ASHTOWN Stables in Dublin 15 is under threat of demolition as a compulsory purchase order is being sought by Irish Rail under the National Transport Agency who are proposing a road tunnel under the Royal Canal.

One of the last remaining city centre riding facilities in Dublin, Ashtown Stables has been run by Grainne Reid and her family for over 40 years. The stables provide safe, affordable riding lessons for children, as well as family treks through Dublin’s historic Phoenix Park.

“The manner in which we are being treated by the DART+ West team is shameful, to put it mildly,” Grainne Reid told The Irish Field. “Rumours that they are going to place us in the Phoenix Park or are offering us huge amounts of money are also untrue. We have never been and never will be guided by money. Our motivator has always been and will always be community service.”

Kevin Reid, managing director of Ashtown Stables explained what the facility means to local children. “It helps shyer kids, and kids that wouldn’t be into football or GAA, it gives them an opportunity to get out in the fresh air, to get their vitamin D, to get away from screen time. If all of this was closed, apart from the fact they’d miss all their horse friends, there would be a lot of sadness in the area.”

Labour councillor Declan Meenagh, who represents the Glasnevin/Cabra area, told DublinLive he recognises the need for traffic solutions but said: “Urban horse culture should be protected with Ashtown and Dublin having such a rich history concerning horses. It’s actually quite emotional about Ashtown Stables because they do such great work. It’s a hard decision to be made, but there’s other land in the area that they could build on.”

Local lady Emma Kennedy Galvin explained the need for the stables in the area. “I have been riding in Ashtown since I was a child. It has been my second home, a place of great joy and a source of comfort for me during dark times. It’s somewhere that not only taught me how to horse ride, but also how to be confident and how to look after animals.

“The Reid family gave me a sense of belonging when I didn’t feel that I fitted in anywhere else. To lose Ashtown Stables would not only mean children like my two-year-old son James would lose their happy place, but also the next generation wouldn’t have this wonderful, welcoming stables available to them.”

The Reid family are asking the public to get behind their campaign by signing the objection submission on the Ashtown Stables website or on the Change.org petition website. The deadline for objections is September 29th, 2021.