Council split over Mountjoy Square Park football facilities

A dispute over football facilities is threatening plans to restore Mountjoy Square Park in Dublin.

Dublin City Council proposes replacing the existing tarmac courts with 4,000 sq m of grass, reviving historic pathways and adding new play equipment, an outdoor gym and two basketball half‑courts. The scheme has drawn both support and opposition in 66 public submissions, and an earlier approval was revisited after councillors received incorrect advice about the planning deadline.

Councillors voice concerns

At the October Central Area Committee meeting, Cllr Janice Boylan warned that children in the densely‑populated north inner city need year‑round football facilities and argued the proposed lawn would become a “mud bath” in wet weather. She accused the council of prioritising architectural ideals over local needs, calling the redesign a “quiet museum piece for heritage tourists”.

Cllr Christy Burke also said he would not back the scheme unless the pitches were retained. In contrast, senior council landscape architect Gareth Toolan countered that the current hard‑standing, adapted from former tennis courts, covers about 2,000 sq m and is unsuitable for safe play.

The council maintains the new grass area will provide a safer, more versatile space for sport and recreation while preserving the historic character of the Georgian square.

Source: Dublin Gazette. Photo: Lajos Kristóf Kántor / Pexels.