O’ Connell Street, Dublin
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@johnfp wrote:
Anyway, back to O Connell St, have they any plans for the Ambassador.I remember reading somewhere that it was proposed to relocate the stock exchange to there? ..
That was proposed a long long time ago could have even been the late 80’s – not going to happen
StephenC, I read somewhere that the work will be completed by next May.. certainly not for Paddy’s Day. They’re already well ahead of schedule, believe it or not.
Yes, and in fairness 2006 was always the finish date, stated as far back as 2002 – even if three and a half years is a frustratingly long period of time!
I can see Upper east easily being finished by March 17th and the median open assuming the lampposts and taxi furniture arrives in time, but not Upper west – there’s still a good bit to go there. That should be done by April, though perhaps the place looking like a bomb site would be rather appropriate…
I keep hoping to see a granite obelisk or two emerging from the muck in the trenches up there, but no luck thus far 🙂
Well no need to look far to find those obelisks….
At the Piazza for the Hugh Lane there are two, and in the gardens of the rotunda there a few more.
Is the there public access to that part of the Rotunda?
(1858)Though as mentioned before, it’s debatable as to whether the obelisks of Charlemont House came from Gardiner’s Mall.
Desmond Guinness says they feature in an engraving of the house from 1780, which makes things very tight with regard to their moving from the Mall. Considering works got underway to create Lower Sackville Street from 1777 onwards, it is just about conceivable that the Mall was dismantled in time, but difficult to believe all the same considering it took about seven years to build the Lower street and surely any dismantling would have happened last? And even then the Upper part mightn’t have been touched at all.
Indeed it’s possible the Mall wasn’t taken apart until the early 19th century. I can’t see the residents being overly pleased with the idea in 1777…
I remember someone mentioned on this post that O’Connell Street is rather bare regarding statues up near the Gresham Hotel end. Who could we put here to fill the gaps and to add a certain grandeur to the newly refurbished street. I discovered I have this penchant for equistrian statues and something like the examples below would look cool, although 200 years out of date and out of place. I know too that they are always more than likely symbols of colonialism, conquered peoples, war victories and national myths. But I thought who could we prop up on a horse besides Eddie Macken and Ruby Walsh. How about Brian Boru; the Celts were masters of the horse, and he could become somewhat of a more prominent national hero figure. Would be a great tourist attraction for the street; sounds bonkers too I suppose.
Just to add, regarding such statues, one foot of the horse raised indicated that the rider was injured in battle, two feet raised indicated that the rider was killed in battle and four feet firmly on the ground indicated the rider died in his bed or natural causes.
@GregF wrote:
Just to add, regarding such statues, one foot of the horse raised indicated that the rider was injured in battle, two feet raised indicated that the rider was killed in battle and four feet firmly on the ground indicated the rider died in his bed or natural causes.
Didn’t know that, thanks. 🙂
We have no momument to the Travellers; I always thought a fine, expressionist, bronze of a sulky rider would be great, it is so interesting that chariot riding has survived, persumably from the celtic times, as a sport among the Travellers.
One important question – has the statue of Jesus been removed from O’Connell Street? If it has its a ptiy as there was an interesting story behind it and the burning of the Gresham in the 1920s.
Oh and Graham, if you are looking for the other obelisks I mentioned, you need to go to the rotunda gardens behind the hospital where you will see several.
Though with the exception of the Spire, O’Connell Street I think ought to be kept the preserve of monuments to individuals rather than collectives or events, in line with by now well-established convention. Further monuments also ought not be abstract pieces, but very much so statuesque representations of people.
There’s one clear vacant plot just north of the Spire before Fr Matthew, with the possibility of another north of him again before Parnell Monument though that may be a bit of a squeeze…What definitely ought to be done – what I think would be a lovely idea – is to source one or two of Gardiner’s obelisks, even nick them from the Rotunda, and incorporate them into the median space of the Upper Street. He simply must be acknowledged on his Mall, not to mention the family’s wider efforts on the Northside. Considering a full-blown statue probably cannot be dedicated to the man due to ‘technical difficulties’ (which is perhaps not appropriate anyway for a property speculator) at the very least an obelisk and plaque is required up here.
The obelisks of Charlemont House most certainly are not Gardiner’s unfortunately – they’re of Portland stone, the mass use of which outside of the Parliament House would have been unheard of c1750.
Anyway, there’s no damage or any other indication as to their attachment to the abutting walls of the Mall.
Down from the lofty heights of Parnell Square, Ann Summers is giving the GPO a run for its money in the scaffold stakes:
Part of the building’s window and probably wider restoration project.
Strangely the windows were removed before Christmas, only to be be put back in again in their original decrepit condition. Perhaps they were being measured up for copies 🙁
Think the steels of the first floor were also removed at the time.
Found this on an auction site. Apparently,
Original architect’s watercolour drawings showing the elevations of the GPO building €80,000 – 100,000
seems to be in a square. Sackvile square?
What lovely things to have. What a ridiculous price to pay!
Yes it appears to be a square ‘effect’ rather than an actual square that Johnston was going for with Princes Street and Henry Street. I’ve seen a larger version and the flanking terraces are very striking indeed. Don’t know if he just painted the houses in as a mere idealised backdrop to his building, or if the terraces were actually proposed. Somehow the former seems more likely…
Nice chimneys and roofline there in the style of the Four Courts. It became a heaving mass of stacks by the late 19th century, as per the Custom House.
That’s a lovely image, if I ever had money, that’s the kind ofthing I would buy and give to the archive
@GregF wrote:
Just to add, regarding such statues, one foot of the horse raised indicated that the rider was injured in battle, two feet raised indicated that the rider was killed in battle and four feet firmly on the ground indicated the rider died in his bed or natural causes.
So what’s this one? Died while playing polo?
Does anyone agree and think that allowing any potentially ‘awkward’ demonstration down O’Connell Street in its present state a particularly irresponsible decision? The sheer volume of unlaid stone and piles of rubble as a result of the ongoing works would only make it a rioters/imbeciles paradise….
Political considerations aside, it was a wise decision to call off the march, considering the troublemakers which were baying for any excuse to start trouble.
O’Connell St in chaos as protestors and gardai clash
From:ireland.com
Saturday, 25th February, 2006Protestors at the Love Ulster Parade threw missiles at garda
Whatever about the marches and and all that political stuff, it’s a complete farce and the government should never have allowed it in the first place. It’s not really for discussion in these forums though.
Aaaanyway, It’s a bit of a set back for the redev of the street. ALL the fencing has been removed and people are walking on the newly layed paving willy nilly. Looks as though much of the loose bricks have been hurled around the street, probably damaged and will need to be replaced. Also, didn’t they plant the trees in the central medium? Where are they now?! 😮
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