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Dunboyne Combined Residents Association
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DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2000
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TOWARDS A DUNBOYNE DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2000 SUBMISSION TO MEATH COUNTY COUNCIL, JULY 1999 Towards a Dunboyne Development Plan 2000 Part 1 - Strategic Planning Guidelines for Greater Dublin Area
Part 2 - Meath County Council County Development Plan Review: Strategic Issues Statement
Part 3 - Archaeology and Heritage
The Dunboyne Combined Residents Association is an organisation of fourteen Residents Associations representing more than one thousand one hundred households. The agenda of DCRA is built on the interests and concerns of its membership and those whom it represents. The collective objective of DCRA is to improve the environment of Dunboyne and its environs and to enhance the village and its amenities. The aim of DCRA is to make Dunboyne a desirable place to live and to improve the quality of life of its Community. DCRA is pleased to submit this document to Meath County Council on behalf of its membership. We hope that it will register its influence as a democratic statement by our Community as a contribution to the County Development Plan 2000. DCRA thanks its Sub-Committee on Planning and the many others who have contributed to this document. In particular DCRA thanks the Old Dunboyne Society.
Jim McGrath Chairman July 1999 Part 1 - Strategic Planning Guidelines for Greater Dublin The Strategic Planning Guidelines for the Greater Dublin Area, published on 25th March 1999, apply to the development of the Greater Dublin Area comprising Dublin City and the surrounding counties of Fingal, DunLaoghaire-Rathdown, South Dublin, Meath, Kildare and Wicklow and for the next 12 years i.e. until the year 2011. "…I intend immediately to formally request each authority to ensure that their plans are fully in line with the strategy". (Mr Noel Dempsey TD, Minister for the Environment and Local Government at the launch of the above document) It is patently obvious that current development policies characterised by urban sprawl, ribbon development and over dependence on private transport are quite unsustainable when faced with predicted growth. In particular, current policies do not contribute to a clear overall vision of the Greater Dublin Area and consequently there is no satisfactory basis for a comprehensive and coherent development strategy. "The principal objective of the Guidelines is to put in place a broad planning framework for the area, which will provide an overall strategic context for the Development Plans of each local authority." (Page, V) European Spatial Development Perspective (ESDP) is exerting, and will even more so exert, a powerful influence on planning. It seeks parity of access to infrastructure and knowledge and prudent management and sustainable development of natural and cultural heritage, the development of attractive towns and the creative management of cultural landscapes and cultural heritage. (Page 5) The principle of sustainable development underpins this document and all future planning and development in Ireland. The overall aim of sustainable development is:- " …to ensure that the economy and society in Ireland can develop to their full potential within a well protected environment, without compromising the quality of that environment, and with responsibility towards present and future generations and the wider international community. (Quoted from "Sustainable Development - A Strategy for Ireland", Page 43). It is increasingly recognised that land use and transportation planning should be integrated and there is a need for a coherent strategy to guide the future planning of both land and transportation in the Greater Dublin Area. (Page 2). Future development must be based around public transport with enhanced opportunities for walking and cycling. Planning strategies and policies will be expected to achieve a reduction in the growth in demand for transport. (Page 44). Further development of Dunboyne, beyond the requirement of local needs, will increase the demand for transport. Two major pressures impinge on Dunboyne: traffic congestion and development from the built-up area of Dublin. (Page VIII). The re-opening of the railway line from Clonsilla to Dunboyne and beyond should be promoted as a means of alleviating the serious traffic congestion and delays already in evidence. The old rail route has been reserved intact and lands have been set aside for a new station and car park facility on Station Road. Residential development is being forced into rural areas and altering their character. This must be prevented. (Page 55) Dunboyne is within the Hinterland Area but relatively close to the Metropolitan Area boundary, which passes through the village of Clonee. The strategy for the Metropolitan Area is one of containment and consolidation and in particular aims to consolidate towns such as Blanchardstown to its approximate design population. Development Plans should include consideration of policies to delineate …villages from adjoining rural area by the designation of development envelopes, stop lines etc. (Page 135 Recommendation 23)
