Community Helps Shape Future Of Swords Park

The future of Ward River Regional Park in Swords, Co Dublin, is continuing to be shaped with help from the local community.

Residents of the community shared their thoughts on the future of the park during the first public engagement session.

While around 70 people met with the project team as part of an interactive workshop recently held at Rivervalley Community Centre, over 650 people completed an online park survey that will help inform the overall design for the park and how it should be used in the future.


The in-person workshop allowed the community to see the existing conditions of the park, discussing what they would like to see as it is transformed park and how spaces could be re-imagined for people of all ages. Activity sheets with pictorial guides were provided to attendees to help visualise how the park is used.

The project - led by Fingal's Parks & Green Infrastructure Division - aims to deliver a sustainable vision for the development of the park. Protection and enhancement of the existing heritage, ecology and biodiversity is a key element of the park's future, along with developing new links within the park and with the wider area. A public report on the findings of the first community consultation will be published by the Council shortly.

Building on the valuable contributions and feedback received so far, a second phase of consultation is scheduled to take place in the first half of 2023 to help develop the preliminary design proposals further.