Lack of green space in the Liberties highlighted at Dublin protest

Locals from the Liberties gathered at the Dublin City Council (DCC) headquarters on Wood Quay on Saturday to protest the lack of green space in their area.

Members of sports clubs in the Dublin 8 area have asked DCC to make space for a pitch on an underused depot site at Marrowbone Lane.

The Irish Independent reported on Saturday that green space per person in the area is 86 per cent lower than the EU average.

Local councillor Michael Pidgeon said there's no pitch for the 8,000 children in the area to play on.

"When you rank all the GAA clubs across Dublin, the clubs in the Liberties are the lowest ranked for any access to green space.

"There isn't really any pitch for people to train on. We've over 8,000 children in the Liberties at the moment, it's around the population of Drogheda, yet there's nowhere for them to play," Mr Pidgeon said.

JJ O'Mahony, an organiser of Saturday's rally, told The Irish Times that the current situation is "brutally unfair".

"These kids deserve a childhood full of sports and teamwork, but obstacles are being put in their way. Team sports can help divert kids away from unwelcome activities and provide them a good structure from early in life," he said.

"We see every weekend how eager the kids are to play - they just need backing from their council."