Connecting Cabra

The community group Connecting Cabra was set up in early 2021, and signed up to be recognised as a Sustainable Energy Community (SEC) as part of SEAI’s SEC Programme shortly after.

As part of the SEAI SEC Programme, Cabra SEC have completed an Energy Master Plan. The group feels that data and concrete evidence greatly help when lobbying for change, and has installed Telraam traffic monitors around Cabra to gather data on the traffic that passes through the neighbourhood. This data has already been used, alongside a comprehensive report on walking and cycling in Cabra written by members of the group, when lobbying and meeting with Dublin City Council officials to call for change in the Cabra area.

Connecting Cabra signed a consortium agreement with a wide range of partner organisations to establish a climate cooperative in Dublin 7. This cooperative hopes to build a model for community wealth building and community-led retrofitting projects, alongside many other projects. Connecting Cabra would love to see mobility hubs installed in Cabra and for more cargo bikes and car sharing in their community. Connecting Cabra hopes to develop opportunities for community power in Dublin 7, and to support and encourage group retrofits to save time and energy for roads of houses and estates looking to upgrade their homes, and to work with local businesses, schools and churches to support Cabra in the energy transition. The group organised a very successful webinar last year which gave information about retrofitting. What made this webinar different was that it was local people speaking about their experience with the process and the various measures that one could take in a Cabra home! Alongside all the work on energy that the group undertake, Connecting Cabra is also very much engaged with the biodiversity, GIY, mobility and active transport side of things with many events, plans and outreach in these areas. To find out more visit www.connectingcabra.ie or follow the group on social media. You can listen below to Connecting Cabra’s Caitriona Kenny talking on the Climate Alarm Clock podcast about the exciting projects in the area.