St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin

Not sure what part of Stephen’s Green ur on about – but I do know that Banks of Scotland (or is that Royal Bank…) is building it’s Irish HQ on Stephens Green.

i was wondering too, its on the southern side, actually in the park.

Between that and the new carpark in the Green complete with ungalvenised railings you really wonder.

One of the finest inner city parks in Europe, and what do we do?

We treat it like the playing fields in Mosside for all the architectural condsideration we give it

New building going up in Stephen’s Green to house machinery? For a minute I was picturing a glass-fronted building next to the College of Surgeons with tractors and combine harvesters inside. But yeah, I see now.

I don’t follow – is there a building actually going up in St Stephens Green Park ( the green square area in the centre)? Surely not ?

On the South side of the green, between the bandstand and the park rangers residence.

Inside the park opposite the entrance to Stokes Pl on Stephens green.

It is a building and those are ungalvenised pallasade railings.

I think I remember reading a planning notice for tis as a new workstation for the park wardens

Thanks Diaspora, I like Devin had pictured something else.

Its dosen’t look great when viewed from the bandstand side. I’ve heard a lot of people commenting on how it stands out among the trees!

The tearooms in the Phoenix Park are referred to by a sign leading to the ‘refreshment kiosk’.

Would anyone favour something similar for Stephens Green?

Perhaps the style could be a tad more contemporary, but it could be nice to watch the ducks while sipping a cup of tea

Yes,

Once it sold Cornettos

But it would have to be the subject of a competition and not a job for a boy.

That sounds like a great idea. In fact now you mention it I am amazed it hastnt cropped up at some stage over the years. It would be a great addition.

the new building is much too big and the side wall is too plane, if they needed to build it should be smaller, further back into the work area and it should be stepped in some way to break up the massing.

It looks like it may be wooden clad, its certainly not going to be brick clad.

Its very unusual in it has hardly any windows.

Here is a camera phone photo from the south side pavement. Not great quality but you can see the wooden purlins for the cladding and the lack of windows.

Maybe they are going to grow mushrooms in it 😉

…..and from beside the bandstand, again very poor quality.

Thanks Blue,

I needed to see those pallasade railings again.

I really thought I was dreaming the first time I saw them.

lol. They have got to be temporary!

Surely they are!?

anyone got any final pics of what the building beside the fitzwilliam hotel will look like ??

much improved by wood cladding, but it really have to be so visible?

I passed the completed structure during the week, I am in two minds about it on the one hand it is a decent enough design on the other hand should anything have been built there that wasn’t fully screened?

@Peter FitzPatrick wrote:

anyone got any final pics of what the building beside the fitzwilliam hotel will look like ??

It’s finished now and the tenents Bank of Scotland (Ireland) are in. Almost 30 years after the the rampage started Stephen’s green is whole again. – now please start pulling down the crap on the south side of the Green (KPMG, old Dept of Justice, Canada House, Hainult House for starters)

@Rory W wrote:

It’s finished now and the tenents Bank of Scotland (Ireland) are in. Almost 30 years after the the rampage started Stephen’s green is whole again. – now please start pulling down the crap on the south side of the Green (KPMG, old Dept of Justice, Canada House, Hainult House for starters)

There is shuttering up around the old department of Justice, so it shouldn’t be too long before something happens on that one, there is a plan for Canada House and I’m sure KPMG has been in play for a while given the sites has a very low site coverage ratio and depressing architecture.

so the bad thing about the BoS building is that ugly fussing with the curved glass; they should have just stepped the building line like the other buildings on this side; the colour isn’t great either, but what is great is that completely unexpected long view down the side corridor with the illuminated panel at the end; i love it, i am just afraid that someone will ruin the effect with a potted plant.

Did anyone see the almost full page article on the Bank of Scotland building in FMD’s architecture page in todays times.

It gave it the review it deserved, money very well spent.

