In the aftermath of the culturally barren Celtic Tiger years, Ireland is said to be undergoing something of a literary rebirth. It’s now harder than ever to swing a cat in Dublin without skulling a handful of writers and dole-queue poets. Debut novels and short story collections are launched with pummelling frequency. Stoneybatter has become a hub of this renaissance.
Moynes? Fight!
A word to the hungry: Stoneybatter’s tastiest almond croissants are found in the Green Door Bakery on Manor Street – but only if you get there early enough, which I have managed on no more than two occasions. A few doors down is a real gem, still largely unheralded: the pleasant and unpretentious Biscotti Caffe, which offers what is hands down Dublin’s most satisfying full Irish breakfast (available all day, too).
Carnew Street [in Stoneybatter, Dublin 7] blockade ongoing. Irish Water workers threatening and intimidating local residents this morning. It is an intolerable situation. Please show your support. There have been a number of arrests in neighbouring areas of Phibsboro and Grangegorman. One man arrested for filming the protest, while Irish Water’s private security filmed protestors unimpeded by Gardaí.
In the Dáil this afternoon Paul Murphy attempts to describes an alleged incident in Stoneybatter this morning involving private security firm Guardex.
Update:
Mark Malone writes:
Today in Dublin 7, Guardex, hired by #IrishWater, threatened numerous peaceful campaigners in Stoneybatter. One local resident, Mick Mooney, was on his way to work when he was pinned against a wall by three private security guards and told ‘I’ll get you. You don’t know who you’re messing with.’ They then showed him a photo of his car and its number plate. Several women in the campaign were told by private security that they’d find out where they live.
Three people were arrested in the Dublin 7 area today for protesting against the installation of water meters.
In Phibsboro, police arrested two campaigners while Irish Water contractors allegedly assaulted campaigners across the street.
In Grangegorman, a car belonging to a peaceful campaigner had its tyres slashed.
The guards arrested another local resident for filming the protest.
Today, there has been invasive surveillance of peaceful protestors by shadowy private security firms. Today, there have been violent attacks on peaceful protestors by the hired mercenaries of billionaires. Intimidation, fear, bullying and violence seem to be the only solution Irish Water can propose to local residents’ peaceful protests. If they get away with this violence in Stoneybatter, it will spread to other communities. This is not just an attack on the Dublin 7 campaign, this is an attack on us all. Join us tomorrow from 6:30 am outside Kavanagh’s pub at the top of Manor Street, and from there we will organise demonstrations around Stoneybatter, Grangegorman and Phibsboro to make a peaceful stand against this horrific behaviour. Keep Irish Water out of Dublin 7.
TONIGHT at 8.15pm in the Parish Hall on Prussia Street there will be a public meeting to to hear information about how the charges are being imposed, discuss tactics to beat the tax, and plan campaign activities. We will also hear about the successful campaign to beat the tax in Dublin in the 1990s. So why not get involved and help your community to beat the water tax and keep public water in public hands…
Street Stories Festival, celebrating Dublin 7 life.
The organisers write:
“The event kicks off tonight with a talk by David Jazay on his photographic story of inner city Dublin in the 1980s and ’90s followed by a music session in the Cobblestone pub. Tomorrow we have talks throughout the day on subjects from the Mother and Baby homes, to Dublin in World War I, from Life in Medieval Smithfield to the Massacre in North King Street during the 1916 Rising and lots more. Saturday night will see Dublin’s favourite ska/reggae band The Bionic Rats rocking the Back Room of the Cobblestone and Sunday will be a relaxed day of walking tours and film showings [details below]…”
I live in Stoneybatter. This is just under two weeks worth of junk mail. I’m thinking of starting a take penny leave a penny system, where any politician who wants to leave me their info has to take another one I’ve already read away with them. Seems fair, no?! Also probably going to get a pizza rolly later. Whatever that is.
A 3D comic strip featuring Squee, Bono (on chimney), a savage dog, a princess and a soldier.
Red Mum writes:
This wonderful scene popped up over the weekend (I think). On the same spot as this from last year. I took two of the pics on Saturday and since then it appears that Mr Pox is ‘out of order’….
