Why Stoneybatter is one of the coolest places on earth

Béibhinn Thorsch

STONEYBATTER, located in Dublin 7 between the Liffey and North Circular Road, is officially Ireland’s coolest neighbourhood. So what makes it so hip?

The Northside suburb was given the honour recently by Time Out magazine, which praised the area’s mix of the old and the new.

Kate is a barista at the Green Door Bakery in Stoneybatter, which sells homemade cakes, bread, and coffee. She describes the area as a perfect clash of cultures.

“I’ve been living here for four years,” she says. “It’s cool to live here because now there’s loads of businesses opening up. It’s a nice community, a real clash of cultures.

Irish journalist and host of the Irish Times podcast, Roisin Ingle, tweeted about Stoneybatter being the ‘Coolest Neighbourhood in the Known Universe’, sharing photos from her visit to the area.

“I feel cooler just having been there,” she wrote.

And not content with its number one Irish ranking, Stoneybatter was also placed in the top 50 coolest neighbourhoods in the world by Time Out.

The area often hosts a range of workshops and events for its residents, including a recent Pieta House fundraiser and a jazz vocal workshop.

Stoneybatter is currently undergoing a ‘greening’ initiative, where residents are encouraged to get involved with plans and ideas to improve all aspects of the local environment. This initiative is being coordinated by Dublin City Council, inspired by the success of two earlier greening plans which took place in the Liberties and the North East Inner City.

Speaking about the initiative, Suzanne O’Connell, of Dublin City Council’s Parks and Landscape Services, explained: “The plan for the greening of Stoneybatter will look at all aspects of improving the green environment including planting trees, cultivating small pocket parks, providing spaces for growing food and promoting native wildlife habitats.

“We are looking forward to working with the community of Stoneybatter who understand and care about their local area in developing this plan. By working collaboratively, there is more chance to ensure the long-term legacy of greening projects.”

Pride of Place Stoneybatter is working alongside the Greening Stoneybatter initiative, as well as organising their own meetings and promoting events in the area.

IBP Insurance runs the Pride of Place awards. The competition’s purpose is to acknowledge the work being done every day by communities all over the island of Ireland. In 2016, Stoneybatter earned the top prize.

The area also held a successful three-day street festival in June of this year, which was built on their continued success in the Pride of Place competition. The festival included live music, informative talks and workshops, food, meditation, yoga and even dog costume competitions.

With so much going on, it’s no surprise that Stoneybatter has been named the coolest neighbourhood in Ireland.