Almost fawning 🙂

But rightly so – although I see what people mean about the clunky glazing curve: it would have been so elegant with the use of curved glass.
But it is how the building fills that hole on the Green that’s the most satisfying part of its completion – the gradual stepping back of all the buildings into the distance when viewed from Grafton St looks great.
Draws your eye away from the Stephen’s Green Centre too 🙂

@Graham Hickey wrote:

Almost fawning 🙂

But rightly so – although I see what people mean about the clunky glazing curve: it would have been so elegant with the use of curved glass.
But it is how the building fills that hole on the Green that’s the most satisfying part of its completion – the gradual stepping back of all the buildings into the distance when viewed from Grafton St looks great.
Draws your eye away from the Stephen’s Green Centre too 🙂

I still remember the story on RTE radio the morning ‘A house with strong connections to Daniel O’Connell has been illegally demolished’ obviously nothing was going to bring it back in 1985 Dublin but this building is definitely the best possible outcome. It pains me to say this but I am glad that the site stayed vacant for most of that period as very few groups would have designed such an appropriate building for such a tricky site and it is also highly unlikely that any speculative attempt would have come close to it.. Steping a building into that particular spot must have taken serious thought and there is no comparison between this perfectly judged scheme and BKD’s admirable extension to the Lucent Technologies (ABN-AMRO) building.

An interesting view of this building is through the entrance to the Stephens Green Shopping Centre Car Park, this building has buckets of space but shaved off quite a lot in the 5% of the footprint that could have mired the project for years.

The plant in the corridor has thankfully departed the stage after its three day residency and yes the scale of corridor can be appreciated much more easily without it. 😀

26/8/2006

Well the latest addition to the Green’s varied stock is just nearing completion: Number 75 St. Stephen’s Green, otherwise known as the former Department of Justice – though goodness knows it did anything but justice to its prominent location on the historic south Green with its hideous black panelling and aluminium frames.

The basic concrete structure of that building has been retained by architects Burke Kennedy Doyle, but was completely gutted, reclad to the front, extended to the rear, and needless to say on top too:

It makes quite the shimmering statement amongst the cardigans of this lovely rambling side of the Green!

The set back storey is alas intrusive and ugly; setbacks never live up to the well proportioned ideal spouted in renderings:

The set back could have been executed a little better but I think it is fair to say that it provides a very decent template for high end infill at a sensitive location that delivers both Grade A space that will attract a rental level premium in the market and delivers a good result in architectural terms for the City.

I hope that similar results follow on other buildings such as the RSA building on Dawson St and this building’s immediate neighbour Hainault House which along with Stokes Place and 25 Stephens Green are the only real re-development objectives left on the Green.

That night-time render doesn’t show accurately the current view. As I passed it in the dark last night, I noticed that the building is lit up internally in green, except for the first floor which is purple.:confused:

Also, you can be sure that any apparent transparency will quickly be blurred once tenants move in with net curtains, potted plants posters and Post-Its, so anyone wanting a look at the see-through beauty should move quickly.

The original proposal was for an extra three storeys above the parapet level (an eight storey building altogether). But it was reduced to what you see now after 3rd party objections.

<a href="http://www.dublincity.ie/swiftlg/apas/run/WPHAPPDETAIL.DisplayUrl?theApnID=4867/04&theTabNo=2&backURL=Search%20Criteria%20>%20Dept. of Justice redevevelopment application

I go to Stephen’s Green all the time, and I never even knew they were building that, since the buses now go the other way around. Looks nice from the photos. I’ll have to go check it out.

10/6/2007

Just some pics of Number 75 at night.

It doesn’t seem to change colour – maybe it’s a different colour each night?

Also its substantial rear, facing onto the NCH.

And for what its worth, the uncoordinated patchwork quilt of Iveagh House a few plots further down. What a shame – it’s almost there.

What’s happening long-term with the eircom buildings on Stephen’s Green?
They’re due to move fairly soon.

