Cooldrinagh Roundabout

In November 2006 we met the Lucan Area Committee of South Dublin Co Council and asked for improvements in this, the Dublin approach to Leixlip. SDCC’s Parks’ Superintendent gave a commitment to plant it. The before and after pics speak for themselves:

Lucan Road Roundabout - Cooldrinagh

And here is the same photo angle after the work is carried out

Coloured Paviors by Garda Office, Dublin Road

The level of the road at this corner was raised by about half a metre in the late 1970s to reduce the incidence of trucks crashing into the adjoining premises as they turned the corner. The impossible-to-keep-clean ramp to the asphalt path has been improved and the section laid in mixed coloured paviors:

Footpath outside Garda Sub-Office -BEFORE

And here is the same foothpath after the paving is installed

Here is a view from the corner 

Main Street Captains Hill Juntion

Foot of Captain’s Hill The Town Council’s plans for improving the town centre provided for the removal and relocation of a set telephone boxes on either side of the road by the traffic lights. One box has been relocated. The car parking spaces outside the bank building had been greatly broken up. They were remade by Kildare Co Council’s own staff and relined; funding for this came from a pool of Council’s money the use of which is, in this case, at the discretion of Councillor Paul Kelly:

New Parking bays

Kiosk removed and new cobble stones installed

New cobble stones installed on 'Tuthills' side

Outside Alvitos

Newtown Hill House – Path and Verge made and planted

This Queen Anne style residence has been converted into apartments and augmented with more since ~2003. The footpath, grass verge and kerbing remained unmade and in a hazardous and unsightly condition since that time. The work was done in 2007 by contractors. Holes in the verge as ‘completed’ were filled by the LTTA and trees were added by the Parks’ Superintendent, Simon Wallace. Unfortunately, several of the trees have been uprooted more than once by hooligans at predictable times; none has been apprehended:

Newtown Hill House

New verge/foothpath and trees planted outside Newtown Hill House

Youth & Community Centre, Newtown House

The Youth Centre was formerly opened by EU Commissioner Charlie McCreevy late in 2007; he had turned the sod for the construction of the building several years before, as Minister for Finance, and secured finance for it. The Association gifted to the Youth Centre the planted bed in front of it:

Leixlip Tidy Town Volunteers finishing off planting outside Youth Centre

The beds are completed 

Rebuilding of Central Plaza Completed

Leixlip Town Council completed the reconstruction of its monument depicting the confluence of the rivers Rye and Liffey nearby and plaza on Main Street. The Town Council’s original monument, a sculpture by Jarlath Daly, set in a water fountain had been subject to chronic leaking, vandalism and repair costs since its installation:

The New Plaza on Main Street

The Plaza from another angle 

Maher’s Lane, Main Street Upgraded

To encourage public access to and use of the riverside between the Rye Bridge at the west of the Main Street and the Liffey Bridge at the east end, Kildare Co Council, in collaboration with the Town Council, is developing pedestrian friendly routes to the river. As part of the plan, Maher’s Lane, off the Main Street, has been paved from the street to the river bank walk:

Maher Lane - BEFORE

Maher Lane - AFTER 

Replacement of Masonry Embankment by Rye Bridge, Pound St

After the floods of November 2002 and 2004 the buttress wall which bounded the west bank of the Rye Water at Pound Street Bridge collapsed into the river, together with a tree laden with Christmas lights. A new embankment of mixed construction was installed at the year’s end by KCC and part-funded by the adjoining land-owner:

New stonework on riverside

New wall with flowerbed waiting to be planted

Entrance to Leixlip castle 

Commencement of Rye-Liffey Sidewalk

An ambitious plan to create a more pedestrian-friendly riverside walkway between the Rye and Liffey bridges at each end of the Main Street commenced in the Winter of 2007. The project, under the oversight of Kildare Co Council Parks’ Superintendent, Simon Wallace, is being jointly funded by town and county councils. The first phase, from the Rye Bridge to the commencement of the public parkland to the rear of the Courtyard Hotel, is nearing completion:

Phase One is near complete

Verge ready for planting 

New Paving and Planters, Pound St

The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government has provided grants of several hundred thousand euro for the provision of footpaths in towns which formerly had town commissioners (now called, town councils). At the end of 2007 almost all of the historic village area of Leixlip had been repaved with paviors by contractors operating under the oversight of Kildare Co Council. Leixlip Tidy Town Association is providing, installing and planting welded steel planters, each costing approx. €500. Sponsorship is sought from businesses; two of those illustrated at this location have been kindly sponsored by AIB Bank and Ryevale Tavern/Hannigan Holdings:

Improved streetscape

Our first Steel Planter

Bench and planter

View leaving the mainstreet westbound 

Scouts’ Den (former ‘Penal Chapel’) Refurbished

The former RC chapel and school, which dates from ~1730, served the Catholic population of Leixlip as a chapel until ~1833 and for another century as a school, then community hall before becoming a scouts’ den in the 1970s-80s. The re-roofing with vandal-proof materials was completed during the year. The Association suggested the construction of proper steps in place of the historic steps used by mass-goers in the past and KCC Parks’ Superintendent, Simon Wallace, took the idea on board. They are under construction at this time:

New roof being layed on Scouts Den

Roof and back garden completed

New stone wall

Mass Path before the new steps are built

The steps are built

The handrails are being installed 

Improved Wall and Bedding at Station Road

Many years ago the Association planted a hedge to camouflage a dull, unsuitable block wall facing OLN Church on Station Road. Last year it removed the dishevelled hedge, painted the wall and planted a new bed of suitable plants:

After all the old growth is removed, and the first few shrubs are planted

The wall is painted grey and the remainder of the shrubs are planted

The project is finished and we have to just wait for the shrubs to grow

They have really done well in less than a year. The ones on the right are a bit slower because of the overgrown evergreen over the wall

Main Road Improvements

KCC resurfaced, relined and created coloured cycling lanes from Cedar Park westwards to the town boundary. At Louisa Bridge Station Irish Rail completed its carpark for ~300 cars. Across at the entrance to the Royal Canal the Association established a planted bed outside the barrier on one side; the other side and within will have work done in 2008. We also planted beech hedges to conceal the ugly railings made of old railway track. The Association is represented on Leixlip Spa Committee and is collaborating with Waterways Ireland on complementary projects which are expected to be done in 2008:

Cycle lane on Station Road 

New footpath with bollards on Accommodation Road

Another view looking towards station and new carpark

Canal Entrance right-hand side planting

Full view of canal entrance with Spa area and canal in the background and cycle lane in the foreground 

At first glance from Louisa Bridge, it looks as if the car park is full

On further inspection we can see that there are lots of vacant spaces (over 130 at noon on 03 May 2007).

Some nine months later at noon  (28th Feb 2008 Thursday also) the carpark was completely full, with some cars double parked.