The proposed development in the Hinterland Area has the objective of achieving over a period of time, a number of large towns (or adjacent sets of towns) each self-sufficient with little or no commuting to the Metropolitan Area. The proposed 'development centres' with the exception of Navan are located on an existing transportation corridor (i.e. served by both a passenger rail line and a motorway or dual carriageway). Navan has been selected as a primary centre because of its potential to accommodate considerable levels of development. The provision of enhanced transport links to the Metropolitan Area, including the reinstatement of the inland rail route from Navan to Dublin is recommended. It should be promoted as a way of alleviating the serious traffic congestion and delays already in evidence. However the latter scheme requires further study to decide on its viability because it is noted that the absence of any potential large towns along the route is a constraint and the feasibility of suggested alternative routes needs to be examined. (Page 98) Meanwhile potential routes should be reserved free of development. (Page 98) as should the lands set aside for a new station and car park at Station Road, Dunboyne The Dublin - Navan road is designated for upgrading to dual carriageway standard. (Page VII). A fundamental principle of the strategy is the concentration of development into the Metropolitan Area and into identified 'development centres' in the Hinterland Area. The need for protection will be greatest close to the Metropolitan Area and between that area and the principal 'development centres' of the Hinterland Area. (Page 102) Dunboyne is within the Hinterland. Dunboyne cannot be designated urban. Dunboyne is a village. Development in areas outside the Metropolitan area and the 'Development Centres' should be strictly for local needs only. These needs should be identified in the development plan, which should contain policies strictly controlling urban generated housing in smaller centres and rural areas. [Recommendation 29 p.137] It is proposed that 'Strategic Green Belt' areas are identified in the appropriate Development Plans. Land use in the Strategic Green Belts will, therefore, be primarily rural and include agriculture, forestry and similar activities. Leisure and recreational activities, especially those requiring extensive use of land can also be accommodated in these areas. Other forms of development, including housing and employment activities, should be restricted to local needs only. (Page 102) In Appendix 5 it is shown that all local authorities except Dublin County Borough have sufficient residentially zoned land to accommodate the allocated growth in household numbers until the year 2006. Existing zoned lands could accommodate over 90% of the natural growth estimate. (P.32) In zoning lands for residential use, planning authorities should select only lands meeting all three of the following criteria:-
Except for limited provision for local needs, lands that do not conform to these criteria, should not be zoned. (Recommendation 28 Page 136). Dunboyne is outside the development area and does not satisfy criteria 1 and 2. The pace of recent developments in Dunboyne has overtaken the availability of resources.
Development Plans in the Greater Dublin Area should require the preparation of Area Action Plans for all significant areas of new (housing) development. This relates especially to issues such as density that are more appropriately addressed at local level rather than at regional level. [Recommendation 32 Page 138] It is quite clear that if the proposed strategy for the development of the Greater Dublin Area is generally accepted and if future development is required to comply with the criteria of sustainability then there will be no further significant residential development near the village of Dunboyne. However the proposed rail link from Navan to Dublin, particularly as the initial examination of the project has concentrated on the section from Clonsilla to Dunboyne will almost certainly be used in an attempt to support proposals for further residential development. Dunboyne should be an area that is a pleasant place to live in or to visit, with a high quality of both natural and built environment, should afford residents a high quality of life with excellent opportunities for education and recreation and where there is a clear demarcation between urban and rural areas. ( Page,V) The idea of developing a non self-sustaining village runs the risk of poor demarcation between urban and rural areas. (Page 64) People based employment activities should be located at existing and future public transport nodes with a view to reducing the need to travel. (P, 93) Over the period from 1996 to 2011 the population of the Greater Dublin Area is forecast to grow by up to 17% from 1.40 million to 1.65 million. Allowing for the trend of decreasing household size, this translates into a corresponding increase of 48% in the number of households from 450,000 to 660,000. It is also estimated that the number employed in the Greater Dublin Area will increase by 210,000 during the period. As Dunboyne is in the Hinterland Area and is not a designated "Development Centre", development should be strictly limited to local need. (Page 90 and recommendation 29 p.137) As the population of Dunboyne has doubled in the past few years to an estimated 5,000, it is essential that the area is given time to settle- in and for communities, old and new, to integrate. Our schools, both primary and secondary, are bursting at the seams. There are sufficient lands presently zoned residential to allow the population to grow to 6,000 over the next few years. (Bruton's land