O’ Connell Street, Dublin

Passed down the st last night and another big hole being dug outside the Sony Centre (beside Clerys) has revealed what would appear to be the original Wide Streets Commision paving from around 1800.

There’s a line of wide kerbstones at the bottom of the pit about a metre from the surface – interestingly though no paving slabs.
Admittedly for all I know these could have been laid here by the contractors, but they appear to be very old, and the slabs are quite small, smaller than many of the later Victorian ‘antique paving’ kerbstones seen elsewhere in the city.
It looks like they’ve just been excavated, the workers were all standing around looking at them and on phones etc – then again they’re always doing that…

Had to laugh at this, there’s been tarmac on the Henry St area for months if not years, and they dig it up in the weeks running to Christmas – you’d wonder, really.

Saw the poles – very snazzy.

Also impressed at how undamaged the base of the Spike is – people are literally to afraid to touch it for fear of attack from the public (or more likely the Guards outside the GPO)

The Clery’s christmas trees are fantastic as always – the best christmas sight in Dublin for many years.

Really?
Obviously I need glasses – then again I do pass only one side of it – not that it has sides of course.
Think its fair to say though that it hasn’t sufferered the horror stories predicted like spray graffiti etc – although the sneaky damage as you mention is arguably more offensive.

The LEDs are to be mended today (Monday)

Has to be done before dark because an unlit Spike constitutes an aviation hazard apparently.
So to save time they’re not taking the original lighting down (which would take 3 hours) but instead, putting up ‘spare’ lighting to be used instead of the originals which are to be left in situ.

What an unholy mess.

At least they workers showed up on time – saw them working on it this morning at 9.15.
They’re dealing with the problem exclusively from the base – going up wasn’t an option.

The tree lights went on this afternoon – the usual silly looking vertical strings stretched from top to bottom like they’re trying to strangle the tree. Grafton St has the same treatment.

I see Gladstone’s been unwrapped from his binliner wrappings – looking decidedly refreshed after his long break encased in sheets of chipboard whilst the excavations were underway. He needs a good clean now.

Poor old Fr Matthew has had the tops of all his fingers chopped off – prob been like this for some time.

NEWS FLASH!

The first of the new lime trees are being planted on the street this morning!
It’s so weird to see them in ‘real life’ at last.

There’s just the four going in at the moment, at either side of the plaza, framing the GPO. They’re being craned in, as they must weigh a ton not least because of their massive rootballs.
They are also quite mature – probably 6/7 years old. The canopies are already clipped into box shapes but they still need a lot of filling out.

One of the bizarre aspects of them is their lack of leaves, because they look great without them! They’re very architectural and striking, and will change the street completely from summer to winter. And perfect for Christmas lights!

They instantly add character and definition to the street, and make the place feel more confident and civic etc.
They’ll look fantastic when all are planted, sweeping the whole way down the street.

Here’s hoping their planting will convince the CC to finally put the old ladies at the northern end to rest.
Or without the sugar – hack em down with a chainsaw.