The Dump

Tramore Valley Park, as it is now known, is without doubt the strangest place I have ever been. On the surface it is a new suburban amenity that is proving very popular with dog walkers, joggers, bmx enthusiasts and anyone inclined to use the various playing fields. However all of the infrastructure associated with these activities is interspersed with the remnants of the site's former use as a landfill for Cork City and its surrounds.

The meadow-covered dome is a cap on all our rubbish from the 1980s and 1990s (it began in the 1960s). I remember the sights and smells vividly so it is absolutely bizarre to wander around mown paths or the pristine tarmac circuit that runs by the recycling centre, the presence of which is just one of many signs that all is not what it seems. There are settling tanks and vents and even the summit city viewing point is on top of grill-covered service hatches of some kind. There are many wooden poles marking the location of vents and other measures to process the filth below.

There are nice nature initiatives but the park is undeniably noisy, being surrounded by traffic on all sides. It is great that the park is being used as intended but for me it is truly odd and it will always be 'the dump'. I watch and photograph with interest as the authorities manage the balance between nature, amenity and what lies beneath.