Developer Sean Dunne's Mountbrook Group today lodged a planning application with Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA) for what it termed "a state-of-the-art redevelopment" of Ringsend & Irishtown Community Centre in return for an implementable planning permission for our Jurys Berkeley Court site.

Mountbrook Group has lodged a Section 25 Application with the DDDA, which outlines the architectural plans for a new elegant and contemporary multi-use community facility on the site of the existing centre on Thorncastle Street, Ringsend.

Mountbrook said thatn it had carefully considered a wide variety of social and community gains options which are to be delivered on foot of the grant of an implementable planning decision for the redevelopment of the Jurys Berkeley Court site in Dublin 4.

Sean Dunne, Managing Director of Mountbrook Group, commented: “We have recognised the need for investment in Ringsend/Irishtown, particularly in its community infrastructure. If Mountbrook is granted an implementable planning permission for our Jurys Berkeley Court site, we will deliver on this community gains proposal at zero cost to residents and the local authority. The aim of this project is to deliver a significantly enhanced community facility for the people of Ringsend and Irishtown. Having met and spoken with many local residents over the past three years, I know at first hand how appreciative and welcoming the local community is of what is being proposed for their locality.”

The new community centre will encompass:

• an indoor sports hall (supporting football, basketball and bowls, and also serving the wider community as a much-needed public venue)

• meeting rooms for a range of uses (e.g. yoga, karate, keep-fit, Irish dancing, hip-hop),

• a crèche capable of supporting 100 childcare spaces with adequate indoor and outdoor space;

• youth service rooms;

• an private area for retirement groups that is not isolated from the rest of the centre;

• a cyber café to cater for 20 computers,

• a computer training rooms for 20 computers and administration facilities;

• 15 secure car parking spaces with dedicated bicycle parking.

Ownership of the centre will remain with the existing trustees at all times. Mountbrook will pay all the costs involved in providing the new building.

The proposed development has already been on public display in the existing Ringsend and Irishtown Community Centre (in September 2007 and again in March 2008).

A presentation on the new community centre was made to a large gathering of local community groups on 5th March 2008, in the presence of the trustees of the RICC.