Ballymun is not just the name of a place: it has for some become a byword for deprivation, anti-social behaviour, drugs and crime; a place where disadvantage has been the norm; modern Ireland's solution to nineteenth-century slums, creating many more problems than it solved.

The Ballymun Regeneration Project seeks to make amends. The infamous tower blocks, underpasses and container shops have now almost all gone. They are being replaced by a whole new landscape: high-quality homes with gardens, pristine public parks, a new town centre and a wealth of civic facilities.

Addressing the social wounds, however, is a different matter and this regeneration project, one of the largest in Europe, is attempting to change lives, attitudes and prospects through helping the people of Ballymun discover the power of community in shaping their destiny.

Will this ambitious regeneration project work? Only time will tell. It has certainly made an impact, and may yet become the blueprint for regeneration initiatives wherever they are needed.

This challenging collection of essays portrays the diverse views of sixteen eminent commentators, sharing their impressions of Ballymun as it was, as it is and as it might be.

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