on the Maynooth Road 6.97 acres, Tom's Field 1.2 acres and 71 homes beside Luttrell Hall Estate). The Dunboyne Combined Residents Association and the people of Dunboyne are very concerned that the unique identity of Dunboyne and its environs should be preserved. For this to happen it is essential that a Green Belt be maintained between Dunboyne and the Dublin Conurbation which has now spread to the Meath border at Clonee village. There should be no encroachment of building on to lands within the Meath County boundary. The Green Belt space that exists at present is the minimum that should be preserved. The Tolka river flows through this area and there are plans in progress both by Fingal County Council and Dublin Corporation to develop the Tolka Valley Linear Park in their respective jurisdictions. Meath County Council should reserve lands adjoining the Tolka from Batterstown through Dunboyne to the Dublin border for amenity and recreational use, thereby creatively managing our local cultural landscape in accordance with the ESDP document. What is known as the "Cow Park", east of Station Road bridge, must be zoned and developed as amenity land. We feel it is essential that no further development be allowed on the Dublin/Clonee side of Dunboyne village. It is also essential that the lands around Clonee on the Meath side of the border, which form part of this Green Belt, be kept free of development as any extension of the Dublin development into Meath will have a domino effect which in time would be impossible to halt. "Development Plans in the Greater Dublin Area should, where appropriate, identify and designate urban fringe areas (as for example between areas and the Strategic Green Belt areas) and include policies on appropriate land uses in these areas. The need to achieve clear demarcation between urban and rural areas is an important element of the strategy, derived from principles of sustainable development. To accompany the policy outlined above, the development plans should identify 'urban fringe' areas around the large settlements and incorporate land uses in such areas (recreational, etc)." (Recommendation 24 Page 135) A consequence of the strategy is that large parts of the Greater Dublin Area will require to be protected from development, other than that necessary to meet local needs. This need for protection will be greatest close to the Metropolitan Area and between that area and the principal 'development centres' in the Hinterland Area. (Page 102). Dunboyne needs this protection. It is therefore proposed that Strategic Green Belt areas be identified in the appropriate Development Plans. Land use within these areas should be restricted to that compatible with the objectives of concentrating development into the Metropolitan Area and the development centres and securing a clear distinction between urban areas and rural areas. Land uses in the Strategic Green Belt areas will therefore be primarily rural and include agriculture, forestry and similar activities, leisure and recreational activities especially those requiring extensive areas of land can be accommodated in these areas. Other forms of development, including housing and employment activities should be restricted to local needs only. The line of the old Dublin/Navan Railway should form the "stop line" for development on the Clonee side of Dunboyne. Development Plans in the Greater Dublin Area should include consideration of policies to delineate the city, towns and villages from the adjoining rural area by the designation of development envelopes, stop lines etc. Development plans should identify urban fringe areas around the large settlements and incorporate policies for appropriate land uses in such areas (recreational etc). (Recommendatons 23 & 24, Pages 135 & 136) This road should be constructed at the same time as the Clonee By-Pass Extension i.e. as a single project. This project should be funded by the Department of the Environment and should not be conditional on future developments which may or may not take place. The present position is that a huge number of heavy vehicles is using the R.157 to get from the N.3 Navan Road to the N4 Galway/Sligo Road and are choking up the centre of Dunboyne village and seriously damaging the attractiveness of the village as a safe and pedestrian friendly environment. This volume of traffic will greatly increase when the new entrance to Dunboyne is provided from the Clonee By-Pass Extension, as it will then replace the Clonee route as the main entrance to Dunboyne. The lack of this Ring Road R.157 resulted in the DTO Plan Option 1, which was the preferred Option of both Meath County Council and the residents of Dunboyne, having to be shelved pending its construction. During the past year there have been a number of road accidents in the village, one fatal, due to traffic congestion in the village. "It is essential for the public transport schemes to be implemented in concert with new development, since any significant delay will inevitably lead towards unsustainable car-based travel. (Recommendation 28 Page 137) Ring Road R.157 should have been constructed prior to developments in Dunboyne that have occurred since 1995. Provision of this Ring Road should now be a precondition of any additional residential zoning in the Dunboyne area. This extension, which is now at the planning stage, is urgently needed to alleviate the problem of traffic from the Trim/Batterstown Road having to come through Dunboyne village because it is almost impossible