Children to have fun in the wood

CONTRACTS have been signed for the construction of a new playground in Cratloe Woods, costing in the region of €180,000.
Clare County Council granted planning permission last year for a new playground at the entrance to Cratloe Woods from the Gallows Hill Road, following over two years of work by a local committee. The planning authority gave the playground the green light despite an objection signed by 86 residents who claimed the site is unsuitable, as it attracted a large amount of destruction to cars and ongoing theft of property.
It was feared following the planning approval that funding totalling €66,000 from Clare County Council would be lost if householders lodged an appeal to An Bord Pleanála amid concerns over the suitability of the site. While some locals were opposed to the location of the proposed playground, they decided not to lodge an appeal with the appeals board.
It is expected that children could be playing in Spraoi Sa Choill by the end of May, after Cratloe Community Playground Committee signed contracts for the construction of the playground with Galway-based Nordon Landscape Limited.
The children of Cratloe National School gave their suggestions for the new name, which translates into fun in the woods.
Clare County Council provided a grant of €66,000, Clare Local Development Company donated €95,000 while the local playground committee raised over €8,000 last year with another €1,000 due in the coming weeks.
The playground, which extends to over an acre, will be bigger than the average amenity area in the district.
In addition to eco-friendly equipment, the committee are also planning to provide one or two sponsored boulders where a person will be afforded the opportunity of having their family name engraved with a Celtic design. It is expected that each boulder can take up to between 30 and 40 names, depending on how many people are prepared to participate in the sponsorship.
While some residents considered the possibility of anti-social behaviour, playground committee chairperson Mary Foley told The Clare Champion she hadn’t seen or heard of this type of activity for a long time.
Ms Foley pointed out that no one voiced an objection against the playground during the committee’s annual general meeting in the local community centre on March 24. She also argued that the increased footfall and use of the area would help deter anti-social behaviour at the entrance to the woods.
“The committee love the new name and hope that all children will have lots of spraoi sa choill,” she said.
Councillor PJ Ryan, a member of the playground committee, noted that some residents in Gallows Hill were opposed to the playground because they were often prevented from leaving their homes because of careless parking across entrances by visiting motorists.
Stressing that Cratloe needs a new playground facility, Councillor Ryan pointed out this concern would be addressed by Coillte who had given a commitment to increase the amount of parking in the area in tandem with the construction of this new amenity.
He said the appointment of Garda Dermot O’Brien as a community garda in Shannon last year had resulted in an increased garda presence, which in turn had resulted in a decline in anti-social behaviour.
Asked if a new playground is necessary considering there are no housing estates in Cratloe and most householders had playing equipment in back gardens, he stressed that social interaction is needed in a large diverse parish like Cratloe.
“A lot of people have moved into Cratloe and it is important that they have an opportunity to get to know each other. It is important that people mingle and talk to form strong bonds in a community. A lot of children know each other from attending the national school but their parents may not know each other. The playground will help build up as better network among parents,” he said.