Ringsend has undergone many changes in recent years. Efforts have been made to improve the area and there is evidence of this in the new footpaths being laid on the main streets. Trees have been planted, the library transformed and Bridge Street boasts some beautiful-looking shop fronts which hark back to an earlier age.

Yet much work remains to be done. Litter is an ongoing problem and it has been suggested that the corporation are planning to urge the people of the area to consider taking part in the Tidy Towns competition. This would result in a cleaner and better-looking Ringsend, complementing the many changes undergone by the village in recent times. We asked local people for their opinions on these and other matters…

Helen Yourell looks at the area outside the church and she is not happy.

“It’s downright disgraceful. The road and what is supposed to be the path merge into one. It’s very dangerous.” She fears for the safety of pedestrians and worries about what might happen if things remain as they are.

“There were four metal bollards there and now there’s only two there because cars have crashed into them. That corner is a deathtrap.”

She’s lived in Ringsend a long time and knows what she is talking about. Although she is unhappy about some of the changes that have been made, there are others which she feels have improved the area, like the library and the shop fronts on Bridge Street.

“I like the library, I’ve lived across from it all my life and I think it’s beautiful. It could do with some plants around it but the kids would wreck them.”

Bridge Street looks good but the Chinese takeaway looks awful– it wouldn’t cost them that much to do it up.”

Helen thinks that there is a lot more to be done, pointing out that poor lighting and litter are problems which need to be addressed.

“The street lighting is rotten, there are rusty poles all over and we don’t have enough lighting at night. Then there’s the cigarette butts littered everywhere and the drains that don’t work properly. They really need to do something to sort those things out.”

Anna Goad has other concerns. With all the work that has been going on, she has lost a lot of her trade, and nobody in the Corporation seems willing to discuss these matters with her.

“The paths are wider which can make it impossible when you’re driving. On top of that they’ve put in a bike path right outside my door, so locals can no longer pull up outside and come in to buy their paper. So much of my trade is passing trade and they took that away from me. I had a lot of hassle when they were building the path, I lost so much business that they might as well have told me to take two weeks’ holidays.”

Anna is frustrated at what she sees as a lack of consultation.

“I don’t think they’re thinking of the people who have to earn a living. Not once did they come and discuss things with me or ask my opinion on anything and that is disappointing.

The library is lovely and they are on the verge of improving the place but they need to think of the people more. I’ve rung them over 20 times to talk to someone about this and not once has anybody returned my call.”

There are good things and bad things about these changes, she says. And it’s not all doom and gloom.

“I’m all for the docklands project and my kids have benefited from it, but it’s all ‘build, build, build’ and Ringsend is changing, what with people moving in and the kids here not being able to afford housing.”

Local man John Byrne is happy with the footpaths.

“I like what they’ve done with the footpaths, it’s far better than the way things were as far as I’m concerned. But I can’t say the same about the library– it’s taken away the character of it.”
What he doesn’t like is the volume of traffic coming through Ringsend and the lack of planning that goes into developments.

“We’ve too much traffic coming through and I don’t think there should be any heavy vehicles coming through this way. There’s no protection for the people in this area: when you think of the incinerator and the traffic issue it’s all very haphazard. They improve the footpaths for walking on but that’s about it.”

John thinks that a Tidy Towns campaign might be possible but the corporation must make the first move.

“It’s up to each individual. If they lead the way and lead by example there might be a chance. The corporation is falling down on their commitments. They’re not enforcing the law when it comes to litter and you can’t expect people to be cleaning up other people’s rubbish.”

“The only law around here is the clampers, everyone apart from motorists can do what they like. The corporation left bins but they weren’t emptied often enough so the whole thing collapsed. There’s not enough law and order to enforce any of these initiatives.”

Mary Connolly looks at the footpaths with puzzlement.

“I don’t think much of the footpaths. Just look at all the dirt around the place. They’re supposed to drain the water when it rains but it doesn’t work and that’s a problem for the people in the houses alongside the footpath.”

“I like the trees if only people would leave them alone. The library looks pretty good but that sloping wall alongside it is an eyesore.”

She likes Bridge Street but laments the need for security measures. “Bridge Street looks great and I think other businesses should follow suit and go for the traditional look. The only problem is the metal shutters outside businesses. I wish that they weren’t there but that’s the times we’re living in.”

Mary supports the idea of a Tidy Towns effort. For her it means a chance for the whole community to pull together as one. “The Tidy Towns is a good idea but everyone would have to work together. Shops would have to keep the outside of their premises tidy, and the same for all those chippers around the place.

“It’s a question of responsibility and every single one of us has a part to play.”

The new Ringsend: Above: Rebecca Murphy and Lauren Mitchell outside the Hobbler’s End.