Wexford playground campaign launched – ‘It's incredible how little there is in Ireland compared to Czech Republic'
'There are so many children in Castlebridge, but no playground. I have talked to a lot of parents, and everybody is complaining about the lack of a playground… I have always been a person to rise to challenges, and so I decided to look into it and think about it.'
Lucie admits that as a result of her background she has a different perspective of what life can be like. The issue is not about the quality of playgrounds, but the quantity. 'In the Czech Republic, almost anywhere you live you have a playground within walking distance.
'That is absolutely not the case in Castlebridge. And for the nearly 2,000 people who live here, many young families, thanks to all of the new developments that have opened in the past couple of years it should be the case.'
A cornerstone of the campaign is a comprehensive document created by Lucie, which she has submitted to public representatives. The document's primary proposal is that a playground should be opened at St. Ibar's Villas, on land owned by the county council. According to the campaign this location would provide a 'quiet and central setting' and 'on-street parking'.
The potential for a playground in Castlebridge was identified in the council's Playground Strategy 2017 – 2022.
Lucie praised the support the campaign has received from Cllr Robbie Staples. 'Robbie is really supportive. And I've also received positive replies from Cllr Leonard Kelly.'
This location could be viable but will require further assessment. The number of people supporting the campaign is growing on a daily basis.
For now, Lucie will have no option but continue to travel with her children to playgrounds in other parts of Wexford. 'We usually go to the playground at Ferrybank, or Redmond Park or Min Ryan. They are the three most popular for us. But we always have to drive, there is no option to walk.'
Min Ryan Park was designed to improve the quality of life for people in Wexford and be a space which is attractive and accessible to the community. The park is named after Mary Josephine (Min) Ryan, a founding member of Cumann na mBan, who was at the GPO in 1916. Over five million euro was spent developing Min Ryan Park.
The expectation of this campaign is not that landmark public spaces would be opened in every community, but that relatively basic and fundamental needs of rapidly growing populations are met.
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