In Inchicore, a plan to build two padel courts and a cafe next to the Grand Canal

On Friday afternoon, four guys finished their game of padel – which is a bit like tennis – at a court in Bushy Park, and headed home.

They usually play at padel courts at Meadowbrook in Dundrum, or House of Padel in Tallaght. So what brought them to Bushy Park in Terenure this time?

“This was where we could find a court at this time,” says Cian Doyle. “Maybe we need a few more – indoor ones would be good.”

And that is part of Michael Kelly’s argument for why it’s a good idea to build two roofed padel courts on a site in Inchicore, near the Blackhorse Luas stop.

“There’s only so many padel courts in Ireland right now,” Kelly said Friday. And the sport is growing fast in popularity, so there’s demand for more, he said.

Kelly owns a site between the Grand Canal and the Camac River, and previously tried to build housing there but wasn’t able to get planning permission.

And the council rezoned the site to “open space”. “In the middle of a housing crisis,” says Kelly.

So, still determined to make use of the now vacant site, Kelly is trying to get permission to put in the padel courts – as well as changing rooms, toilets and showers, and a cafe.

People walking past on Goldenbridge Walk to stop and have a coffee and a sandwich at tables overlooking the canal, Kelly says.

And “if someone wanted to play in the morning and then hop on the Luas into town to go to work they could”, he says.

The Kellys and the Black Horse Inn

Michael Kelly’s father Tom Kelly used to own and operate the Black Horse Inn, for many years, Michael says. “He’s a very hardworking man.”

Tom also owned the site behind the pub, which Michael, who’s in his 20s, he says, is trying to develop.

Michael grew up working in the pub from a young age. When Tom got cancer, Michael took over and ran it from the time he was 18 years old, Michael says.

The family sold the pub seven years ago, Kelly said. It’s been sitting vacant since at least 2018, windows boarded up.

Alanna Homes has planning permission to build a multi-storey apartment building on the site, but hasn’t started work yet.

Michael Kelly said Friday he doesn’t know why – he’s not involved with that site anymore.

He’s focused on the site between the canal and the river. His father, meanwhile, is not doing well. “He suffers quite badly,” Michael says.

Rezoned

In 2022, Michael Kelly applied to Dublin City Council for permission to build 10 terraced townhouses on the 0.23ha site – and the council turned him down.

In the 2016 to 2022 city development plan, the site was zoned Z3 “to provide for neighbourhood facilities”.

“Residential use is permissible under the land use zoning site and, it is considered that an entirely residential scheme in this location is acceptable,” a planner’s report on the application said.

But the council found that the proposed development would “have a negative impact on the unique character of the Grand Canal Conservation Area”, the council said.

It would also be in a flood-prone area, could affect the riverbank, and would bring more cars down Goldenbridge Walk, which is heavily used by pedestrians and cyclists, it said.

“That’s fair enough, I respect that,” says Kelly.

Meanwhile, the council had drafted the new development plan, for 2022 to 2028, and the proposed zoning for the site was Z9, “Amenity/Open Space Lands/Green Network”.

Kelly appealed to An Bord Pleanála, but the board upheld the council’s decision to reject his plans to build housing on the site.

But by this time, the site had been rezoned Z9, the board’s order said. Also, the site is at risk of flooding, and building the terrace of houses could “negatively impact on the ecological functioning of the Camac River”, the order said.

“That was really frustrating, to be rezoned,” Michael Kelly said Friday.

New plan

The city’s development plan says, sites zoned Z9 can be used for “public open space; private open space; and, sports facilities”. Uses “open for consideration” include “café/tearoom”.

The site where the courts would be is level with the canal path. Then down behind that, the site slopes quite steeply down towards the Camac.

He says he’d leave that undeveloped, and green. “On the slope to the river, I’d like to do some nice planting there,” he says.

The padel courts, changing rooms, and cafe would be up on the flat bit, across the path from the canal.

“It’d be quite nice if you’re walking along Goldenbridge Walk, you can pop in for a coffee, take in the wildlife and the sound of the river,” he says.

He says he’d also want to get involved in the community, connecting with local schools and clubs, to get the kids down to play padel.