The Greens and O Connell Street
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Does Dublin Bus still have the tree cutter double decker… roof is open on itto allow them to trim trees to the height of the buses…Saw there on the news that the Green Party aka John Gormless is complaining about the existing trees being chopped down on O’ Connell Street as part of the rejuvenation plan. They were planted around 1916….what a significant date and something to stir the people up too. Seemingly he is against the new plan cause it will displace a few birds by depriving them of their nests. Reminds me of when the Spire was proposed and Tony Gregory was very concerned about a flower seller being displaced too, having to move a couple of metres to the left or right of the site.
Maybe the Gormless didnt review the plans for O’Connell Street and see that new Lime trees will be planted. Probably sour grapes over the Nice Treaty …..but these C**ts will always complain about something for the sake of it and keeping the country in the dark ages. What a disgruntled bunch.It’s sad to see such old trees coming down, but they were always wrong for O’Connell Street – they make it seem narrower, and they’re all gnarled and misshapen-looking. Anyway, the Green Party tried to pull this when Fingal Co Council’s brilliant new offices were being built in Swords, making out that the scrap of wasteland that was the venue for local cider parties was some sort of valuable ecosystem, or something.
yeah the whole “if the trees could talk, the things they could tell us they have seen” is a bit treehuggy for me….
language..!
On the theme of trees: Im in the UK at the moment and the current big story is ‘leaves on the line’, a huge problem at this time for the train companies. It seems that up until the 1960s BR cut back all the trees but stopped this for cost reasons (now theres foresight!)
However, try as the rail network company might to reintroduce the programme they continually come up against objections from eco-campaigners ot local activists.
I suppose the issue is the same everywhere.Yes – they still have the tree cutting bus. Saw it a few months ago.
fjp
(screw it, I’m bored – here’s a photo of the damn thing)
I’m all in favour of trees and nature …………but O’Connell street at one stage was indeed over grown with trees including new saplings …..the island in the middle of the road was like a jungle with no coherent planting……….if anything it needs thinning out. Gormley is an idiot……a more suitable tree to an urban scape will be planted instead in the guise of Lime trees. If Gormley wants trees how about he advocate tree planting in the featureless Irish rural landscape particularly the boring midlands….etc
Its the same in Galway… the new plans for Eyre Square have been delayed for over two years now… I went to a public meeting about it years ago and was impressed by the plans… but I couldn’t believe the amount of complaining people were doing about trees that were ‘only’ planted in the ’60’s… they do nothing for the square and such complaining has now stopped a quality development from going ahead…
Hello all, I’ve been lurking for some considerable while, but this is my first post.
On the subject of trees, how about Poplars – tall, graceful, space-efficient, and would fit in well with the spire!
As regards the tree-cutting bus pictured, this has just been replaced by a newer model cascaded down from the service fleet this summer. There is a requirement to always have at least one in the fleet, in order to prevent damage to roof-domes of buses. For best effect, cutting should be done in wet weather, for it is then that the branches hang down and cause most damage.
I am no expert on trains, but I remember someone telling me that the problems in the UK started after the end of the 60s when steam trains were replaced – the constant steam blasts apparently kept the trees from growing over too much. But I could very well be wrong on that one.
Anyway, hope the above is of interest
Jesus , this O Connell Street tree business is really getting out of hand. Eamonn de Buitlear is now on the radio concerned about the displacement of the larks….as well as the continuous litany from Joe and Josephine O’Public, who I bet if one were to ask to distinguish between a Birch and a Beech let alone a tit from sparrow they would’nt have a clue and at the same time their little darlings of children are breaking down the saplings that the council have planted right outside their window. This from the same people too who probably were once complaining about the state of Ireland’s premiere street and now that the Corpo have started to do something they say leave it alone.
Interestingly, photos on fjp’s site show the street as being treeless in 1944! Which puts the 1916 rubbish to bed.
oh for fuck’s sake….
