THE sod has been turned on a new community garden in Cabra that’s being built on railway land provided by Iarnród Éireann and CIÉ at Liffey Junction.
The garden will be developed to allow local community groups come together and learn new skills from each other while enjoying a shared interest.
The first of its kind on the Iarnród Éireann network, the new facility is the result of a long-standing relationship between Cabra for Youth, other local groups and Irish Rail.
The lease for the plot was handed over to the community at the sod turning ceremony but Iarnród Éireann will continue to support the project through its environmental department and provide storage facilities for groups using the garden.
Director of Infrastructure at Iarnród Éireann, Don Cunningham, said the company was happy to do its bit for the local Cabra community.
“The pride of Cabra for Youth as well as the policing forum and sports and community groups we have worked with to date has led to initiatives like the community garden,” he said.
“We are delighted in our small way to be able to help in enhancing community facilities with our colleagues in CIÉ.”
One group of youngsters hoping to benefit from the garden are pupils from St Catherine’s on Ratoath Road. The school has an active Green School Committee and several pupils were at the sod turning ceremony.
Each class in the school has two representatives on the Committee, and they meet fortnightly before school begins, to plan activities and monitor progress, with the Green Schools Coordinator.
They have recently been awarded their fourth Green Flag for Transport, and are already planning for the next flag, whose theme is biodiversity.
Iarnród Éireann says its ties with Cabra groups both supports facilities for the community and reduces instances of anti-social behaviour in the Broombridge Station area.
Previous initiatives have included landscaping and station improvement at Broombridge, art installations at the station, partnerships with DCU for clean-ups, support for sports clubs in the area, storage for the local kayaking club and more.
As well as improving the station environment, Iarnród Éireann say the partnership has seen a reduction of over 50 per cent in anti-social behaviour incidents.