and indeed highly dangerous to exit on to the N.3 when travelling towards Dublin. Traffic from Navan/Dunshoughlin on the N.3 entering Dunboyne have to exit the N.3 at a most dangerous point at the Sheaf of Wheat as does traffic from Dunboyne attempting to exit on to the N.3 travelling towards the City at this junction. These junctions are most dangerous at morning and evening peak times creating traffic blockages. This situation should be dealt with as soon as possible. The slip road from the Clonee by-pass extension must not enter the Old Fairgreen housing estate as the significant level of traffic, pollution and risk to children would be unacceptable. Residents of Dunboyne are very curtailed as to where they can walk in safety as the Maynooth/Navan Road, the Summerhill Road and Rooske Road have footpaths that run only short distances along these roads. The Clonee/Station Road has a footpath, which is ideal except for one big problem, in that there is no pathway across the hump-back bridge on Station Road. Pedestrians and cyclists run a serious risk of accident crossing this bridge. As a consequence very few people attempt this risky venture, although some must, as for example school children and elderly people. Travelling from Dunboyne residents would be able to walk and cycle to work/factories to and beyond Clonee if it were possible to cross this bridge safely. We demand and warn that it is a matter of urgency that this problem be resolved before injuries occur. Not to provide a pedestrian/walkway violates the principle of equity of access to infrastructure advocated by the Strategic Planning Guidelines. In compliance with the Strategic Planning Guidelines, future development must be based around facilities with enhanced opportunities for walking and cycling. We propose that Dunboyne Castle and grounds be developed for tourism and amenity uses. The mature wooded grounds, sweeping lawns, secluded walks and central location which is easily accessible to all residents of Dunboyne, make it an ideal location for a town park. While most housing estates have a number of small open spaces there is no proper park in the area and this is the only suitable land left for this purpose. We believe the State should purchase this demesne as a regional tourism amenity with the castle developed along the lines of Malahide Castle, Ardgillan Castle and Newbridge House heritage craft centres. There are no such facilities in South Meath or indeed in the adjoining North/West Dublin area covering the Greater Blancharstown/Castleknock area which now has a population fast approaching 100,000. The grounds could be used for much needed football playing pitches for the GAA and soccer clubs or alternatively for a golf course. Alternative suitable uses for the demesne would suggest a hotel/leisure complex including golf. There are very few remaining country estates with such character and potential so close to the City and we feel it should be zoned as an amenity and leisure facility. Dunboyne Castle and lands are not only important tourist attractions but also are part of our local and national culture which must be protected and preserved. (Page 21) Should additional land be needed for residential or industrial development there is land available in Dunboyne. But there is only one Castle and demesne and it's present zoning for agriculture should remain. Public Open Spaces and Parks Maintenance Developers should be conditioned when granted future planning applications to provide both small overlooked open spaces as well as adequate space for organised recreational activities within the geographically defined development limits. It is essential that all existing public open spaces be sterilised from future development especially because of the pressures for higher density housing. Dunboyne Park should be brought up to standard and should be maintained and managed by Meath County Council. Adequate recreational facilities should be available in conjunction with, or ahead of, new housing development. Provision should be made for both local and regional scale parks and the incorporation of a variety of active and passive recreational opportunities. There is also a demand for high quality indoor facilities. (Page 101 & Page XI) Because of the increased urbanisation of the County there is an urgent need for the County Council to establish a Parks Department similar to those in Dublin City and County. The present situation where developers are unwilling, and the County Council is reluctant to compel them, to meet their obligation to maintain public open spaces results in a financial burden to fall on the residents of new housing developments. While developers are creaming off massive profits they are allowed shirk their responsibility regarding grass cutting and maintenance. A fairer system would be for the County Council to provide this service funded by levies on new developments. There should be a condition on developers of all new housing developments in future that they be held responsible for regular grass cutting on open spaces until such time that the estates are taken in charge by Meath County Council. In the Meath County Council Development Plan 1994, it was proposed (Ref 5.2.5(a)) that signs and nameplates should be an integral part of the proposed elevation. The Plan also favoured the promotion of handpainted signs or signs comprising of individual letters on a timber, stone or plaster background. This does not appear to have been conditioned or enforced in the case of