Longwood playground to be open by next year

Cllr Aisling Dempsey has announced that, after discussions between Meath County Council with the diocese and the Longwood playground committee, the playground should be opened at the latest by autumn of next year, all going well.

“We are absolutely delighted because we have worked so hard for this for an awfully long time, both before and since I have become a councillor,” she stated.

“The timeframe now is that, all going well, the playground will be here by autumn 2025 at the latest. This is brilliant news for schoolchildren in the Longwood area, who will now have somewhere to play in the coming years, after the community has been calling for this playground for so long.”

Cllr Dempsey was speaking after organising a constructive and positive meeting between the Longwood playground committee and Pat Shore, Town Regeneration Officer at Meath County Council.

She concluded: “The community has been calling for this amenity for 20 years. It has always been a priority for me to do everything I can to help deliver it. I have had many engagements with the playground committee, including having worked with them on an application to the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, that was successful in securing €172,500 for the playground.”

Laura Ryder, on behalf of the Longwood Playground Committee, said: “We’ve worked long and hard for this playground. We’re delighted to finally secure it for our children, the children of Longwood and indeed future generations to come. This green is important to our community and is a focal point of the village, it holds many events throughout the year. We look forward to progressing the playground with the Council through to completion next year”.