Vartry walks project is helping young and old to enjoy nature
film reel of Rathnew has also been recovered.
The Men’s Shed has warmly welcomed their new home and have already set about working on other projects. Bird boxes, ornamental wells and various garden furniture made out of wood can all be made to order. A selection of Christmas wreaths and crosses proved incredibly popular during the build-up to the festive season.
They are also open to carrying out repair works for elderly members of the local community, such as fixing a wonky table leg. Voluntary donations to Rathnew Men’s Shed can be made as a sign of gratitude.
There are plans to transform the building into a Santa’s Grotto for Christmas 2018.
‘The old pictures bring back a lot of memories,’ admitted Billy.
‘The kettle is always on for anyone who might want to drop in. We have had a lot of men and women coming in for a chat and sharing their own stories and experiences of the building and Rathnew in general.’
Now, plans are afoot for a major redevelopment of the old St Joseph’s Girls School building, which has lain idle since the girls and boys schools amalgamated and moved into the new St Coen’s NS. A €100,000 grant has already been secured through the 2017 Town and Village Renewal Scheme for work on the project.
The plan is for the old school to include a youth centre, a room where senior citizens can learn IT and a heritage room with a library.
A concrete building located at the back of the school could be used to store equipment and machinery, while a community garden is also included in the plans. There are some fully functional porta cabins on site as well.
‘Having two buildings nearby, both for community use, would be wonderful. I know we received a lot of goodwill and support for the band hall and I’m sure it will be the same for the plans we have for the school,’ said Cllr Snell. A NETWORK of walks at the Vartry Reservoirs in Roundwood has opened up the amenity to the whole community, and work is constantly being done behind the scenes by members of the Roundwood and District Community Council.
Since 2015, the voluntary organisation has worked to restore over 10km of the trails around Vartry, many of which were overgrown and in need of maintenance.
Paths have been cleared, thousands of tonnes of stone laid and plans continue to be made for even more work to come.
A walker of a myriad of trails amongst the generations-old trees can expect to spot rabbits, herons, other small birds and animals and even deer.
‘The overall goal is to have three loop walks completed,’ said spokeswoman for Roundwood and District Community Council Monica Byrne.
‘We have two out of the three completely finished and have one small section to do, two small bridges.’
They have an application in for rural development funding and hope to be awarded €30,000 to complete the project.
The organisation has €10,000 and is hopeful that the remaining funds will be forthcoming.
They got funding last September as part of the ‘NeighbourWood’ scheme and have achieved a huge amount since then.
The aim of the Roundwood NeighbourWood Project is to enhance the variety of walks within this woodland for all users and to provide greater linkages between the village of Roundwood and the network of walking trails that surround the reservoirs.
The new community woodland is located just outside the village and includes surfaced trails, signs, the removal of dead trees and undergrowth and maintenance.
Monica said that a forester came in to do a review of the woodland area before the work was done.
Fortunately, as dead trees and dangerous branches had been removed, the Vartry project didn’t suffer any major damage during recent stormy weather.
Monica said that a new walk, the ‘Woodpecker Walk’, is just 2km, making it perfect for children and beginners.
They are currently waiting for interpretive map boards to be installed, hopefully by the end of February, covering the history of the reservoir, wildlife and ecology of the area.
Monica said that the Roundwood and District Community Council has held events at the walks in order to raise awareness, as well as funds.
A candlelight walk at Halloween yielded €700, shared with the soccer club, and more importantly introduced people to a fantastic resource.
They held a ‘duathlon’ on December 27, putting to good use all the bikes Santa brought to households around Roundwood.
The environment was safe for children, and one lady of 60 told Monica she had never had the pleasure of walking in that area before.
The efforts of the volunteers have not been wasted. Walkers have taken to the trails in large numbers to enjoy the idyllic environment and fresh air. The local economy in the village has also seen some benefits, with visitors popping into town for a bite to eat, cup of tea or to call into a shop.