Dundrum – A Different Perspective

Today, we’re going on a nature walk with my good pal Judy. Many years ago, Judy ran a playschool but she has never been able, or some would say willing, to shake off that disposition. Ballawley Park in Dundrum was our destination, I brought the picnic, Judy brought the childlike wonder.

Let me get a few key Judy facts out of the way.

1. Judy is the kind of person who remembers everyone’s birthday.
2. When you plan a day out with Judy, the sun will always shine.
3. She is Church of Ireland, which shouldn’t matter, but does because she has friends with names like Gladys and Dilys and can feed 8 people for 2 days from a small chicken.
4. Anyone who has a Judy in their lives knows how lucky they are.

We met on one of those cold November days that clears all clouds from the sky and produces a vivid blue overhead. Meeting at her house, we set off with Monty and her new dog Buddy. Having planned the route, Judy led the way, pointing out things of interest along the way. Passing nearby bungalows, she told me that when she moved to the area 40 years ago they were working stables.

Dundrum, now a busy hub, almost a capital in its own right these days, was once an outpost of the city, a rural village with many working farms. The Overend sisters widely known for their farm in Airfield were contemporaries of The Hughes Brothers in nearby Nutgrove who ran Hazel Brook Farm and Dairy. HB ice cream was born here, the initials a neat match of their family name and the location of their farm. I imagine there were many horses travelling those roads at one stage, making deliveries, carrying loads.

Another means of transport in times past was the old Harcourt tram line connecting Dundrum with Dublin city, the tracks lay unused for a few decades until they were brought back as the Luas. The striking architecture of the Dundrum Luas bridge is always in view around these parts, together with Taney church spire. Taney was the original name for the Dundrum area. It comes from the world Tigh Naithi, referring to the area’s patron saint and the patronage of the old church behind the Carneige library. The two Yeats sisters, Lily and Lolly are buried here, having lived locally where they ran the Dun Emer Press.

Back to our walk, we came to the open field behind Meadowbrook Leisure Centre. Judy was up to her old tricks and suggested a game of eye spy. You can play along too via the above photo. Go on take a look, what do you see? Look again. I’ll wait. Mountains, yes, a cluster of trees, yes and just in front of them is The Hell Fire Club.

Legend has it that the Devil appeared here one evening. It is said that a group from the club were playing cards when a stranger joined them. During the game a card dropped on the floor, when one of the members bent down to get it he saw that the stranger had cloven hooves!!!

Further along the route, we passed St Tiernan’s school and progressed along the river where we saw four ducks swimming in a row. Closer inspection shows that the little group is made up of one female duck, with 3 males in hot pursuit. The river is the Slang which goes on to merge with the Dodder, and later flows into the Liffey. DLR county council have identified a cycle route along the Slang which will take you from Dundrum to Marlay Park. Plans are in the pipeline to extend this from Dun Laoighre creating a complete mountains-to-sea cycle path.

The trees in Ballawley park are spectacular. Judy showed me a fantastic one for conker collecting, a basin underneath gathers a harvest of chestnut jewels. Scotts pine mark out the park and are home to many squirrels. Zoom into the picture below, you’ll see one having a good laugh at Monty and Buddy barking from the base of the tree.

To our right we had a view down into Dundrum village, further inspection shows a castle building on the grounds of nearby Gort Muire. This land has recently been sold and is soon to become apartments.

We found, well Judy did, the perfect spot to lay out the rug for our picnic. Picking a good spot is a real talent, just a few feet can make all the difference in finding shelter from the breeze and warmth from the sun. It won’t surprise you that she did us proud and we sat enjoying the sun and the tea and more importantly the chat.

From this elevated vantage point, we had a clear view into Dundrum, putting perspective on the massive shopping emporium making it look like a tiny toy building in the distance.

I don’t know about you, but I always leave Dundrum Shopping Centre with a splitting headache. There’s no fresh air, no natural light, my feet hurt, and I usually get into a hissy fit that leaves me wondering why I ever go back.

Well if any of that resonates with you, I couldn’t recommend more highly that you take a breather and head over to the rolling parkland of Ballawley Park. It’s literally just across the road from it, yet a million miles away.

Slang River Greenway https://www.dlrcoco.ie/sites/default/files/atoms/files/slang_river_greenway_final_low_res.pdf