By photographer Alan Currie, who sez:
“This was shot on a Saturday evening photowalk around Dublin city centre when testing out a new 14mm fully manual lens, luckily the light outside Supermacs was sufficient and the lens fast enough that I could get away with a hand held shot, so less conspicuous than using a tripod. With this particular lens, both the aperture and focus had to be guessed, so it was quite nice to go “back to basics” for a change.”
This week’s Le Cool Dublin issue
Michael Le Cool adds:
Our cover this week might make Supermacs seem a place of great significance to an unsuspecting first time visitor. A romantic replacement for Clerys clock, it’s framed like a romanticised image of Katz’s Deli in New York. A must see until you see it.
The garish impact that Supermacs and numerous other cheap and disposable outlets have had on our main thoroughfare is both of a source of embarrassment and shame. Of course, they are not solely to blame as they’ve simply set up shop without a rule or regulation to curb their impact.
Thankfully, at long last there is the countenance of a chink of light and reason. The bleeding obvious is finally being recognised by Dublin City Council. “Councillors urge caution as takeaways, adult shops and arcades face O’Connell Street ban” was the headline in the Independent yesterday.
The proposed scheme intends to finally gives extra planning powers to protect existing shops of “special significance” and discourage the emergence of “less appropriate uses” of premises. This potentially includes a ban on amusement arcades, bookmakers, fast-food outlets, mobile-phone shops or “adult entertainment” shops.
Of course whilst this happens, the old sign for the Ambassador cinema which has been there since 1954 has just been hidden from sight with promotional materials for a forthcoming 1916 exhibition. Was permission sought and granted for this?
Anyone?
A rare nightime shot of supermacs on O’Connell street where nobody is punching anybody.
Sure the next UFC has a full undercard schedulde for there in December! Can’t wait!
can’t they just ban the poor? i hate the poor.
I think Supermacs are probably doing alright for themselves. Great suggestion though!
why don’t the rich give poor people loads of cash, so no-one would be poor?
It works the opposite way around though, otherwise the rich wouldn’t rich. :)
Fun police.
I wish that they would just let the nice pictures speak for themselves without the rambly explanations.
I can’t wait until they close all the late nite chippers and shops and then when all the door ways are dark and there’s no additional light in the wee-wee hours on O’Connell Street which is clearly way brighter than it needs to be already, it will surely be safer to approach the ATMs at 1am unseen…. by anyone…. or….
Facetious moi ?
Anyhoo, that ‘silly’ aside, anyone else think that a dark O’Connell St is NOT a great idea….
I thought this was interesting…
http://www.citylab.com/housing/2014/02/street-lights-and-crime-seemingly-endless-debate/8359/
…and it is…
thanks Mr Space Chimp Deluded Formerly Known As Deliverence(?) :)
; )
evolution
(Lighting is sociable, security is a separate issue)
Oh… and I love that Supermac’s pic :)
Very Sin City, I like.
At least their Irish.. More than can be said for the trail of McBurgerBucks everywhere else.
I think it’s worse that they’re Irish.
What needs to be gone from O’Connell St is Dr Quirkey’s tacky misery Emporium. Disgusting to see that on our main thoroughfare.
+1
Don’t pay the Quirkeyman.
And the two Burger Kings and McD’s and Chippers, Supermacs, whatever new nonsense is on North Earl St corner now, souvenir shops, keep one londis style shop
It should be all nice restaurants, theaters and venues, nice cafes
When you walk up O’Connell Street there is more demand for a bag of gear than a theatre, unfortunately.
Would it not just be easier to demote it from our “Main Thoroughfare”?
I mean, it’s not. Let’s just face up to it, demote it, and work towards getting it to Main Thoroughfare status.
It’s such an Irishism saying something is something and then just expecting it to be so in defiance of all evidence. O’Connell Street is Dublin’s main street in the same way Irish is our first language.
Dame St is currently our main st, and to be honest it’s a million times better than O’COnnell St
Totally agree
Dame St. has more pubs, hasn’t it?
And it’s on the correct side of the river.
It’s far superior.
Mainly because it’s a pleasant place to be – anytime I’ve been on O’Connell Street I’ve been trying to get past it as fast as I can.
O’C St is to be endured, more than enjoyed it pains to me say…
rubbish pic. not surprised the usual commenters like it. being a microcosm of the general public. who are all cr@p.
Is that you Rik Mayall?
Kinda related but not really.. I happen to catch two guys leaning over to kiss each while on their bikes, when I was stopped right behind them at the traffic lights at the junction of Wine Tavern street and Corn Hill at Christchurch there recently.. I was thinking it woulda been cool to catch a pic of it. The scenery was nice and that.
why add colour to a black and white photo?
Finally. Thank you.
Because you’re my uncle experimenting on his Facebook photos ten years ago?
To draw your attention to… oh never mind.
distracts the eye from the main subject. we all know what colour the sign is