The recent announcement by An Post that they plan to sell the Rathmines Post Office building is just the latest blow to a thriving urban centre which is steadily being stripped of essential services. Rathmines was designated a ‘key urban village’ in the Dublin City Development Plan, but it is sorely lacking in community facilities, and there is currently no plan to address this.

100 years + since the establishment of the townlands which have become our urban villages, what is their role in our contemporary world; what does their future look like; and how can we respect our past while securing their future? Many of us reconnected with our localities when Covid restrictions were in place. We should be building on that sense of community now; tackling vacancy, making our village centres more accessible and inviting, and protecting both the heritage and the future viability of these historic places.

At a national level, the Green Party put a ‘Town Centre First’ policy at the heart of rural development. That same approach could safeguard the future of our urban villages, restoring vibrancy today and building resilience for the future. To remain viable and deliver on the Dublin City Development Plan’s vision for a ’15 minute city’, our urban villages need a distinct strategic approach. On Thursday May 2nd at 7.30pm I’ll be hosting a public meeting in the parish hall of Church of the Three Patrons, where I’ll outline the Green vision for vibrant urban villages.

I’ll be joined by Minister for Nature, Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan TD, MEP for Dublin Ciarán Cuffe, and Dublin Bay South TD, Minister Eamon Ryan.

What? Public Meeting: The Urban Village in the 21st Century

Where? St Patrick’s Hall, Church of the Three Patrons, Leicester Avenue

When? Thursday May 2nd, doors open at 7.30pm sharp for a 7.40pm start time.