Architectural legacy of the Celtic Tiger ?
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Sunday Times February 23rd – Justin O’Brien.
Haughey’s opinion:
“The modern party (FF) have squandered the fruits of the boom without leaving a legacy of work in architectural or legislative formâ€
Leaving aside the legislative debate I have to agree on the architectural assessment.
I agree, one thing Haughey had an eye and a genuine interest for was architecture. Some great jobs initiated by him the early 90s.. Grand refurbishments of Royal Hospital, IMMA, Dublin Castle, Government Buildings etc.. What have we to show for Celtic Tiger… National Stadium, Connference Centre, Metro.. New Carlton??????
Spot on Charlie.
Legacy = Office blocks, gated mansion type developments, miriad of private golf courses, holiday homes and 18,000 one off houses in 2002 alone – not one ‘grand project’ ala Waterfront Hall, Odyssey Areana etc.
Well noone can ever say Bertie and Metterand ever have/had anything in common!
I doubt we’ll ever see any “grand projets” in Dublin to mark his legacy (besides missed opportunites obviously…)
Ah lads don’t forget Croke Park – that wonderful stadium unused for most of the year run by a bunch of bigots who classify rugby as a foreign game (although invented by someone who was half Irish half Welsh) but not American Football invented by Hirem J. Hackencracker III (or some well known Irisah name)
But lets not be too hasty, we are getting Luas, The Spire, HARP, Museum at Collins Barracks, a more sensible Spencer Dock scheme (boring but not as alien as the previous proposal), etc, I agree that there is a lot more that needs to be done but give it time…
Dont forget Haughey’s legacy Tribunal after Tribunal. Just like Mitterand the guy is dodgy as hell although he has an interest in architecture. Hitler – he had some great plans drawn up for Germania in the Centre of Berlin by Speer, nobody’s saying spot on Adolf.
ah Rory, Charlie was no Hitler, you’re getting carried away.
Corruption is and was a part of European life. Look at Haughey’s opposite numbers, Mitterand, Kohl, Anderotti….
All were in the soup with something or the other.. The last I heard Anderotti was going to prison.. And then what about Papandriou of Greece????
Irish people tend to think Charlie was exceptional… Yeah maybe for creating and kickstarting the tiger, at least he appreciated architecture unlike bbbbertie
Excuse me, but Haughey can go screw himself. The worst thing is that there’ll be people singing his praises when he dies. I’m no expert, but I believe there is a theory in criminology that explains how criminals justify their crimes by affirmation of all the “good things” they’ve done. Classic Haughey…
Projects: there were plenty of proposals, but look at the delays placed on the Spike alone through objections. Could they have actually got away with more???
Eh – I don’t get where Haughey comes off as divine or good just because he had a thing for renovating a few buildings (including one vanity project that was to be his own bloody office). I’m not criticising these projects either – Dublin is immeasurably improved by having them. But I think Dublin and our country as a whole is disimproved by what that man did (as has largely gotten away with).
Bertie cannot claim anything for the Luas – he hardly did anything to stop the sprawl in two storeysemidetatched Dublin – if there was abit of vision on his part maybe we wouldn’t all have to get in our cars and drive from our bungalow in Lucan to our jobs in campus style offices in Sandyford. Luas is being offered reactively – not proactively.
I think the attitude of the public too might have something to do with our lack of “grand projets” – I can see the French public all agreeing about something for the “civic greatness” and benefit to their society – a bit of altruism if you will – but just look at the moaning and complaining of the public about the spike when it was proposed.
I know that Haughey was not Hitler obviously, but they both were interested in Architecture very few people will say “Oh the former Reich Air Ministry building, what a wonderful part of Hitler’s legacy” for example. Just because somebody was into architecture doesn’t make them a good person or out weight some of the things that they have done.
We have a lack of vision from the Government insofar as there is no strong leader (in the same way that CJH was a leader) who pushed for things because they wanted them. Politics have moved so much to the centre ground that everyone is trying to please everyone else all of the time. Tough decisions are not being made.
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Well they do need something to get to off licence openings…
If they are travelling in Ireland they should travel by public transport – see then how quickly things would turn around.
Does anyone ever consider the absence of great buildings owing to the corruption in the eighties?
Also, Stalin had a great architectural legacy – and look at the state of Eastern Europe and Russia now!
Our great buildings derive from a time when over ninety per-cent of Ireland was excluded from having any say in anything. Perhaps legacies are the preserve of despots…
Finally, how could you say that the Luas is an architectural legacy??????? The mind baffles….
But Haughey doesnt have an architectural legacy. His pet projects like at Government Buildings, the Royal Hospital and Dublin Castle and Temple Bar involved renovating and giving purpose to other peoples buildings. It may well be argued that he has left a ‘cultural’ legacy in regards to the IMMA, tax breaks for artists, and vocal support for the arts, but I dont think there are any physical monuments to the Haughey years.
In fact I would be argued that Lemass was the last Taoiseach to leave an actual architectural legacy behind. Certainly Bertie has absolutely no inclination or imagination in that area. Bertie just wants to be seen as a good ‘manager’ or ‘chief executive’. I dont think the astethic look of the country is of any interest to him.
except for the stadium of course, obviously he considers landsdowne to be an embarrassment …
good point ! god knows when we’ll see one either …
Ha ha!
Yeah big projects require a big personality (and maybe just a dash of corruption). These days every Joe Soap and a certain Heritage body lodge objections to almost anything and everything in the name of public interest. I guess the trade off for having a say in things is that nothing gets done, is is dramtically scaled back or diluted in form! I agree that the “grand projets” of this country happened when the majority had no say at all.
I agree that Haughey has no architecture to speak of – culture was his thang – we have him to thank for Temple Bar remember?!? Otherwise there would have been a lovely functional underground bus station (Dublin Bus user speaking) instead of the vomit we have today.
Meanwhile in modern times… The Tate modern was funded by Lottery money in the UK – where does our Lottery money go??? (Besides political slush funds)
Collins Barracks is still only partially developed for example.What I was trying to say is this country is crying out for strong leadership, not bbbbbbbbbertie or Garret dithering, being all things to all men. At least Charlie showed leadership, and wasn’t afraid to make decisions, whether you liked him or not, we live in a free country! With strong leadership come better things.
Leadership? Haughey? Ha Ha!
He had no leadership qualities – he tried to emulate Mitterand – and he failed. The most memorable artwork from his era was the floozie – and where is it now……..?
He abolished the Metropolitan Streets Commission – which planned to rejuvinate O’Connell Street – in 1987. Some leadership…
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