new commercial development in Dunboyne village constructed in the past two years where the signs are of a gaudy plastic type reminiscent of the worst legacy of the sixties type development and totally out of character with the village. Excellent aspirations outlined in the County Meath 1994 Development Plan regarding the provisions of unobtrusive internal security screens has been ignored in the case of this new development in our village. Not only were the screens not provided internally but also they are not even perforated so as to appear translucent. This is such a shame as it can be easily incorporated in new premises and indeed is widely used elsewhere. This type of development makes it almost impossible to persuade other businesses to replace their external shutters with internal screens so as to enhance the appearance of our village. (Ref.5.2.7) The current trend and policy towards higher density housing because of a shortage of building development land would best be served by increasing housing density within Dublin City boundary where services and jobs already exist. Increasing housing density in towns in County Meath would only bring additional social problems as well as further aggrevating the serious traffic congestion, pressure on sewage and water services, public transport and educational facilities. There would be huge additional costs involved in providing these and other community, social and cultural services. Development outside of the designated areas should be strictly limited to local need, and in rural areas should be severely restricted. (Page 90) The net migration of people from Dublin City to County Meath in the past ten years has been a major cause of the traffic crisis in Dublin to-day. With approximately 600 acres of underdeveloped serviced land zoned for residential housing in the Greater Blanchardstown Area much of which stretches from Mulhuddart and Clonsilla to the Meath border at Clonee, we suggest that these lands which have been serviced at considerable cost to the State should be developed and used before additional lands are zoned in the vicinity of Dunboyne. "In particular, each development plan should contain policies strictly controlling urban generated housing in the smaller centres and in the countryside. (Recommendation 29 Page 137) The lands adjoining the Tolka River and its tributary the Castle River, which flows through the centre of Dunboyne, should be developed as a Linear Park, with lands alongside the river reserved for amenity and recreational purposes. Dublin Corporation and Fingal County Council plan to develop the Tolka Valley Linear Park in their respective jurisdictions and we feel Meath County Council should also reserve lands adjoining the rivers from Batterstown to the Dublin border to continue the venture. With the provision of footpaths, cycleways and having the rivers cleaned and stocked with fish, the lands could be managed and maintained as a bird and wildlife sanctuary. This should be Dunboyne's response to the European Spatial Development Perspective document requiring '…the development of attractive towns and the creative management of cultural landscapes'. (Page 5) Both the Castle and Tolka Rivers should be cleaned by the OPW in association with Meath County Council both in the interests of health and as an amenity. A clear commitment in policy and planning is needed to provide cycleways within Dunboyne and between Dunboyne and Blanchardstown. It would enhance the development of the Tolka Valley to include leisure cycleways as well as walkways in the scheme. The Strategic Policy Plan for Greater Dublin Area states that future development must be based around public transport with enhanced opportunities for walking and cycling. The Irish landscape is part of our heritage. The amenity value of trees which are growing in and around Dunboyne must be protected. These trees, including those on the lands of Dunboyne Castle, contribute greatly to the distinctive character of the village. Dunboyne Combined Residents Association as a local organisation interested in the environment, preservation and conservation have the right to be involved and to be consulted at all stages in processes dealing with tree preservation. (Ref 'Tree Preservation - Guidelines for Planning Authorities', 1994) The lands and trees of Dunboyne Castle should be seen as a unique development envelope for preservation. We note that according to the drawings illustrating the existing development plan for Dunboyne, Tree Preservation Orders appear to apply to trees in the centre of the village and some of the trees belonging to the Dunboyne Castle estate. We are concerned that a large number of trees, that have a significant amenity value, are not indicated on the drawings. All trees within a circle of a radius of one kilometer from the centre of the village should be protected by a Tree Preservation Order. The "Cow Park" which consists of approximately thirty acres lies between Dunboyne and Clonee, This property is owned by the State. It should:
Many of the historic and amenity features are also important tourist attractions. As part of the national heritage, these areas and features must be protected and preserved. (Page 21). The European Spatial Development Perspective (ESDP) requires the sustainable development of natural and cultural heritage and the creative management of cultural landscapes and heritage. (Page 5) Dunboyne has a rich heritage to be preserved, to be protected and to be developed. Please refer to Part 3.
