Coolock

Well, the main one was a gangland figure and Kinahan target, as we always write about him, James Magill Gatley.

He had a house in Glin Drive in Coolock.

Um, and I suppose the, the CAB investigation started there in 2016.

There was a detective sergeant who gave evidence that he noticed the heavy steel front door and, and the idea that the w- th- you know, this was an, uh, one of many expensive, uh, renovations that had been done to this kind of house that, that was bought for 125,000.

There is little potential employment in the area.

Industrial estates in Coolock or Finglas tend to employ people from their own areas, and few enough of them.

Ballymun has little political clout, and at the last revision of constituencies it was divided in three.

The area had 12 TDs, but the breaking up of the estate and the transience of the population meant that no TD could rely on it as a power base or had to respond to it as such.

That's, that, that is society in general, not, not, not just Northern Ireland.

But I worked in, uh, Coolock, North Dublin, a couple of years ago with, with exactly the same problems that we're talking about here in Northern Ireland.

And believe me, it is a lot worse in other places than it is here, and that might be f-

Really?

As a very young kid, I remember listening to all the different stations, Nova in particular, Sunshine Radio and some of the smaller ones.

And then when I was older, I actually started life as a secondary school teacher in Coolock in Dublin.

And we had our own pirate radio.

I used to teach Irish and sort of try and get the kids interested.

And that could be involving the suppliers, it could be adequately resourcing schools with personnel with a specialism to be able to do that.

A judge has refused to lift the nightly curfew of a 16-year-old boy charged over an e-scooter incident in Coolock in Dublin.

The teenager, who can't be named because he's a minor, is accused of assault causing harm to another youth on Greencastle Road on the 18th of August.

Dublin Children's Court heard the injured teenager was hospitalised.

A children's park in Artain was set on fire in May.

And the Osco Trainer Park in Coolock was badly damaged by arson and repairs after a fire at Diamond Park.

It was estimated to cost around $300,000.

And every time we talk about antisocial behaviour involving young people, we hear the same excuse, but should the kids have nothing to do? But councils spend a huge amount of money providing playgrounds, parks, facilities, and something to do.

I mentioned earlier on Crumlin and GAA grounds twice in July.

A children's park in our town set on fire in May.

Oscar Trainor Park in Coolock badly damaged by arson and repairs after a fire at Diamond Park was estimated at 300,000.

And then the latest one, of course, is this one now.

It regularly emitted unsettling creaks and groans, its walls were damp and cracked, and during the wettest months of the year the musty smell of mould lingered in the air.

The Smith family had little choice but to remain in the house, as although Dublin Corporation were building modern new housing estates, in places like Finglas, Coolock and Crumlin, demand far outstripped supply.

The rent was cheap and there must have seemed like little point in moving to another decaying tenement with the same problems.

The Smiths lived on the top floor of No. 20, and sometime in the intervening years, Esther's parents, Leo and Mary, joined them in the tenement.

Yeah, so it is still very stigmatised.

We have loads of people in Coolock, I suppose, so we're based in Dublin 17. in Coolock and many people would know what sort of organisation that we are but lots of people won't come in the doors because they know that people know that it's for lone parents and that's still today.

I can imagine in 1986 when you started you know what it must have been the stigma but I can't believe 40 years later there's still that stigma.

So what are the biggest challenges then the lone parents are faced with every day?

So interesting.

I'm delighted that you came on to tell us all about what you're doing there at Earthboy for lone parents.

in the community there in Coolock in Dublin.

I hope to talk to you again, Lydia, and catch up and see, find out all about the things coming up down the line as well.

I remember my last words was, right, oh God, help us.

In 1981, Antoinette Keegan is a fun-loving 18-year-old living in Coolock, a suburb in the north of Dublin.

She comes from a large family with seven siblings and is very close to sisters Mary, who's 19, and 16-year-old Martina.

Martina really wants to go to the Stardust nightclub on Friday 13th February to meet up with her boyfriend ahead of Valentine's Day.