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Surely ti Jayziz Somebody Knows Sumptin About Ballyer!

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  • Surely ti Jayziz Somebody Knows Sumptin About Ballyer!

    Not a single post yet for this outstanding part of Dublin city. What the feck is going on??
    Such is life - Ned Kelly

  • #2
    I will take some snaps of Ballyfermot this weekend and perhaps we can get the ball rolling.

    To Kick off, what do we think about this article from the media this week??

    erald.ie
    No-go? No way, say proud Ballyfermot community
    A new Culchie book caused a storm on the airwaves, but Aoife Finneran uncovers a bustling, friendly borough - without a piebald pony to be seen

    By Aoife Finneran
    Thursday November 05 2009

    It's been described as an undesirable suburb rife with unemployment, piebald ponies, high truancy levels and a crime rate requiring the constant presence of the garda helicopter.

    Alas for author Jim Connolly, whose controversial book The Culchies Guide to Dublin hit the shops this week, the borough of Ballyfermot bears scant resemblance to his offensive descriptions.

    And, were he of a mind to take a promotional tour through the area, he would do well to avoid the Ballyfermot Youth Service centre.

    There, youngsters are busily playing pool, surfing the internet, planning outdoor pursuits like canoeing and gaining training on Drug Education Programmes, leaving them no time to create the anti-social havoc depicted in the book.

    Volunteer

    Oh, and even on a cold, bitterly wet and windy evening on Ballyfermot, there was no cause for the Garda helicopter to make any appearance.

    Youth Service Project leader Janice McGarry knows more than most about the highs and lows of growing up in this much-maligned area. Now 29, she first set foot in the Youth Service centre as a 14-year-old volunteer and today presides over a comprehensive programme of services and activities.

    She explained: "The services here have evolved and developed over the last number of years, for example we've a culture cafe opening next week. People might think they know an area because they've heard something about it, but they don't know Ballyfermot."

    Out on the busy streets, there is little sign of the undesirability suggested by Jim Connolly. Shop fronts are spruced up, wrought-iron benches provide a place to sit and chat, bins are dotted along the streets and the walls are graffiti-free. Remarkably, it appears to be a litter-free zone, and Tidy Towns records prove that the area has steadily increased its efforts with impressive progress each year.

    To give Mr Connolly his due, the Herald did spot one pony during its visit, but we regret to point out that it wasn't piebald. And as for the suggestions of criminal activity, it's an accusation that has left mystified locals scratching their heads.

    After 20 years in business on Ballyfermot Road, Kevin Kavanagh has nothing but good things to say. "We've been here since 1989 and in all that time I've never encountered any problems. We have seven vehicles on the road and none have ever been broken into or stolen," he said.

    Local woman Wendy Doyle is equally proud: "I read about that book, and I just thought 'the cheek of that guy'. I'm living here for the last 27 years and I think it's a great place. I've never come across any anti-social problems."

    Her daughter Leah (8) and son Kian (6) attend the local St Ultan's school, where, as Leah pointed out: "we get to go swimming and play basketball".

    The south Dublin suburb also possesses two major weapons in the fight against its inaccurate reputation, namely The Base, and Ballyfermot College of Further Education (BCFE).

    The Base is a €6m youth centre and childcare facility that is unrivalled anywhere else in the country. Along with state of the art music, arts and theatre facilities, it also boasts a 25m swimming pool, gym and six all-weather football pitches. Does that sound like the focal point of a hugely undesirable place to visit? We think not.

    Just up the road is the melting pot of Ballyfermot College of Further Education, catering for more than 1,600 students. Established in 1976, it has evolved into a renowned institute that boasts Lorraine Keane, 2FM DJ Rick O'Shea, singers Mundy and Damien Dempsey among its past pupils.

    Principal Maureen Conway explained: It's a safe environment and there's a great atmosphere here. The local people are great supporters of the college and the students are always very keen to give something back to the area."

    Councillor Vincent Jackson is such a supporter of the area that he changed his middle name by deed poll to "Ballyfermot".

