Article on Pres

[enby]

Interesting piece written by Jim Murray on the closure of Pres at page 12 of the link below:

http://www.sandycoveandglasthule.ie/arc ... _Apr07.pdf

[Rocker]

That is a very interesting article and great old photos. I enjoyed also reading all the other articles. It is interesting to see the replies from election candidates. I know I wouldn't have a hard enough neck to try for politics.

[Navanman]

Very Interesting!

I just love looking at "old" papers like that.

Used love the "Southside" when I lived in D/L

Does it still exist?


NM

[Rocker]

Used love the "Southside" when I lived in D/L

Does it still exist? NM

Yes, still great and there is a DunLaoghaire Gazette. I think they are on line.

[grammer]

Like no t working for me

[Rocker]

I hadn't heard much about Presentation College for years. Then enby posted the great article. This morning (I'm still reading Sunday's papers) saw where Ben Dunne had bought the playing fields in 2008 to build a swimming pool, six pitches and gym. The area is 4.3 acres and he paid about €5million. He has agreed terms with Dún Laoghaire Rathdown Co Co to sell them the site. It will be interesting to see what they build there.

[Rocker]

Read a little more about the playing fields at Pres. If the Council buys them they will be used for recreational purposes. Now, that is a good thing. I haven't been around there for years but over 4 acres of green facilities will be wonderful if developed for all the youth.

http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V1,725276,727697,7,3

[enby]

I hadn't heard much about Presentation College for years. Then enby posted the great article. This morning (I'm still reading Sunday's papers) saw where Ben Dunne had bought the playing fields in 2008 to build a swimming pool, six pitches and gym. The area is 4.3 acres and he paid about €5million. He has agreed terms with Dún Laoghaire Rathdown Co Co to sell them the site. It will be interesting to see what they build there.

As far as I remember Cuala GAA Club was the underbidder when Ben bought the field. My understanding is that the land is held on a sporting lease so can only be used for recreational purposes.

I have great memories of the field, of the always cold showers, of the smell of freshly cut grass on Sports Day, of standing under the posts waiting for the other side to take yet another conversion, of a certain fella in the year ahead of me whose party piece was to plunge into and roll around the mucky puddle that was always beside the dressing rooms

[Micheál]

Hi Enby,

Cuala looked at the site and were genuinely interested but they never made a formal bid. The price tag was simply too big (even by the crazy standards of the day). Best decision they never made!

The site is zoned recreation AND educational. As such, it would be suitable for a gym or a school or a shooting range or a dog track or a university or anything else that fits this broad description.

M.

[Micheál]

Council has bought those sports fields -

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/ben-dunne-sells-glasthule-site-to-local-authority-at-3-5m-loss-1.1510089?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

[Rocker]

I know it sounds like a tot of money for the Council to shell out but, we need more dedicated sports places so people can try to start to get fit at an early age. All the Hungarians and Poles around my way use every facility every minute of the day while the Irish kids sit around smoking and drinking...we don't have the fitness ethos.

[Navanman]

Agree Rocker
When I was on holidays I came down in the morning to my "full Irish" while all the "mainland Europeans" were sitting down to an apple or Mousli (don't know how to spell that).

Most of us Irish definately need more exercise and a healthier lifestyle.


NM

[keeper]

Yes Rocker ! Spot on, I was on a trip to Germany in the late 70s and the local gym/ community facility was open 24/7 to facilitate shift workers etc. and I was amazed at the fitness ethos in the town, lots of people going there before work, they have a different approach to lifestyle for sure, it was also nice to see entire families going to the gym as well, but then Germany did and still does invest in these facilities, usually these places had an all weather and grass soccer pitches as well as the gym/ basketball/volley ball/ soft ball courts plus tennis courts, but the most important thing was, these facilities were being fully used, day and night. This is replicated in almost every town in Germany, no wonder as a nation it excels at sports, which makes the achievements of our World Champions past and present so remarkable coming from a country which has very few suchlike facilities.