St. Stephen’s Park Meadows Ready for the Mower

Local resident, John Scollard inspects the new installation at St. Stephen's Park after it was put in place on Friday morning. ©Photograph: John Reidy
Local resident, John Scollard inspects the new installation at St. Stephen’s Park after it was put in place on Friday morning. ©Photograph: John Reidy

The blades are ready to turn, wheels to roll and volunteers to take command of the state of St. Stephen’s Park and its grassy areas. A ride-on mower, lock-up, community shed was put in place on Friday morning and its occupant is expected to take up residence there over the next couple of weeks.

The vast, grassy areas on the estate have gone to meadow and seed through what one neutral observer labeled a ‘lop-sided impasse’ which couldn’t or shouldn’t be allowed to continue.

“There are people in the estate able and willing to keep the place in order and they have proven themselves well capable of that over the years. I remember a group from St. Stephen’s Park doing an estate management course some years ago,” he said.

The usually manicured, green spaces of St. Stephen's Park are to be taken in hand from the coming week. ©Photograph: John Reidy
The usually manicured, green spaces of St. Stephen’s Park are to be taken in hand from the coming week. ©Photograph: John Reidy

“It would be a shame to let all that go to waste and see the estate falling into an eyesore when there are people in the wings who want to get on with the business of enhancing and tidying their own area.

We had an issue with the siting of the shed last year and that threw our plans for the estate back. That was understandable and it was resolved to the satisfaction of almost everyone,” he said.

Kerry County Council is expected to play its part early this week and have its sub-contractor take the first cut on the estate before its management is taken back by a group local volunteers.

Areas of the 66 house estate are still being kept in pristine condition. However, the main green area at the heart of the estate and the one on the Pound Road side are gone to meadow for the past couple of years.

Central Park: The central green area at St. Stephen's Park gone to meadowing because of a 'lob-sided impasse.'©Photograph: John Reidy
Central Park: The central green area at St. Stephen’s Park gone to meadowing because of a ‘lop-sided impasse.’ ©Photograph: John Reidy

Meanwhile, Cllr. Bobby O’Connell, the incoming Mayor of the Killarney Municipal Area – of which Castleisland is part, welcomed the development on the estate.

“The council is playing its part in the return of St. Stephen’s Park to a state of tidiness where the all the people are accommodated. There are several fine, green areas in the estate and there is a lot of mowing involved. I’m sure that with the volunteering spirit which we know is there and the back-up from Kerry County Council we’ll see the people of the area enjoying their green spaces again,” said Cllr O’Connell.

Cllr. O’Connell will take on the mayoral chains of office after the Killarney Municipal Area meeting tomorrow morning.