Sad Times – Visitors To Phoenix Park Will No Longer Be Allowed To Have Barbeques

June is nearly here and with the sunshine (hopefully) set to stay, it is ideal barbeque weather in Dublin. 

And you can have one whereeverrrr you want in the capital: in your back garden, in your neighbours’ field, on the side of the road. 

Everywhere except Phoenix Park.

Visitors to the park have been able to cook up on those little BBQs since 2010 but that has sadly come to an end. 

It is being said that there has been too much fire damage in the area and that bbqs bring with it lots of litter. 

Green Party Councillor Ciaran Cuffe has made a controversial statement however and thinks that people will just flat out ignore the ban: 

“I would acknowledge that there are some difficulties with tables being burnt with disposable barbeques, but I think we should work with those who barbeque”.

“If you go to any other city around that world, parks have places to barbeque,” he said. 

There was two designated areas in which you could bbq; the existing picnic area on Furze Road between Oldtown Wood and the Ordnance Survey in the western end of the park and at the top of the Furry Glen at the picnic area.

When the decision to allow BBQs was introduced in 2010, 

A spokeswoman for the park said that: 

“Up to now there had been a blanket ban because of fears of fires and health and safetyissues.

“Due to the enormous pressure brought on by the current good weather and unprecedented numbers of people using the park, we are allowing disposable barbecues to be used near picnic tables.”

“We do not allow barbecues on the tables or on grass. We are currently reviewing our policy on barbecues.”

They finished by saying that they didn’t want to be “killjoys” by not allowing the barbeques but eight years on, it seems the fire risk has become too much for the owners. 

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