Is it just going to be re-used as is or demolished and turned into something else?

I can’t see a case for redevelopment; the front blocks both have basements and Block C to the rear is already 7 or 8 storeys given it starts 1.5 levels down; the existing parking provision is extremely attractive and would no doubt be scaled down dramatically if redeveloped. To make it pay would involve a complete rewriting of the building line for the square which would not be without much opposition one thinks.

This observer sees a reletting probably in blocks or even floors of blocks or possibly a 12 month refurb and then a reletting as a substantial corporate HQ complex.

The KPMG complex at Stokes Place is a much more attractive prospect for redevelopment to my mind.

Good photos Graham; this type of lighting makes a very positive contribution and highlights much of what is good about mixed use development; in the City of London you rarely see such lighting because come 6pm the place is only frequented by workaholics scurrying home and does not see much leisure or tourist traffic.

Re: the eircom HQ

Is there an eircom switch in one of those basements? If so, it’ll likely stay in eircom hands. Moving those exchanges isn’t an easy task as they are the hub for thousands of individual lines.

I know the main eircom switches in Central Dublin are at Dame Court, Adelaide Road and Crown Alley (in Temple Bar). But, it’s likely they’ve some gear in the HQ building too.

It’s about time someone brought up the topic of St. Stephens green. Does anyone know what business stands, where the St. Vincents hospital on the East side of the green used to be? I would go check myself but I don’t live in Ireland anymore. I include a photo of Michael Collins funeral. Collins leaving St. Vincents hospital, heading for City Hall to lie in state.

used to be Irish Permanent offices in the 90s I think

…and another.

Re. the Eircom building, isn’t there trouble here, RCSI owns the building and want to expand into it some time in the future, Eircom want to sell the lease to a developer and RCSI are trying to stop them to stop the developer trying to force them into a joint venture. I could have this wrong.

You could be right Paul. I dont know what the hell it is. I remember as a pup, passing that side of the green on the bus. There was always girls waiting on a bus on that side of the green. I wonder if it is a school? I dont know…fine building all the same

Colm 07-PermannetTSB are still there AFAIK- It is a large complex with the main reception on Leeson Lane-Thta side of the Green heading towards Leeson St. Contains the OPW HQ in number 51, that girls school is still there and then I think PermTSB own all the rest to the junction with Lwr Leeson (Canada house is number 69 I think so you can imagine it is a sizable chunk of real estate.

Eircom HQ whilst not an attractive building definitely occupies the max amount of floorspace one could hope to get on that site-Block C is indeed massive as PVC King points out and is not in 100% usage as far as I know (up to last summer anyway). It is worth a wander into the courtyard there for a scooch around-You get a great view of the 4 bed semis that are built off Cuffe St-none of these ever seem to come on the market which has always surprised me-there’s not many of them and they look like they would be more at home in an English Home counties/commuter town. A very desirable little enclave

Thanks for your help Tommy:) Permanent TSB are some mortgage group, just looked them up. 😉

@colm07 wrote:

You could be right Paul. I dont know what the hell it is. I remember as a pup, passing that side of the green on the bus. There was always girls waiting on a bus on that side of the green. I wonder if it is a school? I dont know…fine building all the same

The girls from the Loretto school on the Green?

Open to correction on this, but that has been replaced by a building occupied by the Permanent TSB. The building was originally built by the Irish Permanent Building Society and named “Edmund Farrell House” after the then CEO’s daddy. I think it was initially to be named Sean Lemass House. There was an outcry over it at the time. Then the Trustee Savings Bank took over the IPBS and rightly dumped the HQ’s name. There was a later and separate row over Edmund Farrell’s remuneration package and his home in Foxrock that went to law…. Colm, you are confusing the photo above with the Loreto Convent, a girls’ school that is a few doors down on the same block and does not look dissimilar. Never had to go further than the ones in Dalkey or Foxrock, meself.
KB

The St Stephen’s Green headquarters could sell for up to €100 million. About three years ago, the former headquarters of the Department of Justice on St Stephen’s Green sold for about €52 million. The St Stephen’s Green buildings have had a colourful history.

