Swords Boxing Club have signalled that they won’t be forced out or bullied into leaving their present accommodation unless a suitable alternative location is found by the Council.

Their stance follows Fingal County Council’s shock notice to quit their existing premises by early June.

The club, which is 20 years old has operated from the old Carnegie Library in central Swords for the past five years following a deal hammered out with the Council by local Socialist Party Councillor Clare Daly.

Previous attempts to remove them last year were halted and a commitment given that the Council would secure them suitable alternative accommodation in advance of any move. Unsurprisingly they have done nothing and then out of the blue sent a notice to get out! This stance has enraged the club.

With almost 150 members this club provides an excellent arena for training, fitness and self-discipline to many young men who otherwise would not be interested in sport. They don’t have the connections or slush funds available to the big organisations, but they play a huge role in youth development and under no circumstances will this club be allowed to be undermined.

In fact, the local Socialist Party believes that the present crisis should be used to demand more suitable purpose-built accommodation for the club. We will be standing shoulder to shoulder with them in occupying the building if necessary until a suitable alternative facility is made available. 

United action by this dedicated group of community volunteers is gaining massive support in the area and will only grow. The Council should take note and back off and develop a badly needed improved alternative premises.

In a gross mis-representation of the people of greater Blanchardstown, the main political parties have sanctioned the destruction of the Tolka Valley Park. 

On a vote taken at Fingal County Council to run a giant sewer pipe under the valley, the Labour Party actively facilitated the project without requesting one change in the route or even one compensatory measure for the local population.  Fianna Fail and Fine Gael’s inept local councillors sat silent as lambs throughout the debate. 

The Socialist Party, supported by the Sinn Fein councillor, requested two key amendments to the pipe route which would have lessened the impact on the ecology and the recovery period for trees and river life.  One of these was voted down, while the other was spuriously ruled out of order. Sadly, while posing good questions and supporting some amendments, the Green Party voted for the overall scheme.

The Council’s commissioned ecology report had urged avoidance of the Tolka river and adjacent grasslands. Mature broadleaved trees would take 30-plus years to replace; while the river would take 5-10 years to recover, it concluded. The valley is home to three protected species, otter, bat and kingfisher, as well as the rare orchid flower and important woodlands. However, the Council engineers pressured for the cheapest route, regardless of environmental or social cost.

This is an act of environmental vandalism, as well as an insult to the local community and fishing clubs who made submissions. Local residents are also losing the only opened park in the fastest growing area of western Europe.

The fight against this project will go on and, if changes are not made, the Socialist Party will be reminding residents of the stance of each party, particularly during the 2009 local elections.