The Dublin Community Blog

Long time visitors to this site may remember a post about the plans to dig up large parts of St Stephens Green for the construction of underground dart and metro stations as part of the Transport 21 plan. Over the last two years those plans have not changed. Now the mainstream media is getting agitated by the plan with Irish Times Environment Editor Frank McDonald writing a long piece in Saturdays paper entitled “The tearing of the Green”.

In the article McDonald outlines the plans for construction at the Green:

• A quarter of the park would be devastated by the scheme.

• The removal of the landmark Fusiliers’ Arch at its northwestern corner, dozens of mature trees and a large part of the lake. The Arch would be restored after construction was completed.

• The “cut-and-cover” project would take at least three years to complete

• A 200-metre stretch along the northern side of the Green would be turned into a construction site.

• Elements of the two stations above-ground

McDonald describes the Office of Public Works (OPW) as being “aghast” when it was first shown the plans. He also discusses the cost of the plans, how the line to St Stephens Green is duplicated by a new Luas connector above ground and how Dublin could get “more than 100 kilometres of street-running Luas lines for the price of Metro North”.

The article is well worth reading by anyone who cares about the character of the city.

Yesterday, I hurried off the bus on O’Connell Street and headed to a jewelry store on Henry Street.  I stopped in to look at a wedding band.  After about 15 minutes, I left and was going to head to Design Yard to order my fiance’s wedding ring.  I reached back to open the front pocket of my backpack and it was already open!  I dug around in the pocket and my wallet was missing!  I went straight back to the jewelry store and asked them if they had noticed if my backpack was open.  One of the sales assistants did notice that it was open while I was in the store.  Ugh.  I then walked up and down O’Connell Street because I thought that there was a Garda station there to report the theft.  I saw a Garda and asked and he directed me to a station.

As I walked to the police station, John canceled one card and texted me the number for the other bank.  After waiting at the police station, an officer then took my details and offered to send out a letter if I needed it to help get my ID replaced.  She was very nice and reminded me that wallets are generally not found.  I then went home and convinced John to get me money so I could still have my massage.

Today, I was out looking at new wallets and I got a phone call.  It was the Garda calling to say that my wallet had been turned in and all my ID was still in it!!  I then went to the station and collected my wallet.  They had taken the money, my Dublin bus tickets, the taxi voucher I need for work on Monday, my stamps to mail things out of Ireland, and my prescriptions!  All ID was left in the wallet and it was apparent that whoever took it went through the wallet carefully.

So, be very careful of your bags.  I didn’t feel anyone bump me or anything but I will now start carrying my wallet closer to me!

If you like your fashion with a side of science or something more serious then this is a good week to be in Dublin.

Opening at the TCD Science Gallery (if you’ve haven’t called in yet, go, go go!) is Technothreads, an exhibition about “the creative sparks that fly when the worlds of fashion and science collide”. What to expect? Shirts that hug you, the mathematics of design, 3D fabrics and ‘living’ clothes. Some more:

“The exhibition offers viewers a glimpse into the future of fashion in a world where Biotech and Nanotech are combined with traditional craft and Haute Couture skills. With work from designers such as Walter van Beirendonck, Yoshiki Hishinuma and Freedom of Creation, it promises to show off the most innovative, cutting edge and exciting designers the world has to offer as well as raising issues for global debate, such as the use of tissue culture to produce semi-living clothes.”

It opens on Saturday.

Two nights before Technothreads, on Thurs 24th, Fashion Evolution is happening. It’s a public debate about ethical fashion and it’s taking place at The Button Factory from 6.30pm. Speaking at it will be Katherine Hamnett, the lady behind all those political tees, the most recent of which is “no more fashion victims”. It will be followed by music from the very fab Dirty Epics, Star Little Thing and a few others. Tix , from here, cost €12. Get updates about the goings on by joining the event on Facebook.

The property development company Chartered Land has announced that it is seeking planning permission to redevelop a 5.5-acre site beside O’Connell Street into a new residential and retail development area called Dublin Central. The plans stretch from O’Connell Street to Moore Street and from Henry Street to Parnell Street and are, well, ambitious. They include three new public squares and two pedestrian streets, a rooftop restaurant quarter and a 12-storey building with a sloping public park on its roof. Those seem pretty standard, lots of shops and apartments with some public amenities thrown in to make the plan more appealing, but it’s the idea of a cable cable car to provide access to the rooftop park and moving of the facade of the Carlton cinema 50 meters down the street that add a certain quirky insanity to the proposal.

Normally I would dismiss those ideas as publicity stunts designed to gain press attention but then I looked up Chartered Land I found out that they are the people behind the development of Grand Canal Basin, one of the strangest but most modern and, in my opinion, most appealing developments in the new Dublin.

