The Dublin Community Blog

Dublin Council is considering adding new street trading locations around the city. Most are food stalls but there would be several Arts and Crafts spots around the city. The full list is available here but some highlights include

• Books and/or paintings under Merchants Arch
• Jewellery/Crafts on Capel Street Bridge
• Art and Photography in St Patricks Park

I think some high quality trader spots around the city would be good, so long as they encourage Irish crafts and artists. I do wonder about the need for more flower stalls on Grafton St and a food kart on the traffic island opposite college green seems like a good way to get drunk people to wander into traffic while eating a kebab, but in general the new spots could be good additions to the city.

With all the media attention on the upcoming General Election for 2011 it appears that Dublin Bus have managed to get approval for a 2% fare increase. 2% may not seem much but somehow it adds up to 10c on some fares. A quote from their website:

Dublin Bus wishes to advise customers that from Sunday 6th February 2011, adult cash fares will increase.  For journeys of 13 stages and under, the fares will increase by 5 cent. Over 13 stages, outer suburban and Xpresso fares will increase by 10 cent. There will be no increase to child fares.

So next week expect to pay more if you take a bus.

Just a quick post to wish all readers of the Dublin Blog a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Congratulations to Moses Kibet who won the mens race in 2.08.58 and Tatiana Aryasova who won the womens race in 2.26.12 both of which were course record times. Paul Hannon was the wheelchair winner in a time of 2:20:38 and of course congratulations to all those who took part in this years race. The results list can be found on the Dublin Marathon site.

On Saturday I walked through St Stephens Green and it struck me that this is the last Autumn for this part of the Green.

By October next year these trees will have been removed to make room for the new Metro station. Personally in post Celtic Tiger Ireland I don’t see the need for the Metro or how we can afford it both financially and spiritually, The Green is the heart of the city center and no cost benefit analysis can measure that. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not someone who could be described as a “tree hugger” or “anti-progress” but I do believe that sometimes you cannot justify destroying something as beautiful as St Stephens Green in the name of progress.

The developers promise to restore the Green to its former condition after the building has finished. I was part of a group that met with the RPA lately and the plans for St Stephens Green were discussed. In fairness to them I believe they do mean well and do intend to preserve as much of the Green as possible. A lot of effort is going into documenting the current layout and structure of the Green so that everything can be put back to the exact spot where it was prior to the construction work but the trees will have to go and there is nothing that can be done about that. New trees will be planted and even semi mature ones could be moved into the Green but no matter how much effort they put into replacing stones and railings it still takes 200 years to fully restore a 200 year old park.

The government is pushing ahead with plans for an elected Mayor for Dublin. The latest step in the process was the publication of the Dublin Mayor Bill today which will form the basis of the new office, a new Deputy Mayor and a restructured Regional Authority. The office will have responsibilities in many areas of Dublin life including development, planning, transport, waste and water management. Whether you agree or disagree with the need for an elected Mayor, it looks likely who ever holds the office will have a huge impact on the city and how it is managed. More information can be downloaded from Mayor4Dublin.ie.

Update: please note it appears the “Mayor4Dublin” website is actually the campaign portal for the Green Party candidate. If you dont want a one party view of the roll you can (currently) download the legislation here instead.

Today is Car Free Day in Dublin as part of European Mobility Week the goal of which is “an awareness raising campaign aiming at sensibilising citizens to the use of PUBLIC TRANSPORT, CYCLING, WALKING and at encouraging European cities to promote these modes of transport and to invest in the new necessary infrastructures.”

Unfortunately they happened to pick a pretty awful wet day in Dublin so traffic was actually heavier this morning. To add to the traffic problems this morning South William St, Drury St and Fade St are closed until 11pm to accommodate Living Streets as part of Car Free Day. The rain is easing off now and there are blue skies on the horizon so if you haven’t already taken your car into the city center perhaps you could consider taking public transport instead?

I just read on Twitter that bookings for Open House Dublin 2010 start today. Open House is an annual event (held this year on October 7th-10th) where tours are held of many buildings normally closed to the public. Why would you be interested in this you may ask? Have you ever wondered what the view from the top of Liberty Hall is like, or what the inside of the Leinster House is really like? This is your opportunity to visit these buildings and be taken on a guided tour admire the architecture and see a different view of the Dublin skyline.

While most of the buildings are opened on a first come first served basis some, such as Leinster House, require pre-bookings. Bookings start at 10am this morning so if you want to see what goes on behind the scenes at some of the most iconic buildings in Dublin you should make sure to check out their website this morning and put your name down.

The annual Peoples Photography exhibition on the railings around St Stephens Green will be on this weekend Saturday 28 and Sunday 29th from 9am to 6pm each day. A free event, now entering its 24th year, it will showcase the work of around 200 photographers from amature to professional.

If you are around the Green over the weekend take a stroll around the railings and have a look.

Over on Boing Boing Sean Bonner has posted an article describing his recent trip to Dublin. This is a good read for two reasons.

First he records his trip from Paris to Dublin with some great photographs. Somehow he managed to get through Dublin Airport in 5 minutes an impressive feat of fast walking, I dont think I’ve ever done in in less than 15. Then he made it into the city center and to a coffee shop in 36 minutes using the Aircoach, who needs a Metro?

Secondly, he writes about a subject close to the heart of The Dublin Community Blog down through the ages, coffee and where to get the best cup. I like the reason he gives for visiting Dublin when asked by airport security “I heard they have really good coffee in Dublin”

His recommendation for a good cup

Third Floor Espresso isn’t just another coffee shop. It’s run by Colin Harmon who has a shelf full or trophies that includes the recent addition of 4th place at the 2010 World Barista Championship.

and who can argue with those credentials? I think I know where I’ll be going for my next cup of coffee. Coffee wasnt the main reason for his visit as he attended a photo exhibition as part of the recent Photo Ireland Festival. Go up to Boing Boing, read the post, admire the photos and tell me you dont want a nice cup of coffee