Part 2 - Meath County Council County Development Plan Review, Strategic Issues Statement
We acknowledge and are pleased to note that the SIS approach to formulating a development plan for the county is being taken and that DCRA is being consulted and will contribute to this exercise. Issue One: Strategic Sustainable Development Objectives Economic Trends: This SIS document is underpinned by economic assumptions about the Irish economy and its policies are primarily driven by them. Three counterbalancing and restraining elements need to be articulated: balanced development, sustainable development, and especially with respect to Dunboyne, the retention of identity and development of its environs for its community. Population Trends: The housing needs of Metropolitan Dublin must not be used as a pressure on Dunboyne to zone land for housing beyond the needs arising from Dunboyne's own community. Emigration into Meath should be accommodated across the county and not expect Dunboyne to absorb the increasing population to satisfy needs arising outside of Dunboyne itself. The social, educational and roads infrastructures do not exist for further population expansion. We agree that to make Dunboyne a self sustaining balanced settlement is difficult but this must not be used as an excuse to urbanise this village into a dormitory and socially unsustainable town. Industrial Land: Land available in the Dunboyne/Clonee area is limited (8hectares) as are the services available. The only reason therefore to expand housing for employment would be for residents to travel to either Dublin Metropolitan Area or to travel further into Meath to go to work, neither of which supports an argument for housing expansion because of the inadequacy of travel routes infrastructure. Residential Land: The 1996 population of Dunboyne was 3080. The projected population for 2011 is 8,000. The estimated current population is 5,000. Some land is currently zoned for housing which when built on would increase the population to 6, 000. Any additional residential zoned land required would be to accommodate an additional 2,000 population to the year 2, 011. For higher density housing less would be required. Due to the development that has taken place in Dunboyne since 1996, it is strongly to be recommended that no consideration for further rezoning of land for housing development should take place until after 2006. The Dunboyne community, those longer resident and the more recently arrived, needs time to settle and urgent consideration needs to be given to improved infrastructures - social, educational, environmental and traffic. Corridor Management: Before development can take place in Dunboyne an extension of the Clonee Bypass on the N3 and in conjunction with it the construction of the radial link R157 is essential. Only after that should the high quality rail and "park and ride" facilities be developed. Issue Two: The Future of the County's Urban Areas It is regretable that so little is said about the urban environment and about the urban centre as a community amenity. Sustainable communities need more than economic underpinning. The urban setting should aspire to high quality cultural facilitation, social interaction, community cohesion, recreational amenities, community educational encouragements and architectural attractiveness. Quality supervision of projects and transparent consultation with the community should underpin all initiatives within the urban environment. This we regard as a democratic imperative. Where high-density housing is planned our community reserves the right to object to undesirable architectural structures. Dunboyne is a village "the scale and fabric of which must be protected in new development proposals", and "consideration of green belt and other spatial policies" must be given. Issue Three: Strategic Infrastructure Needs Traffic is at present already highly congested both in the village of Dunboyne and its exits. It is not possible to cycle or walk safely into or out of Dunboyne village. We welcome the commitment to improve pedestrian walkways and to construct new walkways. We also welcome the intention to construct new cycleways. No further development should take place in Dunboyne until after the construction of the R157 link road and the construction of the Clonee by-pass extension. The proposed quality rail connection to Dunboyne and "park and ride" facility is welcome together with Quality Bus Corridor linkage proposal. The waste water pipe from Dunboyne through and including Clonee to Fingal has a capacity of 16, 000 person waste which includes residential, industrial, schools and commercial units. With the huge expansion envisaged for bordering Metropolitan Dublin it may not be possible to negotiate increased capacity. Any further development in Clonee will feed into the same waste water system as Dunboyne. Issue Four: The Future of Rural Areas Dunboyne has an ancient history, it enjoys unique landscape qualities, it has a heritage that is both evident and waiting to be explored and developed and benefits from the flow through of two rivers - the Tolka and the Castle. The protection, resourcing and development of this richness should be undertaken not only for the benefit of tourism and Dunboyne's proximity to Metropolitan Dublin but also for educational purposes and above all because they are our heritage. It should be emphasised that the larger high amenity areas of the county should in no way diminish the importance of small and often precious inheritances as found in Dunboyne. Green Belt: In the 1997 Development Plan for Dunboyne it was agree that a green belt between Dunboyne and Clonee should be maintained in order to create a "visual break" between the two urban centres. This policy must be retained and the land developed as an amenity opportunity. No development should be allowed that "would cumulatively erode landscape quality". Dunboyne Castle: Should be retained as zoned - agricultural. Any development undertaken in the Castle and its lands must be within this designated frame of reference.