    "It's very annoying to hear people criticise the place, but the facts speak for themselves. In 2005, Ballyfermot came second in the International Livcom Awards, which are endorsed by the United Nations, proving that it is one of the most desirable and sustainable communities of its size," he said.

    afinneran@herald.ie

    - Aoife Finneran

    © Herald.ie 2008 - The latest news and updates from Ireland and worldwide with the Evening Herald newspaper and Herald.ie

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    • #3
      I've posted elsewhere my memory of the street sellers in Henry St. selling "genuine artificial snakes straight from the Ballyfermot Jungle" .... probably late 50's or early 60's.

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      • #4
        The Library and Civic Centre in Ballyer is a credit to the community. It is a lovely building and the amount of stuff that goes on there is amazing. A place to showcase local talent and boy is there a lot of that!!

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        • #5
          Womble I been to that library and you are right its right next to Tesco

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          • #6
            Originally posted by boxman View Post
            Not a single post yet for this outstanding part of Dublin city. What the feck is going on??
            Would that be Ballyfermot or Ballymun???????????????/
            It is what it is.

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            • #7
              Its bally

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              • #8
                bang bang take some pics of decies street and the county bar its across from Marckewitz (spelled wrong) Park

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by boxman View Post
                  Not a single post yet for this outstanding part of Dublin city. What the feck is going on??
                  Hi all

                  Surely isn't Miamigo from Ballyer originally?? He mght post something about it!
                  UP THE DUBS!!!

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                  • #10
                    Multi-million euro primary care centre in Ballyfermot will now not open until late 2012

                    THE multi-million euro primary care centre in Upper Ballyfermot is now set to open in late 2012 - one year later than originally planned.
                    The Health Service Executive has released a timetable of development for the site beside Cherry Orchard Hospital that sees it opening in three years time.
                    With Local Health Manager Enda Halpin retiring from his post on Monday,
                    representatives have raised concerns about the future of the project.
                    On September 28, Arlene Crean, Communications Officer for HSE Dublin Mid-Leinster, stated: "Planning permission for the new Primary, Community and Continuing Care and Mental Health Services Building has been applied for."
                    She continues that, if permission is granted, the project will go to tender in April next year, with a contractor appointed in late 2010 and completion set for late 2012.
                    However, a statement from the HSE on May 21 2009 contradicts the new schedule.
                    The May 21 statement read: "The HSE will lodge the planning application June 2009. The project is expected to be completed December 2011."
                    Sinn Féin TD, Aengus O'Snodaigh says the new timeline projection highlights the concerns that some people in the area expressed when news of the centre was first announced.
                    He said: "That was one of the worries that people had; that the HSE would try to use the recession as an excuse to delay builds."
                    Independent Councillor Vincent Jackson hopes the appointment of an interim manager will not affect the progress of the development.
                    He said: "I spoke to Enda Halpin when I heard he was retiring but he was very optimistic that the project would get all the necessary funding."
                    Arlene Crean stated: "When the plan for the new PCCC and Mental Health Services Centre was announced in May it was expected that planning permission would be applied for in June.
                    "However the application for planning was lodged in September. This delay will have a subsequent impact on the start date of the project.
                    "The existing premises on Ballyfermot Road and Palmerstown will remain open until the new centre is completed."

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                    • #11
                      Cherry Orchard Hospital.
                      Attached Files

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                      • #12
                        Moira, I will hie me to Ballyer today to get some photos for you.

                        In the meantime here are some shots of Decies Bar.

                        Attached Files

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                        • #13
                          Scenes featuring Ballyfermot from the 1968 film Rocky Road to Dublin.

                          'Never look down on a person unless you're helping them up'.
                          .

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                          • #14
                            ballyfermot

                            Originally posted by Moira View Post
                            Its bally
                            any one the maddens lally road.
                            sua tele tonanti

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by boxman View Post
                              Not a single post yet for this outstanding part of Dublin city. What the feck is going on??
                              I went to a great wedding in Ballyer once but the memories I have of Ballyer are sitting on the slopes in the Park are looking at the area from the 'hill's near the furry Glen - we used to look down and see Ballyer. I said it in another post somewhere, we were very 'terratoriall' . we went into town and stayed in our own 'back yards' mostly but that was in the 50's and 60's


                              I knew finglas well - Finglas Village and Old Cabra, Dorset St, the Basin etc

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