Every morning, before going to school, Declan Phelan and his friends let their horses out of their stables to graze. After school it's time to muck out the stables and put in fresh water and hay. This is happening, not on the plains of Kildare, but in Fettercairn, in Tallaght.
Declan and his friends are among the many young Dublin teenagers who are mad about horses. What's unique about Fettercairn is that it has created real links between the urban cowboys, as they are sometimes thought of, and the more sedate world of Ireland's horsy set. Last month, members of the Fettercairn Youth Horse Project were employed as fence stewards at the Dublin Horse Show.
The project hopes to develop blacksmith, saddlery, blanketmaking and other services in Tallaght for Ireland's horse industry.
It's not just a pipedream. The steering committee for the project includes representatives of the Royal Dublin Society, the Association of Irish Riding Clubs, Spillers Animal Feed, the International League for the Protection of Horses (whose president is Princess Anne) and Roadstone. It also includes South Dublin County Council, FAS, the Tallaght Partnership, and other bodies.
Mr Ted Walsh of RTE and the trainer, Mr Arthur Moore, are among the patrons of the project.
According to Declan Phelan, the project originally grew out of a need to cope with the sheer numbers of horses in Fettercairn. A club was set up to fence them in on county council land to prevent them from damaging property or being stolen. The first stable was built in December 1995, again to meet an urgent need. "A mare was foaling and the weather was bad. We were afraid the foal might not survive so we built stables."
Declan has his own mare and foal. In all, the project has 35 members, who among them have 23 horses and eight foals.
The present stables are a makeshift affair, constructed from waste wood materials. The construction of more sturdy stables, an exercise arena and a clubhouse are all part of a development plan launched by the project yesterday in the Abberley Court Hotel in Tallaght. The facilities would cost about £200,000 to build and equip.
Ms Anna Lee, chairwoman of the Tallaght Partnership, said yesterday that the project "is about trying to turn around disadvantage".
It is located in a community which has problems and difficulties, she said. It engages young people because "it is clearly based on the belief of the young people participating in it, their work and their concerns."