Part 3 - Archaeology and Heritage Dunboyne has a rich heritage. It gives its name to a barony, village and townland. There are a number of possible origins of the name ‘Dunboyne’:
Some Places and Buildings of Importance and Interest The Green at the centre of the village dates back to the latter end of the last century . Simon Mangan, a magistrate of the time who lived in Dunboyne Castle, planted the trees. It has been the focal point of the village since then.
The Big Tree. Another landmark is what is known as 'The Big Tree'. Though not big any more, it was part of the ceremonies take took place at the old Fair of Dunboyne, which had been licensed as a weekly fair since 1226 and as an annual Fair since 1229. The Fair ceased in the late 1920s, closed down by the Black and Tans during the War of Independence. At the foot of the tree is a shrine, which was blessed by the Pope when he visited Maynooth as part of the Papal visit in September 1979. It replaced a previous shrine, which was erected in 1932, the year of the Eucharistic Congress. Barrack Lane. On the way out of the village towards the Navan road just beyond Avondale terrace. Here there are remains of a range of small houses, some only having 1 room, 1 door and one window with no facilities. There were large families raised in some of those houses. Courthill. An important house on the Summerhill road with an attractive lodge at the entrance. Brady's pub. This pub is very well known and has featured in books to do with Irish vernacular buildings. It won a European Heritage award some years back. The Mill. Mill farm got its name from a corn mill on what the farm at the time. It dates back to at least 1654 – the date of the Civil Survey in Co. Meath. This mill ground an average of 200 barrels weekly. Mills such as this would have been a standard feature on a thriving manor. The shell of the building remains in the fields on the Navan side of the Mill Farm estate. The building is in poor condition and should be regarded as dangerous. There are three housing ranges within the village all of which date back to the last century: 1. Chapel View which, as its name implies, is situated across the main street from the Chapel. One of the houses is now in commercial use. 2. Avondale terrace – is a range of houses around from Kellys Corner , on the right hand side, which named in memory of Parnellite era in Dunboyne. Two of these houses are now in commercial use. Like Chapel View, there has been no material changes made to the exterior of any of the houses. 3. St. Mary's Terrace further up from Avondale is a range of houses, all of which are private residential houses. One of these houses was materially changed some years ago by a previous owner, to the detriment of the overall range. It is to be hoped that the house will be returned to its former appearance at some time in the future. St. Patrick's Park is a combination of houses built in different decades and styles from around the middle of this decade. St. Peter's Park dates from the 1960s. There are some other estates built in the intervening years up to the early 1990s. House building activity continued at a relatively slow pace up to the recent boom, which commenced in early 1996. In an article written for the Old Dunboyne Society with regard to Plants, Trees and Flowers, Donal Synnott, Director of the National Botanic Gardens made some observations: " The area is well timbered, local respect for trees and hedges has ensured the survival of Beech and Hawthorn large enough to show their maturity". "Wild privet probably indicates the site of an old habitation at Dunboyne though it is thought to be truly native in hedges and wood margins in the Midlands". "Re-establishment of natural meadows, such as is being done by Sean Boylan at Edenmore, is a worthy enterprise. Such places are not only a source of herbs but living museums of the countryside and a valuable source for students of botany". Some years back, country pursuits were a feature of life in Dunboyne e.g. fishing. As far back as 1745 a writer of the time, Isaac Butler, wrote of Clonee as "a small village with a good stone bridge over ye Tolka which is reported to have the best trouts in Leinster". Fishing all but ceased now due partly to drainage and pollution. As Dunboyne rapidly changes out of all recognition from the past there is currently no facility to collect, record, display or supply information about Dunboyne, its past, present, future. It is more important than ever that a facility such as a Heritage Centre is made available for the local community and for the many people who visit Dunboyne throughout the year. Such a centre could be used as a central point for information on all aspects of the area and as a venue for appropriate cultural activities. It would help give a focus point to the area.
Transport
Residential Development
Green Belt
Footpaths and Cycleways
The State should purchase Dunboyne Castle and grounds for such purposes. Public Open Spaces and Parks
Shop Signs and Security
Quality Control
Tolka and Castle Rivers
Trees
Archaeology and Heritage
Residents Associations in Membership of Dunboyne Combined Residents Association:
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