The Dublin Community Blog

The redevelopment of the Leinster rugby grounds in Donnybrook has started. The pitch has been barricaded off, the stand is knocked and a large section of the wall removed to allow the heavy construction equipment to access the grounds. Here are a couple of photos.

The Port Tunnel is currently closed in both directions due to a “computer system error“. The ban on heavy goods vehicles in the city center is lifted so if you need to go through the city center to get home this evening you should probably consider leaving now while traffic is still moving.

The type of computer error that can close a hole in the ground is not specified.

Update: The tunnel is now open but the HGV ban wont be reinstated until 7am tomorrow morning.

So, last Tuesday I went to the Garda office/Immigration on the Quays to renew my work authorization since it expired on the 24th of May.  I got there at 7.30 AM expecting to be there all day and had appropriate materials with me.  Well, I got put into the garda card line and was the 11th person.  I got nervous because I thought I needed to go to the visa section as well and they only give out a certain number of visa appointments per day.

So, I got in line and waited.  I only had to wait about 20 minutes standing in line since someone started giving out tickets with numbers on them earlier than they had to!  I then waited about 30 minutes to meet with the garda card people.  My number was called and the guy asked to see my papers and he then took my picture.  A little while later, I had my passport back, a new garda card, and a stamp in it saying I was legal for the next two years.

So, if you currently have a work authorization, you are able to renew it, at least for the time being.  :)  I am not sure if most people will have to go to both offices or not (the guy who processed my paperwork said it was easier because of the country I am a citizen of) but I would recommend getting there early.  It only took me an hour and a half to get everything done so I had the rest of the day to do what I wanted.

This bank holiday weekend sees “Bloom in the Park” gardening event take place in the Phoenix Park. Described as

a showcase for the best of Irish landscape gardeners, designers and horticultural producers

the show includes:

Nursery and Floral Pavilion – a collection of floral and planting displays
Show Gardens
Sculpture Exhibition

and much more. Further information can be found here.

This weekend sees a Soul Festival take place in several venues around Dublin. More info and ticket purchases on their website. A “Soul Picnic” takes place in Merrion Square on Sunday the 27th from 2pm onwards. Sounds like a fun way to spend a Sunday!

Has everyone managed to find their polling station today? My one was in a school down a little side street and hidden away from passers-by. Even the side street looks more like the entrance to a housing estate than a road. The first time I voted there (meaning a few years ago not that I’ve voted a several times today ) I wandered around for 30 minutes convinced that a) a school is a big building, it should be easy to find and b) someone would have put up a sign pointing to the polling station on the main road. No luck, the school is actually quite small and no one had bothered to even put up a photocopied arrow.

Eventually I began to think my polling station was in Hogwarts School not a local secondary school. I gave in and went into a near by shop to ask directions. The assistant behind the counter had no idea, had never heard of the school and thought I was actually in the wrong area. Fortunately the manager knew the mysterious location, he must have had kids going to that school because no one else would have known.

This morning I walked over the the polling station and looked out for signs or posters. There were none. There wasnt even a canvasser outside the station to reassure me that I wasnt walking into a school in the middle of class time. If I had not known this was the station I would have been completely lost.

Has anyone else gotten lost or just cant find their polling station?

Along with the Dublin Writers Festival that Dan wrote about yesterday (thanks for that, Dan!), there are loads of other notable events happening here in Dublin over the summer months. Here are a few others that I’ve heard or read about recently. If you know of any others, be sure to let us know.

• 1-4 June: Docklands Maritime Festival
• 15-17 June: Street Performance World Championship (also CLICK HERE for DublinBlog’s post on the event last year)
• 16 June: Bloomsday
• 24-26 August: Festival of World Cultures (also CLICK HERE)

Also, on Thursday-Saturday nights throughout the month of June, the Dublin Docklands will be hosting Club ImMortal, a series of circus cabaret performances which promise to “explode around, above and among the audience in a unique blend of circus, dance, music and video.”

I know there will also be a few outdoor concert events (like Damien Rice), so again, if you have any info. on those be sure to fill us in!

Just a quick post to let you know the Dublin Writers Festival will be running from the 13th – 17th of June 2007 at various locations throughout the city.
Guests will include: Meg Rosoff, Derek Landy, Nell McCafferty, Jackie Kay and Xiaolu Guo.

Full details are available here:
http://www.dublinwritersfestival.com
and here
http://www.ark.ie/index0.html

One week to go to the election. I think the build up this year has been more exciting than that of 2002. I’ve always been fascinated by the count, the tallymen and realtime predictions. The Dublin City count takes place in the RDS Main Hall. I’m not sure if you can just walk in – but its well worth checking out if you can. I went to a count in Galway in 2002 and it was very exciting. Thats one of many disadvantages of electronic voting.

Am I the only one who hasn’t come across any canvassers yet? I haven’t seen a sign of anyone around Dublin 8. Plenty of literature has popped in my letter box but not a sinner has knocked on my door – for better or for worse!

If you have yet to figure out where to keep up-to-date with election happenings, Dublin blog contributor Red Mum has written a couple of excellent “essential election reading” posts here and here.

Enjoy the final Election 2007 week and if you see any canvassers send them my direction

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