How Many Phil Hogans?

How many Phil Hogan’s does it take to save a medieval city from destruction? 52?

Sponsored Link

5 thoughts on “How Many Phil Hogans?”

Darragh Byrne August 5, 2014 at 9:28 am

Here is letter written by Ann Coady – a teacher who lives in Kilkenny who has stayed on raft in River. Beautifully written-Take a leisurely stroll through the streets of Kilkenny. Where else would you see so many buildings of historical and archaeological beauty in so short a distance ? Kilkenny Castle and parklands, St Mary’s Church and graveyard, The Kilkenny Design Centre and craft workshops, The Hole in the Wall, Rothe House and walled gardens, St Canice’s Cathedral and Round Tower, The Black Abbey, The Butterslip, Market slip, The Old Jail and Courthouse,The Shee Alms House etc.
I don’t know the dates for these streets and buildings but I do know that Kilkenny is the most beautiful, walkable city in Ireland and while I was not born here and I do not live within its walls it is my city and I am very proud of it.
At first I didn’t believe it when I heard that ‘they’ were planning to build an extremely wide concrete bridge over the River Nore in the shadow of St Canices Cathedral, near to Greens Bridge. I would state exactly how wide this bridge will be but specific information relating to the bridge seems to be very difficult to get from the County Council I understand however that the proposed structure will be wider than the one built to take the traffic on the ring road. I became quite angry when I realised that the building of this bridge was imminent.
I began to wonder if the end of the city near Greens Bridge was not valued as much as the area around the Castle. I could see that the councils acquisition of the extensive river side Diagio site including the historic St Francis’s Abbey , provided a wonderful opportunity for creating an imaginative urban space that would attract tourists, enhance the life of Kilkenny people, support local businesses and protect the ambiance of the medieval city. It might include a riverside park, a jetty for small boats, or maybe an intergenerational college of law, empowerment and civic responsibility where innovative and creative thinking and action are positively encouraged. At this point my imagination runs dry but that doesn’t matter because within the residential and business community of Kilkenny City and County I am sure there are many excellent, innovative ideas. I get quite excited and passionate when I think of the possibilities.
A dirty, great, big, concrete bridge would , be a serious impediment to the creation of such a space. It makes much more sense to have a comprehensive development plan for the area and if a bridge is needed then build one that is sensitive to the medieval heritage of the city.