For those who are interested, SDCC in conjunction with Coillte and the Dublin Mountains Partnership are proposing a project to provide a 'Gateway to the Dublin Mountains' based at Montpelier Hill (Hellfire Club). Details are available at

http://www.sdcc.ie/services/parks-and-recreation/dublin-mountains-project

There is an open day today in Tallaght Stadium for anyone interested in viewing the plans. See

http://www.sdublincoco.ie/index.aspx?pageid=939&pid=37068&type=Press%20Releases&q=&from=28-09-2016&to=28-03-2017&p=1

for more information.

Plans include a visitor centre (ugh!), enhanced parking to deal with current parking issues (good) and a footbridge linking the Hellfire side with Massey's Estate (also good). Interestingly it also mentions:

I've had a look at the stuff on the Hell No! site which has copies of some of the plans. They are a bit hard to read as they can't be zoomed but they give at least some idea of the nature of the proposal. I envisaged the footbridge as being quite a small, hopefully wooden affair, but the plans indicate a much more massive construction, which I wouldn't be in favour of. I wouldn't be in favour of the tourist aspects of the scheme either for a whole variety of reasons. Drawing in large numbers of tourists will swamp the access road unless it receives a significant upgrade. It's pandering to the shallowest form of tourism where people get off a bus and mooch around for 30 minutes in a sanitised enviroment that is completely the opposite of true outdoors experience. Is it just my imagination or do those plans show parking for 40 buses!? The nature of the area will undergo a significant change from it's present form. I'm going to go have a look at the plans at the open day later to get a better idea of what's being proposed.

For anyone who would like to there is a petition to sign here regarding the project:

PETITION

Finn