The official opening of the Butts Community’s new Breagagh Valley People’s Park takes place on Monday next November 9, at 12.45am
Mayor of Kilkenny Malcolm Noonan and Minister for the Environment John Gormley will be visiting the park and carrying out the official opening of the new 4.4 acres public green space and multi-user game area facility, adjoining the Father McGrath Resource Centre children’s playground.
The facility is built in the borough’s oldest and highest density housing estate and one of the most socially marginalised areas in the city - the Butts on the western edge of Kilkenny city.
This park was developed by the borough council (which invested a seven figure sum to acquire and develop the land ) in partnership with the local family resource centre - The Fr McGrath Centre - to compensate the community for the loss of the green space public play areas (The Waterbarrack ) to city roads in the last 30 years.
This summer the first stage of this park was completed to adjoin the already community developed and owned playground which now houses a RAPID and HSE sponsored municipal multi-user games area, at a cost of approx €180K. A further €30K from RAPID to complete a walkway around the existing field was withdrawn earlier this year because of cutbacks leaving the project development at a standstill for the foreseeable future.
This development has ‘Stage 1’ as part of its new official name as a reminder to our planners and councillors of their promise of a wider city park development along the Breagagh River.
The 4.4 acres acquired are part of a 15 acre lot zoned as green space and play areas for children and families, and further adjoining Bregeagh River lands (identified as an area of special environmental significance ) have been identified and listed in the new city plan as a possible future second city park.
This new small park, still little more than a field at the moment, has already become a priceless amenity to local children and families and the people of Kilkenny. Its future potential as part of a wider public city park brings great hope that future city plans will have learnt the lesson of the Celtic Tiger years, and poor and pressured decision making processes that affect all the families of our city.
The Bregeagh River area is the site of the earliest human and monastic settlements in Kilkenny and is a priceless future amenity for all Irish citizens.
