Green light for school's floodlights amid geese concerns

Dublin City Council has approved a new flood-lighting system for St Michael's College, a private school, despite concerns from nearby residents about the impact on the Light-Bellied Brent Goose. The council attached a condition to the planning permission requiring the school to implement mitigation measures for the protected bird.

The proposed system includes five 18.3-meter high lighting poles for the synthetic pitch, six for the grass pitch, and four for another synthetic training pitch. The school's planning consultants stated that the floodlights would help maintain the high-quality education, sports, and personal development opportunities for the school community.

However, Nutley Avenue residents, represented by Declan Kennedy and Declan Corcoran, argued that the proposal would irreversibly damage residential amenity and the protected structure. The council responded by imposing a condition that floodlight operation would be limited to 9:30 pm to reduce potential impacts on residential amenity.

The council's parks division confirmed that the development will not lead to any adverse environmental impacts, as the pitches will continue to serve their existing purpose. Field ecologist John Fox's survey found that Light-bellied Brent Geese had been using the St Michael's Playing Pitch as a feeding area before 2026. The council has mandated that all mitigation measures outlined in the Natura Impact Statement be implemented fully to prevent any impact on the geese and other species.