Locals in Corduff have rallied to support a community clean-up day which was threatened with cancellation in the wake of recent shootings in the area.
According to organisers, global tech giant Symantec had agreed to provide €150 worth of flowers and offered volunteers to help plant them to mark Earth Day on April 17.
But the company pulled out of the event after a gunman opened fire near a school in the area just as staff and students were preparing to leave the grounds.
Now residents have answered a call on social media and pledged to plant the 60 flowers and shrubs donated by the company this Saturday, April 20 instead.
The Clean Up Corduff group revealed on Facebook that the date had been changed to Saturday, April 20 at 11am “due to the amazing response and to accommodate residents”.
It had earlier revealed: “We had planned a volunteering day with Symantec on April 17 in aid of Earth Day.
“However, due to and as a direct result of the recent acts of violence within the area, Symantec cannot and will not allow their staff volunteer in our community.
“They must put their staff first.”
Cllr Paul Donnelly (SF) said he was disappointed to learn of the turn of events as a direct result of the shots fired outside Riverside Community College on Blanchardstown Road North on Tuesday, April 2.
He added: “Corduff is a wonderful and vibrant community which recently won the Pride of Place national community award. The people of Corduff are the salt of the earth.
“They have been through tough times before and they will once again face down these criminal elements who are terrorising their neighbourhood.”
Cllr Donnelly called on the local neighbourhood to “stand strong” and appealed to the wider Dublin 15 community to “show solidarity with the people of Corduff … Let people power prevail.”
Volunteers taking part in Saturday’s event will meet at 11am at the entrance to Corduff Park from Aisling Heights/Edgewood Lawn.
There was widespread condemnation of the school gates shooting incident which is believed to be linked to an ongoing drug feud between criminal gangs in west Dublin.
Deputy Jack Chambers (FF) called for armed garda units to patrol the area in a bid to tackle the recent escalation in violent crime.
He added: “That someone could consciously attempt to cause grave harm by firing gun shots outside a