If they can do something similar with this development then the future of O’Connell Street may be substantially different from what any of us would have expected.

Some shots from the old U2 recording studio (in the pic above it’s on the right) on Hanover Quay, Grand Canal Dock; It’s the only one-story building left in the area, surrounded by 10-floor apartment blocks and large holes in the ground where 10-floor apartment blocks are being built. I think a few albums, including All That You Can’t Leave Behind and How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb were recorded here. Most of the graffiti is on the wall just across from it which I think is, sadly, going to be knocked down.

A compulsory purchase order was handed to the band back in 2001 when the Docklands was undergoing all that redevelopment and they went to court to fight it; an online petition to save the studio was even started. And even though the studio was saved, I doubt this wall was!

While I love the Grand Canal Dock area and all that’s being done to it, it’s a shame that this little bit of Dublin history may well be on it’s way to being knocked down – fans from all over the world have somehow managed to find their way though the building rubble to leave their messages.

Well, I’ve decided that after a few years with our old theme, it was time for a bit of an upgrade around here. Things are still a bit of a work in progress, but, hopefully you like the new theme and layout, and if anyone has any feedback / comments on how things are looking here, they would be very much appreciated.

The Rathmines Festival kicked off on the 14th of this month and will pick up again today, finishing late on Sunday night. The festival features a variety of events, workshops, and galleries, all happening along Rathmines Road (Upper and Lower) just south of Grand Canal. Most events are free and those that come with a price tag (like some music performances) never rise above a tenner. Dance, theatre, literature, music, photography, film, sports, history – there really does seem to be something for just about everyone!

For more, including a downloadable schedule, surf over to the festival website at www.RathminesFestival.com. Alternatively, the good folks at Cafe Moda have agreed to allow the use of their coffee shop as the festival club house, so if you happen to be in the area, stop by for brochures, booking, or any other information.

There is no doubt in my mind, today is a slow news day. Last night, Linfield came to play St. Patricks Athletic in Richmond Park, Inchicore in a Setanta Cup soccer match. St. Pats won the match 2-0.

Todays papers would lead you believe there was widespread rioting by the Linfield supporters. As an Inchicore resident living yards from Richmond Park, there was no such thing.

The Evening Herald says (I can’t find an online version):

many Inchicore locals say they were trapped in their own homes as chaos and violence ensued outside on the streets.

I don’t know what chaos and violence is being referred to because I certainly didn’t see or experience any. There were minor scuffles prior to the game kick off, however that was taken care of quickly and efficiently by the Gardai. I certainly did not witness “scenes of chaos” as stated in the Evening Herald.

There was huge Garda presence all evening, which included the Dog Unit, Mounted Unit, a Helicopter and the Riot Squad. Seems to me like the Gardai were well prepared in the event of any problems.

In my opinion all involved in organising this game should be commended for their hard work and reporting should be confined to events on the pitch.

St. Pats statement
Irish Independent
BBC
Belfast Telegraph

The funeral of Former President of Ireland (1976-1990) Patrick Hillery takes place in Dublin today in St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral at 12 noon.

The President, Mary McAleese and Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, will both read at the mass. Brian Cowen is to deliver the graveside oration.

Some roads around the Cathedral and along the route to St Fintan’s Cemetery in Sutton will be closed.

Marlborough Street, Dublin 1 will closed to traffic from 10.30am to approximately 2.30pm. Butt Bridge will be closed to traffic from 1pm to approximately 2.30pm.

Gardai said motorists travelling along Pearse Street will be diverted from Tara Street onto Burgh Quay and along O’Connell Street.

Eden Quay will be closed to traffic from 1.30pm to 2.30pm and traffic will be diverted up O’Connell Street or southbound across O’Connell Bridge. Commuters have been advised to avoid these areas during these hours if at all possible.

The funeral mass can be watched live via the RTE website.

Irish Times
RTE

As of the 1st of this month, Ecocabs are back on the roads in Dublin city centre. Not only are they environmentally friendly, they’re free! Presumably funded by the ‘moving billboard’ nature of each cab, I have a feeling that you’re also handed a large packet of advertisements when you use the service. The cabs are available at designated ‘pick-up points’ in the city centre and cover a radius of approximately 2 km from O’Connell bridge.

So next time you have to walk between Green and Red LUAS lines, grumbling all the way about the fact that the lines don’t connect (okay, so I’m speaking to myself at this point), find an Ecocab and let them do the exercise! If you’ve used the Ecocabs service, tell us about your experience in the comments section.

Also, there are still job openings as Ecocabs riders. So if you want a job that will keep you in shape and give you lots of opportunity to meet people, go to www.ecocabs.ie.