Louth councillor condemns damage to ‘conversation cirle’ at Dundalk’s Ice House Hill Park
Specialist seating at Ice House Hill Park in Dundalk has been badly damaged in an incident believed to have been the result of vandalism.
The issue was raised at the June meeting of Dundalk Municipal District, where Cllr Sean Kelly strongly condemned the damage at the park.
The incident resulted in sections of the park’s distinctive “conversation circle” seating being upended from its base. The oval-shaped wooden structures have long been a unique feature of Ice House Hill.
Dundalk’s largest public park is a hugely popular amenity for visitors and locals
Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Kelly called for swift action to restore the seating and protect the park’s amenities.
He also sought clarity on when repairs would be carried out, and raised broader concerns about upkeep at the site.
In addition to the current damage, Cllr Kelly asked whether a maintenance schedule is in place to address other issues emerging within the park.
Independent.ie contacted Louth County Council for a response to the incident.
In a statement, a spokesperson said the cause of the damage has not yet been confirmed.
“We are currently unable to determine the cause of the damage to the existing furniture,” the spokesperson said. “The item has been removed to facilitate repairs.”
However, the local authority indicated that delays are possible.
“At this stage, we are unable to provide a timeframe for completion, as this will depend on the availability of a suitable contractor,” the spokesperson added.
Seperately, Cllr. Sionainn McCann called on the council to “carry out an audit” of St. Helena Park, where she said many of the seats are in a bad state of repair.
“A lot of really good work has been done in St. Helena Park, but some of the benches are almost unusable as they have missing planks.”
Some of the trees along the riverwalk at the park were badly overgrown, and should be cut back “now that No Mow May is over,” said Cllr. McCann.