St. Anne's Road Pocket Park

The park, measuring 40 metres in length and between six metres and one metre wide at its narrowest point, is south-facing, backed by the wall of Drumcondra railway station to the north.[2]

The idea for the pocket park was conceived by Jen Martin, a resident of St Anne's Road, in 2014.[2][1] At that time the narrow, triangular space had been used as a space for "little more than public urination", set as it is off the main Dorset Street - Drumcondra corridor and in the broad vicinity of Croke Park stadium, in an area which sees high volumes of pedestrian traffic.[1] The location had previously been suggested as a site for a bottle bank, but this idea had been turned down some years before.[1]^: 8:34 Martin applied for a grant from the Croke Park Community Fund in January 2014, and with the proceeds employed landscape architect Sophie Graefin von Maltzan[2] to develop the corner into something which could be more beneficial to the community.[1]

The park was largely built in spring 2016 by the Drumcondra community.[1] Siobhan Maher, Dublin City Council's Public-Realm Strategy Project Manager, helped to facilitate the project.[3] Speaking in February 2020, Maher said "While there used to be issues with antisocial behaviour in the space, it’s been transformed into a very cared for, positive space in the area".[3]

Some residents have commented on the positive role the park played during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing a place for them to meet neighbours at an outdoor focal point and for new arrivals to settle in to the area.[1] Local residents have commended the park, even though it is small, for its open space, biodiversity and for allowing an area for people to enjoy nature in a city centre environment. At Christmas time, the park has been decorated with lights,[1] and every year the residents throw a "birthday party" for the park. Volunteers also held an event in the park on Culture Night 2019.[3]

Maintenance of the park is managed by Dublin City Council (DCC) as well as local residents. DCC cuts the grass, but all other work is done by park users. In January 2021, the park was included in an Irish Times article named "11 ways to reinvigorate Dublin city centre - Outdoor pools, pocket parks, and small-business support among the possibilities".[4]

A number of arthropods, animals and plants are found in the park, including quercus robur, fuchsia, aphids, honey bees, bumblebees, hoverflies, passiflora edulis, millipedes, centipedes, woodlice, jacobaea vulgaris, plantago lanceolata as well as two-spot, ten-spot and 22-spot ladybirds.[1]^: 9:45 It has been called a "perfect example for introducing more green infrastructure into the city and a micro green infrastructure stepping stone if you look at the rich habitat it creates".

Community representatives have spoken of plans for further improvements to the park. As a spokesperson in the official Dublin City Public Participation Network video explained, "We'd very much like to improve the playfulness of the park, because really this is a park for older people to come and sit and take a rest, and for kids to come and play, and everyone in between".[1]

Another pocket park that has been developed in Dublin city is Montpelier Gardens, Stoneybatter which was set up in May 2022 as part of DCC's "greening" strategy, as well as another park which operated for some time at Smithfield.[2] Community gardens and pocket parks have also been developed in Dublin suburbs such as Ballybough, Donnycarney, Cherry Orchard and Baldoyle, and within a range of public parks.