Pictured, from left: Andrew Faulkner of Alasta Motors; Barry McNerney of Juniors; Irial Slattery of Slattery’s pub; Emma Farrell of EF Creative Studios; Kathryn Byrne of Limelight Communications; Ross Staunton of Foodgame.
Image Courtesy of Roisin Furlong, Limelight Communications.
The Beggar’s Bush D4 Business Group, a collective of twenty local businesses, has been nominated for the Local Authority Members Awards (LAMA) for the second year in a row.
The awards highlight and recognise community and councils working together, bringing national recognition to projects and developments that may otherwise go unrecognised.
The award includes 20 categories for work implemented through unique projects that enhance their local area for the good of the community.
Kathryn Byrne of Limelight Communications, emphasised how they had “punched above their weight,” despite being a comparatively small community. One of the members of the group, Emma Farrell of EF Creative Studios, a hair and makeup agency, won the Makeup Studio of the Year, Dublin award and was the overall winner of Makeup Studio of the Year Ireland Award in the recent Irish Wedding Awards.
This impressive accolade further added to the group’s commitment to quality in the business world. Her achievement paid dividends to the standard of the group in the business world, as well as their wonderful community efforts.
In the shadow of the Aviva Stadium, Beggar’s Bush has become a buzzing hub of activity, with fine restaurants and pubs and an active community spirit in recent times. The group represents vibrant business people who took it upon themselves to get involved in the area and create a ‘go-to’ place.
Slattery’s pub is one of the more recognisable businesses and has been there since 1989. Asked about its beginnings, Irial Slattery of Slattery’s stated: “We all started individually moving into the area. The Food Game moved in next door and a buzz was generated.” The community spirit evolved very naturally as they came into contact. Many of the members were new to the area and did not know each other but had a desire to reach out. “We thought we’d pool our resources so we could do more for the area.”
Ross Staunton of Foodgame said that it was “a new neighbourhood with young people moving in.
People are coming down from Ballsbridge.” The members of the group agreed that it was “driven by food and drink,” and was about “bringing groups to the area.”
Slattery stated that in order to emphasise the area and put it in people’s head that they “made a point” of including ‘Beggar’s Bush’ in the business group name rather than ‘Sandymount’ or other relevant references. He spoke of the recent changes in neighbouring areas such as Google opening offices at Barrow Street and the re-opening of the Aviva stadium in Lansdowne Road, both of which channelled a great many people to the area to eat and drink. Now, the area is retaining people who are “hanging out” and using the amenities.
Barry McNerney of Paulie’s Pizza/Juniors, Lotts & Co and The Old Spot referred to their community spirit, stating that initially they didn’t know anybody. It was somewhere you passed through getting to Sandymount or Baggot Street. However, through their efforts they endeavoured to give the area an identity and to make it work as a collective. Like “a little village,” as Andrew Faulkner of Alasta Motors added.
Events that have been organised though the group are karaoke nights, a casino night and the Harvest Food Festival held annually in Beggar’s Bush, to which the restaurants contribute food and drink.
The group communicates with the community via Facebook at facebook.com/beggarsbushd4/, via Twitter at @BeggarsBushD4 and through their website at beggarsbushd4.com.
By Kevin Mac Sharry
