Leisure and Recreation
Recreation, leisure and sports activities play an important role in our lives and in strengthening local communities. Their many benefits include improving health and well-being, promoting social inclusivity and contributing to the economic fabric of our communities.
These activities may involve and bring together individuals, families, small groups, teams or whole communities and are relevant to people of all ages, abilities and levels of skill. The types of activities people participate in vary greatly and correlate strongly to the provision and accessibility of recreation, leisure and/or sports facilities near to their homes, workplaces or schools.
Much of the open space in Swords is open for public access and use. The Ward River Valley Regional Park represents a key current and future location for leisure and recreation in both Swords and the greater Fingal South area. The park covers an area of 89 hectares (220 acres). The park contains viewing points, picnic sites and sports pitches, Swords Town Park which includes a playground and tennis courts, with Swords Castle also adjoining the park.
Most defined uses within the park such as playing pitches and playgrounds are located towards the western sections of the park. The eastern section of the park which adjoins both the town centre and Swords Castle narrows considerably. Accessibility of park entrances is sporadic along its eastern boundaries, with poor legibility of park access. Entrances provided are predominantly found along the western and southern boundaries of the park, with many not inclusive of wheelchair, buggy or bicycle access with many access points consisting of kissing and swing gates.
Given demographic aspects of Swords, such as a higher disability rate within the town centre (greater than 13.7%) and the high percentage of households with young children in the Swords area, the future needs of the population for inclusive access of the park is a key aspect of the future sustainability and resilience of Swords and its recreation and leisure facilities.
Within the Swords area, there are several leisure and recreational amenities, such community centres, scout dens, libraries and leisure facilities. However, much of the town centre is comprised of commercial retail activity. Many leisure and retail amenities are located outside of the town centre and village area of Swords, such as playing pitches, public parks and playgrounds, as well as indoor facilities such as leisure centres, libraries and community centres. As stated previously, the most prominent town centre amenities in Swords is the eastern section of the Ward River Valley Regional Park, Swords Castle (including Swords Community Park) and Townpark. Sites which informally act as places for leisure and recreation such as Plaza Village and Pavilions Shopping Centre also play a role in the community as informal amenity assets.
Sustainable Swords will examine the availability of and access to green space and leisure facilities within the town centre.