Over 8,500 children living in The Liberties are without a green area to play sports in, according to a local campaigner.

A study by UCD professor Gerard Mills found it was the worst served of 93 areas in Dublin for green spaces.

On The Pat Kenny Show today, Sporting Liberties Chairperson JJ O’Mahony said sports are needed to keep local children away from “drugs and crime”.

Mr O’Mahony said a common suggestion that children should play in Phoenix Park is not possible for some.

“It’s fine for some who have good structures at home and a strong family unit, but many kids in this area don’t have that,” he said.

“Phoenix Park may as well be in Australia it’s so far away for those people to make their way up to there.

“The crux of the problem is, there are families around here with unstructured homes who have no way of getting to places to play sports.”

Phoenix Park, Dublin.

Mr O’Mahony said there has been poor planning in the development of the region.

“The reason why there aren’t green spaces is because of the policies of Dublin City Council who are injecting student accommodation, hotels, and housing into the area instead,” he said.

“It’s being used as the release valve of the city but completely forgetting about the kids that live there and the consequences that we see.”

Two sites have been identified by local campaigners as possible locations for green areas.

The first is an area at St Teresa's Gardens and the second is at Marrowbone Lane.

Discussions

Mr O’Mahony said they are currently engaging with Dublin City Council in relation to both.

“As recently as yesterday, we had productive but heated discussions with Dublin City Council, but there are plans for a playing pitch in [the St Teresa’s Gardens] area,” he said.

“We need money ring-fenced for it because we have got empty promises here before.

“I’m frightened to think how many lives could have been saved if those pitches were opened up earlier; how many kids we could have turned away from crime and drugs,” he said.

Drug lords

Mr O’Mahony said children are being preyed upon by drug lords in The Liberties.

“One of the biggest problems in this city is drugs and crime which we have seen recently,” he said.

“If the Government is really serious about addressing this problem, let’s go to the crux of the matter.

“Young people are being taken off the streets by drug and crime lords. The children have become a commodity in the area.”

Mr O’Mahony added that he thinks education needs to be improved in the area or else kids will have “no chance whatsoever” in life.

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Main image: A boy pictured in a green area with his football. Credit: Alamy Stock Photo