Make This The Public Square

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Aeriel view Leinster House, Kildare Street with potential piazza arrowed

As I stood outside the gates of Leinster House this afternoon, I found myself admiring the vast open space that lies between the admirable buildings of the National Museum and the National Library. Modelled on the Pantheon of Rome, these temples of intellect built in the Victorian Palladian style complement, in the best possible fashion, the aesthetic facade of our Oireachtas.

It is a great pity that a public square does not exist to enhance the splendour of these surroundings and provide us with what could be called our very own parliamentary piazza.

Instead, we are faced with an ugly car park – covered in tarmac, restricted for use by the official classes, and confined by a large unflattering surround of black iron railings.

Surely there is need for a vast improvement.

ARAN McARDLE,
Kilmainham,
Dublin 8.

A parliamentary piazza? (Irish Times letters)

Pic: Donnelly Turpin Architects

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39 thoughts on “Make This The Public Square

      1. Odis

        TD’s spend billions on underground car park. A government spokesman commented, it did seem like a lot of money, but it would help improve security.

  1. Menace

    Merrion square side is the front, Kildare street the back. Presumably that’s why there’s a difference in stature.

  2. ahjayzis

    It says everything you need to know about Irish politicians that the Ducal mansion they work in is surrounded by a poxy carpark.

  3. louislefronde

    It used to be an open space, there are a number of photographs online from the time it was the home of the RDS and before it was requisitioned to serve as a temporary home for our parliament (note I don’t use the faux Gaelic word on a point of principle) but the feckers never moved to a purpose built home.

    1. ReproBertie

      Hey Louis, you’re such a fan of the Irish language that I know you’ll be delighted to learn that francach means both a French person and a rat.

      Nach iontach an teanga í?

    1. ahjayzis

      The Palace of Westminster actually has less of a defensible zone – and no railings around most of it.

  4. Odis

    It doesn’t look like pizza at all. for a start most pizzas are round, except the fancy oblong ones you can but in Tesco. How can this guy claim to be an expert on architecture when he doesn’t even know about pizzas?

    1. spud1

      You really should take better pun lessons… although I’m afraid you’d kneed a lot of dough for such pizza pun classes

  5. Dublinentendre

    They should actually move the Govt out of there entirely- do a swap with IMMA Kilmainham. Make the whole area a proper culture quarter and move the civil servants and politicians out.

  6. pissedasanewt

    Stick them in an office block in a disadvantaged area and watch it become advantaged. Nice parks, restaurants, good roads, excellent public transport links.. lots of policing..

  7. pissedasanewt

    Also if the car park wasn’t there they would have their parking costs paid for in the local multistory car park. Then we’d be complaining about this absorbent wastage as they’d probably be charged double the going rate (and pay it instead of going for bulk discount), then there would be calls to tarmac over the park again and turn it into a car park.

    1. ___

      GIven that what’s in the picture would only provide for a fraction of the people who need parking, you’d assume that most of them park in private car-parks and have it paid for by the state.

      Maybe building a bigger underground car-park on the site would actually save the Government money in the long-run?

  8. Jones

    Ohhhh Public square… thought that said pubic square.. does look like a well maintained bush, mind

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