The Dublin Community Blog

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.

I hope that this year St. Patrick impersonator will be the same person that last year. I call him ‘de Niro’

 

If you are wondering what is on the picture the answer is very Dublinish: Guinness!!

Michael Davidson of Florida University makes beer photos using microscope. What to say more? Check his beer website. 

Dublin has had a Lord Mayor as its first citizen, only surpassed in authority by the President, since Sir Daniel Bellingham in 1665. However the first citizen of the city has been in place since 1229, just without the Lord part of the title. The Lord Mayor is elected at Dublin City Council once a year though there is a campaign for the term to be lengthened. The current Lord Mayor is Cllr Paddy Bourke. I imagine there are many highlights being Lord Mayor, one being getting to ride in the City’s coach for the St Patrick Day Parade.

The official residence of the Dublin Lord Mayor is the Mansion House which is located on Dawson Street and was built in 1710 by property developer Joshua Dawson. While Joshua lived in the house the powers that be decided to purchase the house for the city at a cost of £3,500 and a yearly rent of 40 shillings and a loaf of double-refined sugar weighing 6lbs each Christmas.

Joshua Dawson also agreed to build another room, the Oak room, to be used for civic receptions. The Oak Room is to this day still used for civic functions and is decorated with the crests of all the Lord Mayors. The bottom photograph shows the crest of Daniel O’Connell who was Lord Mayor between 1841 and 1842.

Most of this information was cogged together from the Dublin City Council website and you can find out lots more about Dublin’s history at the council website.

Photos: 1. Inside the Lord Mayor’s office, the chain. 2. Inside the Oak Room. 3. The front of the Mansion House. 4. The Oak Room crests showing Daniel O’Connell’s crest (top left). 5. Portraits of previous Lord Mayors including the current Taoiseach Bertie Ahern who can be seen in the image.

Following yesterdays post about traffic congestion in Dublin I thought this article from ITV yesterday was interesting. Teams of researchers in cities around the world timed how long it took 35 men and women to walk 60 feet on a footpath.

The results place Dublin in the top 5 with an average time of 11.03 seconds.  Singapore takes the top spot with super fast 10.55 seconds. Couples in Paris can stroll arm in arm at a romantic 12.65 seconds, while those who like the quiet life should consider a move to Blantyre in Malawi where they can enjoy a laid back 31.60 seconds which I believe is only slightly faster that the M50.

Nope, this isn’t a how-to guide, sorry to disappoint! Courtesy of breakingnews.ie comes this story that in a recent scientific survey carried out by PHD Student Jonathan Bones of Dublin City University’s National Centre for Sensor Research, cocaine was found on 100% of all bank notes tested for the substance in Dublin. The sample consisted of 45 notes, made up of all denominations.

Whilst this does not mean that all Dubliners are using cocaine, it is a worrying trend that it is so widespread, and quite a suprise that it was found on 100% of notes.

I have posted about O’Connell Bridge before and here’s another post well a mini photo essay.

Originally named Carlisle Bridge, O’Connell Bridge was built between 1791 and 1794. The original bridge was humped and narrower but was widened in 1879. Those works have afforded the bridge the title of the only bridge in Europe as long as it is wide.

Anyway on to the photos.

Actually a view of the Hapenny Bridge from O’Connell Bridge

Here’s a live view of the bridge as I write this and check out the bridge in real time on the Dublin Weather cam.

I recently wrote about a photographic exhibition that’s currently, taking place to celebrate the 15 years of Temple Bar’s transformation. Following on from that, the following just arrived in to me.

DO YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT HOW TEMPLE BAR WAS TRANSFORMED?

FREE SERIES OF TALKS BY RENOWNED GROUP 91 ARCHITECTS

DURING OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER AS PART OF TEMPLE BAR 15

Irish Architectural Archive

45 Merrion Square

Dublin 2

Tuesday 10th October at 1.15pm
Shane O’Toole Architect

Tuesday 17th October at 1.15pm
Derek Tynan Architects

Tuesday 24th October at 1.15pm
Paul Keogh Architects

Tuesday 31st October at 1.15pm
Shay Cleary Architects

Tuesday 7th November at 1.15pm
Grafton Architects

Tuesday 14th November at 1.15pm
McCullough Mulvin Architects

Tuesday 21st November at 1.15pm
O’Donnell and Tuomey Architects

Tuesday 28th November at 1.15pm
McGarry Ní Éanaigh Architects

Admission is FREE and the talks take place every Tuesday until 28th November 2006. The talks begin at 1.15pm and end at approx. 1.50pm.

