. They were lovely people. Some of my best friends lived in the flats. <\/p>\n

\u201cIn this neighbourhood, here in Coultry Gardens, we never had an ounce of trouble.\u201d <\/p>\n

[\u00a0\u2018A scheme for the wealthy\u2019: Just 7% of applicants have had defective concrete homes fixedOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

\"PatriciaPatricia Barber (left) and her two daughters, Caroline and Nathalie. Photograph: Dan Dennison <\/p>\n

She does not want to leave her home, where her daughter and granddaughter live, and where generations of Barbers have passed through.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I can\u2019t stay in Coultry Gardens, I\u2019m not moving into another area,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Her daughter, Nathalie Barber, says the way in which the family found out about the proposed demolition was \u201cdeeply upsetting\u201d and \u201cimpersonal\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was in the plans for several years, but we were never told. Nobody came to our door to tell us,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

The lack of communication from both the council and the developer \u201chas to change\u201d, she says, noting things could have been \u201cvery different\u201d if the residents were consulted earlier. <\/p>\n

\u201cNobody wants a massive-scale development like this [beside them], but there is vacant land, and the majority of people aren\u2019t against building houses \u2013 but not more high-rises,\u201d Nathalie says.<\/p>\n

[\u00a0Ballymun to get biggest social housing development since towers demolitionOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

This point is echoed by several of the residents. Michelle Winter believes residents would not object to a better mix of units, with more two- and three-bed houses.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter living with concrete buildings for years upon years, I don\u2019t understand why this would be done again out here. Why would you start sticking up all these apartments again, right on top of people?\u201d Winter asks. <\/p>\n

Another resident, Stephen Hanlon, also agrees things could have been different if they had been informed of the plans earlier.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf they\u2019d have met us beforehand and asked what was needed, or what the issues were that we had with these plans, we could have told them, and perhaps some negotiation could have taken place,\u201d Hanlon says.<\/p>\n

The most significant loss stated by all the residents is the planned clearing of the two community gardens, Muck and Magic and Gl\u00f3r na nGael.<\/p>\n

Martin Maughan, a resident of Coultry Gardens, set up Gard\u00edn\u00ed Gl\u00f3r na nGael 20 years ago and it now has vegetable patches, mature trees and is home to bats, foxes and birds.<\/p>\n

[\u00a0\u2018We should be making homes, not units\u2019: Smaller apartments plan could lead to more planning delays and few savings, experts warnOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

\"MartinMartin Maughan and other locals set up Gard\u00edn\u00ed Gl\u00f3r na nGael community gardens. Photograph: Dan Dennison <\/p>\n

Seven people work at the garden on the community employment scheme, while preschool children from the local na\u00edonra come to explore nature, with pumpkin picking, teddy bear picnics and treasure hunts throughout the year.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m shocked to be honest with you,\u201d Maughan says of the plan to clear the garden, which he describes as \u201ca little haven\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe kids come in here when they make their first communion to get photographs taken, we have Halloween parties here. The neighbours don\u2019t have to go across to the shop for their veg, they can come in here,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Sr Lena Deevy is a long-time resident of Ballymun and says the idea of the garden being cleared \u201cbreaks my heart\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cI look at this place, I think it\u2019s lovely, and I think, what will it be like here when it\u2019s gone?\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

[\u00a0Smaller apartments, fewer windows and lifts: What are the planned changes to housing rules?Opens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

\u201cTrees are essential to life. They\u2019re essential to wellbeing. And if we don\u2019t have green spaces, and if we don\u2019t have mature trees, and if we don\u2019t nurture a place like this, there\u2019s no hope for us. We need oxygen. We need life,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

As Maughan\u2019s pumpkins sit ready for harvest, his sunflower blooms hang heavily on their stems, and it is certain the seasons are changing in Coultry Gardens.<\/p>\n

This year, however, its residents must wait for the council to decide to what extent.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Patricia Barber (83) has lived in the same house in Ballymun, Dublin, since 1967. Barber had no intention…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":66858,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[615,13288,3662,61,60,43,45435],"class_list":["post-66857","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-ireland","tag-dublin","tag-dublin-city-council","tag-housing-crisis","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-news","tag-tuath-housing-association"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66857","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=66857"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66857\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/66858"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=66857"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=66857"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=66857"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}