Tag Archives: Dublin City Council

Mannix Flynn And The Temple Of Doom

-3The Irish Times is reporting that the Temple Bar Cultural Trust is to be wound down, on foot of resignations on the TBCT board.

Frank McDonald reports:

“This follows the resignations of artist, councillor and activist Mannix Flynn [captured on Google streetview in Temple Bar, above] and Irish Theatre Institute director Jane Daly from the board, as well as the abrupt resignation of chief executive Dermot McLaughlin from his secondment to Derry UK City of Culture.”

“At a board meeting yesterday, the remaining directors considered the 2011 report by Latitude consultants on the trust, which recommended the company be wound down and its functions taken over by the council.”

“The council’s press office said the board had considered the report “at the request of the shareholder” – city manager John Tierney, who will be leaving office tomorrow to take over as the first chief executive of Irish Water.”

 

Dublin City Council to develop Temple Bar?

Sure, what could go wrong?

Temple Bar Cultural Trust to be wound down (Irish Times)

The Last Great Georgian Mansion To Be Built In Dublin

2Aldborough House, Portland Row.

Completed at the turn of the 19th century.

It took more than 10 years to build.

In April, 2011 – following a fire at fellow architectural gem Belcamp College, Dublin 17,  Ruadhan Mac Eoin, a former press secretary of An Taisce, sent Dublin City Council the following:

I wish to now put on record that the appropriate state agencies have received ample warnings as to the inevitability of important heritage buildings being destroyed by further vandalism and arson if appropriate measures are not taken to provide protection. If – or when – the next important heritage building is torched or substantially damaged, I hope this correspondence will ensure that the public record accurately reflects that the responsible parties were made aware of the likelyhood ahead of such occurrence
…Finally, I would ask you to also take a look at the attached photo of AldboroughHouse, on Portland Row, Dublin 1. The last great Georgian mansion to be built in Dublin, this building is sited within a hundred yards of Dublin City Council’s Seán MacDermott Street office and was perfectly intact up until very recently. However it was left empty.
Although privately owned, again intervention has been requested of the local authority on a number of occasions. Again the local authority has intervened, by way of assessment inspections, only after the roofing and internal metals were stripped. I am not aware of any further follow up action by the authorities to adequately protect the premises.
Everyday I pass by, there seems to be another window broken. Although it seems to be beyond the owner’s interest to adequately secure the building, seemingly the owner now operates a car park in the grounds when events take place in Croke Park.
Again I simply to wish to put my understanding on record so that in the likely event of the building suffering terminable damage, my conscience will be clear in the knowledge that those vested with the responsibility of such matters were advised accordingly; I can do little more.

A representative of the council replied that Mr Mac Eoin was being ‘disingenuous’.

Last week Aldborough House was nearly destroyed by arson.

Aldborough House, 1803 (Archiseek)

(Pic via Archiseek)

Until The Real Truth Emerges

 

 

The motion?

 

That this Council calls on the current government to delay proceeding with a monument to victims of abuse as recommended by the Ryan Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, until such time as the many unresolved, uninvestigated and outstanding issues concerning the abuses for which Irish society is responsible, in particular those affecting the Magdalene women, those who endured abuse in Bethany children’s homes and the many children who suffered horrendous abuse in day schools throught the Republic of Ireland are resolved.
To proceed at this time with a Government sactioned and financially supported artistic memorial before the said issues are addressed and redressed would inevitably be seized upon as closure by the abusers, their congregations and managements, and as a pretext for the evasion of accountability and truth by them and by the Irish State.

Stop The Monument

Previously: Irish Government Unveils Design For Memorial To Abuse Victims (BBC, July 20, 2012)

How Grafton Street Might Look

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

Dublin City Council’s public consultation document on the pink ‘n’ grey regeneration of Grafton Street (you can help choose which sort of paving) is now available (see here).

Notice the proposed replacement of ye olde Georgian-style lampposts, bollards and bins for blandly sleek European-style street furniture. We’ve already objected.