Mary Aikenhead, a convert to Catholicism and founder of the Sisters of Charity, established St Vincent’s Hospital for the sick poor of Dublin in the buildings in 1834. St Vincent’s transferred to Elm Parki n 1970.

The buildings were bought for £8million in 1979 by the Irish Permanent Building Society’s managing director Edmund Farrell who changed their name from Sean Lemass House to Edmund Farrell House after his father who ran the building society until his death in 1975.

The group subsequently changed the name of the buildings to 56-59 St Stephen’s Green after Farrell’s departure as head of the building society in 1993.

Thanks for the name clarification Paul.
€100 million is not a great price, really. A house bought in 1979 is now worth a multiple of about 30 times the purchase price, so a comparable return would be 240 million.
Now I’m trying to remember what happened to “96” – the nursing home around the corner on Leeson St. The new /relocated Nursing home opened in May 1974.Was 96 subsumed into the Institute of Education (originally an MEPC development??) Is 96 that far up from the Green?
KB2

Hartigans is 101 and the numbers run normally (i.e. not odds and evens )so it would be part of the Dept. of Marine/Coillte building accessed on Leeson lane or the catholic University School

Here’s a question that’s been bugging me for I don’t know how long. Can anyone explain why certain streets in Dublin are numbered with adjacent houses in sequential order (1, 2, 3, 4 all on the same side of the street) while most (those that ‘run normally’) have all the odds on one side and the evens on the other?

I’ve never been able to figure out any pattern or logic to the numbering and it seems an (er, sorry) odd thing to have both patterns existing within the same city. Is this variance at all unique to Dublin or has anyone noticed this elsewhere? The only possible logical explanation I could muster was that the numbering system has to do with when the street was developed, but even so. . . I’m stumped.

@tommyt wrote:

ColIt is worth a wander into the courtyard there for a scooch around-You get a great view of the 4 bed semis that are built off Cuffe St-none of these ever seem to come on the market which has always surprised me-there’s not many of them and they look like they would be more at home in an English Home counties/commuter town. A very desirable little enclave

There was a two-bed one off Cuffe Street on the market last year I think asking e525,000 if memory serves.

@manifesta wrote:

Here’s a question that’s been bugging me for I don’t know how long. Can anyone explain why certain streets in Dublin are numbered with adjacent houses in sequential order (1, 2, 3, 4 all on the same side of the street) while most (those that ‘run normally’) have all the odds on one side and the evens on the other?

I’ve never been able to figure out any pattern or logic to the numbering and it seems an (er, sorry) odd thing to have both patterns existing within the same city. Is this variance at all unique to Dublin or has anyone noticed this elsewhere? The only possible logical explanation I could muster was that the numbering system has to do with when the street was developed, but even so. . . I’m stumped.

And it doesn’t stop there.

There’s say, the Lower Leeson Street pattern, which goes 1-ca. 50 from the Green up to the kiosk, then ca. 50-ca. 100 back from the canal to the Green on the other side. And the all-odd/all-even option. Both of which you mention.

Then on Lower Mount Street, the numbers start on the southern side of the street at the Merrion Square/Holles Street End and go sequentially (1, 2, 3, etc.) up as far as the canal (around number 45/50, I think). Then it’s back to the Holles Street end, where the numbers go (for example) 50,51, 52 all the way back to the canal.:confused:

There may be others.

As far as I know there does not seem to be a pattern. What an interesting city!:)

@manifesta wrote:

I’ve never been able to figure out any pattern or logic to the numbering and it seems an (er, sorry) odd thing to have both patterns existing within the same city. Is this variance at all unique to Dublin or has anyone noticed this elsewhere? .

