30 November, 2007

Skate Tough!

Well, It's not quite California, but it IS a great new skateboard facility as part of the Blue Pool complex in Monkstown.

One of the magical things is that it was partially funded by development levies. It's nice to think that we're putting money into more than sewage pipes and roads, when it comes to charges attached to planning permissions.

It was a while since I'd been on a board, and I'm grateful to Cllr. Tom Kivlehan for deleting the shot after this, which shows me in a heap on the ground! It's almost six years since I wrote to the former County Manager Derek Brady asking him to build a skatepark, and, it has been a slow process ever since as you can see from my fairly outdated Campaigns page. However I'm delighted that Cllr. Niamh Bhreathnach and many senior officials in the County Council took up the cause.

Admission is €3 for under 18s, €5 for aul' codgers like myself, and for the moment you can bring along your BMX bike, in-line skates or board, and experiment. Monkstown Pool will throw in a helmet, and there's also a mini-climbing wall, but I wouldn't recommend doing all of this at the same time!

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