BOOKING ESSENTIAL – Places are strictly limited to 50

For booking and further information please contact the Archive at 01 6633040 or slincoln@iarc.ie

SO the sun is out, the kids are off school, neighbours are playing their music VERY BLOODY LOUDLY (ahem) and there’s a hint of ‘something’ in the air. Yes, mid-summer sale season is upon us again! (Work with me here.)

Most of the shops are frantically selling off their itsy-bitsy bikinis and summer stock, and getting ready for autumn, or fall for all of our visitors from across the pond, so now is the time to strike.

Of course, much of the stuff on offer is either a size 6 or a 24, or in a lovely shade of orange, but if you can bear rummaging through mountains of clothes, there’s bound to be a gem or two in there.

Last week I had occassion to visit the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre in Clondalkin in the west of the city with my sister and baby niece and found it a good alternative to shopping in the city centre, particularly with a baby on board.

First off, there is ample parking and it’s free for visitors of the centre (though I don’t recall if there’s a time limit, so maybe check that out when  you get there) which is a welcome change from paying huge prices to park in town. Just as an aside, most people who go to Liffey V tend to park either at the front entrance, or at the cinema entrance, but here’s my little tip, the Mark’s and Spencer entrance (Purple car park) usually has loads of free spaces, just follow the signs.

Liffey Valley is all on one level, except for the food court and one or two shops upstairs, meaning it’s buggy and wheelchair friendly (there’s a lift to the food court) and very easy to get around.

We started out at the far end of the centre, Marks and Spencer (where there’s a secret ATM in the men’s department), and had coffee in the Cafe Revive there which is very tasty and clean, with a plethora of staff on hand to man the till and clear tables; mothers and children are made to feel very welcome.

From there we mosied on down the centre, passing well known shops such as River Island and Principals until we got to the main concourse, which has the escalators to the food hall. Here is where you’ll find the Customer Service Desk, juice bar and where most charity stalls etc (say if someone was selling pins or buttons for cancer, this is where they would be) are set up, meaning everything is contained in this one area, not scattered about the rest of the centre. You can also hire fun car shaped buggies to transport your little ones around, costing just a few euro. (They don’t let adults get in them though, no matter how much you beg, harumph.)

The food court features the usual fast food outlets such as McDonald’s and Burger King but there is also a Bagel Bar, Cafe Kyelmore and baked potato shop, if you happen to be watching your waistline. I wasn’t, so gorged myself on lard. Mmmmm, lard.

We then hit Sasha, A-Wear and various sports shops until we got to a big Dunne’s Stores about three quarters of the way down the centre. There are large ladies and gents loos too in this area, along with pay phones and disabled toilets, as well as baby changing facilities. Any time I’ve visited, the loos been clean and tidy with plenty of paper and soap.

After this it was the home stretch to Eason’s, Boots and the cinema (Vue) where there is also an Eddie Rockets, Pizza Hut and steak house. So if you fancied doing a little shopping, having a meal and then hitting the flicks, this would be the place to do it. Be warned though, all three restaurants beside the cinema are usually very busy so be prepared to queue at peak times.

The cinema itself is large with a good number of screens and offers the usual movie fare, such as popcorn and nachos. Prices are similar to the city centre, though if you’re a large family it might be worth looking into a yearly pass or membership if it’s available.

While shopping in the city centre has its charm and offers a wide variety of shops along with tourist attractions, Liffey Valley is a great alternative on days when you can’t face the hassle of parking, you have the kids with you or you just fancy some retail therapy and the movies without traipsing about for miles, or indeed if you’re a tourist looking to get out of the city for a bit. Dotted throughout the centre are carts and stalls offering everything from new mobile phone covers, to sweets, to gorgeous jewellrey, so you could easily while away a couple of hours. On the day I was there last week, many of the shops were having sales and my little niece got a gorgeous brand-name coat for just 11 euro in Ladybird. Bargain!

To find out more about Liffey Valley including opening hours and directions, bus routes to and from the city centre and special offers vist www.liffeyvalley.ie

Well, we’ve had a few nice sunny, warm days here in Dublin, some would say that summer has arrived, but, apparently it’s far more than that, officially, according to Met Eireann, we have “absolute drought”. Hard to believe that, but, apparently, absolute drought occurs when you have 15 consecutive days where less than 0.1mm of rainfall is recorded. The absolute drought was recorded at Casement Aerodrome in Baldonnel, but, Dublin Airport was not far behind at all. Proving that last summer was just pants, there has been only 13% of the total July rainfall that occured last year in the month to date. On top of that, we’ve only had 22% of the average July rainfall over the past 50 years.

But, a reminder, whilst out enjoying all this hot, sunny weather, please remember to conserve water, and don’t be wasteful. Water tables are starting to run low, just as consumption is taking a spike due to the hot weather. If this current trend continues (though, I’d imagine rain is not far away), it won’t be long until water shortages start to affect us all.