Reply To: The Spike

O Ciaran……calm time will ye, jesus…..I think you’ve missed the point of what I overall imply….and thanks for the sarky ‘inferiority complex’ jibe too…. but maybe it is a reflection of the Irish nation itself.
I never used the term ‘West Brit’, but you yourself did and on several occasions. (Is that perhaps a reflection of a deep down inner feeling that you maintain. We are after all however a lot more British here in Ireland than we would like to admit as the British are far more European than they’d like to admit. History has dictated this of which we refuse to admit.)
I simply implied that some folk here are more entranced by the ongoings of the banalities of cross channel soaps and sporting events rather than taking an interest in their own built environment, yet they feel they have a right to critisize what in the long run may be better for their native city. (It is a free country too, people can do what they like, and why not)
Regarding the height and scale thing …..well if you look at the history of architecture it was always a competiveness that has produced great architecture, has’nt it………a competiveness and an urge to build bigger, build better, build more flamboyant…etc….etc….and it’s from this that we have a great history of great architecture to look upon today. From the times of the Egyptians, the Romans, The Renaissance, The Gothic, The Baroque, the 20th Century; whether it be Pyramids, Temples, Cathedrals Castles, Manor Houses, Parliaments, Social Housing for the masses……Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz and so on …. there has always been a want to build better for the betterment of humanity…….but that is a bit lacking in the imagination of the Irish general public at times ……hence our middle of the road complacent surroundings, acres of houses and the urban sprawl, bad transport etc …etc…..etc….that we have in Ireland today…..Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Coming from an agrarian background too we don’t really have a great knack of urban living like our fellow Europeans…..do we.
It is what undercurrent ideology (what ever that maybe) that’s behind a society that produces the best of a society………hence at the end of the day some societies have a better quality of life and better outward trappings that go with it…(and that’s what matters….is’nt it)
You do realize that don’t you …………..but jesus…..why bother!