Temple Bar

[GrahamH]

One has to moor one's ship somewhere Stephen!

[Bago]

Buenos Aires paving doesn't fare to well here http://www.pavingexpert.com/blog/blog2007.htm

[Morlan]

Buenos Aires paving doesn't fare to well here http://www.pavingexpert.com/blog/blog2007.htm

Devin should have a blog like that. I´d read it.

[Devin]

Buenos Aires paving doesn't fare to well here http://www.pavingexpert.com/blog/blog2007.htm

Thanks for the link Bago.

[StephenC]

I see that Merchants Arch has been renovated into a new pub for Temple Bar. I seem to recall a planning permission a couple of years back so its good to see it finally take shape. The building has been vacant for some time now....wasn't Abrakebabra the last tenant? Its a shame to see such a prominent building lying idle. I don't know much about the quality of the interiors beforehand but I would imagine they have been significantly changed over the years owing to the various guises this building has taken.

There appears to have been minimal works to the front of the building (painting and removing old wiring etc) but a new entrance is being inserted to the side in Merchants Arch.

I know its another pub for Temple Bar but at least the building is getting a new use.

[kefu]

Definitely no complaints.
Merchant's Arch has gone unbelievably tatty, a good few stores shut up now so even a pub could be a considerable help.
It would actually put you off going into Temple Bar if you were crossing into it for first time from the Ha'Penny Bridge.

[tommyt]

I see that Merchants Arch has been renovated into a new pub for Temple Bar. I seem to recall a planning permission a couple of years back so its good to see it finally take shape. The building has been vacant for some time now....wasn't Abrakebabra the last tenant? Its a shame to see such a prominent building lying idle. I don't know much about the quality of the interiors beforehand but I would imagine they have been significantly changed over the years owing to the various guises this building has taken.

There appears to have been minimal works to the front of the building (painting and removing old wiring etc) but a new entrance is being inserted to the side in Merchants Arch.

I know its another pub for Temple Bar but at least the building is getting a new use.

Going back to even the mid 80s that property has never traded well. I always thought it strange. Whilst it was regrettable to see I always thought abrakebabra would clean up at that location but even they didn't last long.

[PVC King]

I remember having a converation with a bicycle courier I knew who was offered a lease on the former Abrakebra at Merchants Arch in 1999; a nice guy but hardly a good covenant; you can be sure if A was offered this unit the landlords agents were having really problems getting a tenant. The issue with that unit is that the quayside elevation pre Port Tunnel was not a pleasant place to dwell and the Temple Bar side was easy to miss with the volume of people marching forward.

Architecturally very pleasant and no doubt with Abrakebra having wrecked the interior in the 1980s clearly a very adaptable space now. I really hope they have a strict door policy it could be noxious if it became a reincarnation of the Harp Bar given the impact the use would have on a pretty constrained passageway that has a vital role in the tourist infrastructure into Temple Bar from the budget hotels in the North Lotts area; that said I think granting permission for a pub subject to annual renewal of license being decided by the superintendent of Pearse St would be an ideal outcome; a decent bar there would be a great use but door policy would make or break its impact/contribution balance upon the City.

[notjim]

Here is a short talk by Peter Stafford from Ignite Dublin #7 in praise of Temple Bar:

http://www.youtube.com/ignitedublin#p/f/5/OZZIIchwd3w

[disclaimer: I promote Ignite Dublin, but, honestly, I'd think it was a good talk regardless]

[StephenC]

What a shame to have missed the event!

[Rory W]

That new boozer in Merchants Arch looks ok on the inside but how the hell did they get permission for the woeful projecting perspex arch with sign over the door - hideous

[StephenC]

The didnt. They just put it up.... Same with the flagpoles. Same with the shitty roof they installed to the Arch.

[StephenC]

An interesting article from this weekend's Irish Times on Temple Bar.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/mag ... 15351.html

Whats interesting is the divergence between the resident's perspective (ie Frank McD) and the voxpox. He takes a good pop at some of the public sector glitterati of Bertie Ahern's Celtic Tiger period as well.

[missarchi]

I've lived in temple bar but I found the noise issues in Dublin 1 much worse renting to a landlord that owns the supermarket land below doing loading at 4:00am in the morning and making a noise complaint... see how far that gets you...

Double glazing, curtains, ear plugs, protected balcony, 7 levels of distance... still not enough...

[StephenC]

The new "umbrellas eh eh eh eh" over Meeting House Square are now in place and I managed to catch them testing one last night. sorry for the poor quality of the images.







Please god we never have to use them

[wearnicehats]

better images here

http://blog.templebar.ie/?p=3834

they should leave them up permanently. althoug hthen the rain wouldn't wash away the detritus

[lostexpectation]

Company plans Temple Bar overhaul http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ire ... 2c.twitter

A new strategy aimed at revolutionising Dublin’s tourist hub plans to demolish Temple Bar Square and recast it as “Dubliners Square” in honour of James Joyce.

a cap on fast-food stores; the replacement of cobble stones in pedestrian areas

Moves are already under way for the transformation of the central square, at an estimated cost of €700,000. The current format will be replaced with an Italian “piazza” style design.

can anybody find this document? Temple Bar Company: Supporting the Quarter

Under the proposals the raised surface would be levelled and existing cobblestones covered with granite, while either Hornbeam or Bay trees would be planted and two rows of seating installed for “people watching”. Once completed, the square will likely be named after Ireland’s seminal writer, James Joyce.

“Cathal O’Neill, during the course of his research, was reading Dubliners and so was I actually,” said Temple Bar Company managing director Martin Harte. “Both of us were struck by how many of the stories were set in Temple Bar.”

is this a joke, do you think the Temple Bar of the Dublininers was of Italian “piazza” style?

[StephenC]

Very light reading...

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 527&type=1