Green TDs chained to O’Connell Street trees
Green Party TDs yesterday chained themselves to trees in Dublin’s O’Connell Street in an attempt to reverse the city council’s decision to remove its trees. Mr Ciarán Cuffe said the party had been “inundated with calls from the public” urging the trees be saved and he described their planned removal as “criminal destruction of Dublin’s heritage”.I have a small potted cactus next to my television that was in clear view of the events of September 11th, 2001 and as such has ‘witnessed history’.
Do I have to get a court injunction out to stop Trevor Sargent chaining himself to it?Well whilst the south end does seem to be treeless in the 1940’s, this photo shoes that the north side from the pillar does have some pretty old trees on it.
The last photo show public toilets which are also of historical importance. They have railings which might be ideally suited for chains.
Still though, if I were them I’d be more concerned with the street being a shithole in general. I rang them and they’re emailing me their press release. Here it is (I’m not fixing the bad word wrapping):
GREEN TDs CHAIN THEMSELVES TO O’CONNELL STREET TREES
In Protest At Destruction
Green Party TDs chained themselves to trees in O’Connell Street, Dublin
this
afternoon in a last ditch attempt to save the remaining trees along the
capitol’s thoroughfare. The trees are due to be cut down to clear access
for
the construction of the new city centre Spike monument.Green Party Environment spokesperson, Councillor Ciaran Cuffe T.D., said
that
the Green Party felt that they had no alternative but to hold this protest
to
highlight “this criminal destruction of Dublin’s heritage”. “We believe
that
the cutting down of the O’Connell Street trees is an absolute scandal. We
have
been inundated with calls from the public to see what we can do.”“The Green Party believe that it is possible to achieve the aims of the
O’Connell Street plan and still retain the best of the remaining trees.”Deputy Cuffe said that the Green Party had raised the issue in the Dáil
earlier
today calling on the Minister for the Environment to intervene immediately
and
call a halt to this wanton destruction.Mr. Cuffe said that the Greens were also appealing to the public to make
their
voice hear and help save the trees. “We are calling on members of the public
to
write to the Dublin City Manager John Fitzgerald at the Civic Offices, Wood
Quay
and urge him to save the remaining mature trees which are due to be cut down
to
make way for construction work.”Last April the following Motion in the name of Councillor Ciarán Cuffe was
moved
for report by Dublin City Council:“That the City Manager ensure that the venerable one hundred year old Plane
Trees on Upper O’Connell Street that witnessed the Easter Rising in 1916 be
retained as part of any plan to rejuvenate the area.”Ciarán Cuffe T.D. 087 265 2075
Stephen Rawson, Press Officer 618 4088 / 087 235 7551Hee hee…………good one AndrewP..
If one looks at any of the old B/W photos of O’Connell Street there are hardly any trees to be seen circa at the time of 1916 before and after…..especially when the trams were running, as the branches would have caused interference to the tram lines.
When O’Connell Street was in it’s initial
heydey of Georgian times there were hardly any trees if none either according to old prints, it was just a broad street. The trees in fjp’s photos are quite young, after sapling stage almost…..see the statue of Father Matthew standing among them in fjp’s photos.The Green Party are looking for popularity……appealing to a public using the lowest common denominator…….’Trees being uprooted that date from ‘1916’….
Well to counteract that one could say and being equally facetious that the trees are ‘London’ planes and were planted by the Brits whilst they still were occupant residents here.
But let’s not go down such a childish route.
Why all this fuss too when we are going have more trees planted….more Planes, Limes and Flowering Crab Apples…sounds a better variety to enhance the street too.so how long are they promising to stay there? i am all for cutting the trees and planting elms instead, it would be nice, but actual greens chained (chained!) to trees might be nicer still, it would certainly add life and colour to the urban environment. maybe we could throw rotten fruit at them, it could become traditional.
Pathetic – why don’t they complain about sewage sludge and chain themselves to crap in Dublin Bay. Can’t believe I gave John Gormley my second preference.
The City Council recently cut down the trees around 3 sides of St Stephens green and the smaller replacement trees along with the new paving looks superb. The Green Party are twats (in my opinion) I’m going down there at lunchtime and telling them that – if they are still there.
They are only part of the street furniture for fucks sake
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