Allotments or ‘plots’ as they were sometimes called were once much more widely used by local people to grow their own vegetables.

I remember allotments on Park Avenue at the number three bus terminus, and I remember in my own childhood days going up there and getting cabbage plants from a Mr Murray.

Later, my brother and I had a small plot up beside the Dart line at Ailesbury Gardens just off Sydney Parade Avenue where we grew cabbages, Brussels sprouts and lettuce more as a hobby than out of necessity. We spent a lot of time tending to this little patch, which we really enjoyed.

The plots on Park Avenue were much bigger than ours and the men, who were mostly retired, grew almost everything: lots of potatoes, cabbage, onions, scallions, rhubarb, etc. I well remember the local greengrocer in Sandymount going up to Mr Murray and getting the best of what he had grown for the shop. You couldn’t get the produce any fresher. People would often go up and buy their vegetables there too.

There was another set of allotments at Ringsend Park down the Pigeon House Road at the end of the ‘drain’ at what was then kown as Gleeson’s Field. George Reynolds House is on that spot now.

While speaking to a Mr Philip Roche out at the Forty Foot recently, he fondly recalled that his Dad had a plot in Gleeson’s Field where they grew the vegetables for their dinner table. As a young lad he helped his Dad to look after the plot. Phil was born and reared in Pembroke Street here in Irishtown and now lives in Dun Laoghaire.

There were also some allotments on the Goatstown Road. I often got rhubarb there and even enquired about renting a plot from the council. They took my details but the next time I was up that way houses were being built on the ground.

In my own family, my late Dad’s family lived in Seafort gardens on Sandymount Road. The family had moved out from the Liberties and my Grandad was very proud of his garden, he would spend hours in it.

It was during the war years, so food was rationed for everyone. That garden certainly fed many a hungry mouth when times were hard. It was great for us going up to our Granney’s on a Sunday morning getting lots of gooseberries and a nice head of cabbage to bring home for the dinner.

While going to Enniskerry recently I saw a sign saying that allotments were available to rent. I suppose in the current economic climate some people may well turn once again to growing their own veggies.