An ongoing programme of investment by Dublin City Council is improving the quality of streets and public spaces of The Liberties. The Council adopted The Liberties Greening Strategy in 2015 setting out a series of projects to renew historic streetscapes and develop new public spaces; to increase tree cover and provide new parks and amenities; and to improve the quality of the environment through measures such as Sustainable Urban Drainage systems (SUDs) and the installation of energy efficient street lighting. You can find out more about some of the projects currently in train below.
Francis Street is one of Dublin’s oldest thoroughfares, and is best known today as Dublin’s Art & Antiques Quarter. The street is lined with small shops and businesses but also has a diverse community living ‘over the shop’ on the street and in the adjoining areas. A major public realm refurbishment of Francis Street has now transformed the street, introducing widened pavements; new street lighting, the addition of trees, soft landscaping and seats; and measures to better manage and organise car parking and loading for businesses. A suite of new planters with small trees and year-around planting completes a new look for an ancient street.
A new park at Bridgefoot Street is the second flagship project of The Liberties Greening Strategy. The park site, previously occupied by housing, has been transformed into an amenity area for the considerable community living close by. A design team led by Dermot Foley Landscape Architects undertook extensive community engagement to create a robust design for the park that blends passive and active play areas, rolling landscape, a community garden and naturalistic planting. An ethos of recycling and reuse premeates the park, with features such as crazy paving and stone seating areas made from recycled pavement!
Meath Street – The Liberties’ famous market street – is undergoing a multi-million euro revamp that will create stronger sense of pedestrian priority on this busy street with widened footpaths and greater space on the street for stalls and market life. Trees, planting and public seating will help to soften the street and create a relaxed and inviting public space. Construction of this project has now commenced and will continue into 2027.
Weaver Park is the first new purpose-built park to be developed in The Liberties since St Patrick’s Park in the early 20th century. The park is located on Cork Street, adjoining The Tenters, and its name reflects the weaving industry that once dominated this part of the city. Officially opened in October 2017, the park includes active and passive play areas, planted areas, integrated skateboard-friendly features and a performance space. With the completion of two adjoining housing schemes on Chamber Street in 2023, Weaver Park now forms the centre of an informal square surrounded by residential buildings.
A series of public realm improvements were recently undertaken to begin the revival of the commercial area of Dolphin’s Barn. A wider redesign of the crossroads of Dolphin’s Barn and South Circular Road is proposed including widened pavements, the creation of new public spaces, tree planting and greening, improved street furniture, improved crossings and greater pedestrian priority.