In Ireland it is anyone’s guess… Sneem has North and South Squares; both are located to the east and west of the bridge and are triangles!
In Paris the low numbers start at the end of the street nearest the Seine and then increase as one moves away from it. Great when you are trying to identify where the house is located on a street. Before I knew this, as a student, I once walked the length of the rue de Vaugirard to find a cheap hotel ..it was out by by the Periph.. Pair and impair(even/odd) are on left and right sides.
In Manhattan the numbers start at the south end ad work north; there is a formula (works for most Avenues) for finding the cross-street from the number on an Avenue….. I used to know that stuff when I lved there, now long forgotten.
KB

There were also occasions when streets were renumbered. I know this certainly happened in the case of Summerhill and presumably for other streets too.

Personally, I live on a street where one side is numbered 1-3 consecutively, the other side is 31-36 consecutively.
My side at one stage did have ten houses on it, the other side only ever had the six that are still there.

@Seamus O’G wrote:

And it doesn’t stop there.

There’s say, the Lower Leeson Street pattern, which goes 1-ca. 50 from the Green up to the kiosk, then ca. 50-ca. 100 back from the canal to the Green on the other side. And the all-odd/all-even option. Both of which you mention.

Then on Lower Mount Street, the numbers start on the southern side of the street at the Merrion Square/Holles Street End and go sequentially (1, 2, 3, etc.) up as far as the canal (around number 45/50, I think). Then it’s back to the Holles Street end, where the numbers go (for example) 50,51, 52 all the way back to the canal.:confused:

There may be others.

As far as I know there does not seem to be a pattern. What an interesting city!:)

It’s also very confusing for a rookie courier as well as you could imagine-You learn very quickly from your mistakes!

This article is from a few months back …

Stephen’s Green to be dug-up for new metro system
By Seán McCárthaigh

A QUARTER of Dublin’s iconic St Stephen’s Green will close to the public in 2009 to allow construction work on a new metro system for Dublin.

Under plans being drawn up by government agencies overseeing the project, access to the western side of the green between Grafton Street and Harcourt Street will be sealed off.

The plan also envisages that the section being used to build a large underground rail station will remain closed until at least 2013 with half of the existing lake being drained to make way for excavation work on the underground rail system.

The project will also require the removal of a large number of mature trees and shrubbery and the creation of a large vehicle entrance at the south-west corner of the green.

It is also likely that statues of the Irish patriot, Robert Emmet and Lord Ardilaun, better known as Sir Arthur Guinness — the former owner of St Stephen’s Green who gifted the park to the citizens of Dublin in the late 19th century — will have to be temporarily relocated.

Under the Government’s Transport 21 blueprint St Stephen’s Green will become one of Dublin’s main transport hubs as a junction for Luas and Metro services as well as the rail interconnector which will link the city’s main shopping area with Heuston Station and the new Spencer Dock station which opened earlier this week.

The excavation work will undoubtedly become a bone of contention for thousands of regular visitors who view the park as a quiet oasis in the heart of the city.

However, the main pedestrian entrance at the top of Grafton Street will remain open with the public still able to access the central area of the green via the small bridge which crosses the lake.

The Office of Public Works — which has responsibility for St Stephen’s Green — confirmed yesterday that it was in discussions with the Rail Procurement Agency and Irish Rail about closure of a section of the park to facilitate construction work on the new underground station.

“The OPW is open to the idea of allowing the green to be used for construction work on the provision that it is subject to a minimum of disruption,” said an OPW spokesperson.

However, the Irish Examiner understands that there are serious concerns that the RPA and Irish Rail want to use a controversial “cut and cover” method to build the underground station.

Informed sources said the OPW is likely to insist on the more expensive deep tunnelling method which would limit the surface area of the park which would have to be dug up.

Likely area of works …

Now, i’m no tree hugger, but some alternative has to be found.

The green has matured perfectly & no amount of reparation work will erase the scars of construction.
Any felling of the mature specimens, particularly in the larger box marked above can never be undone, it would seriously undermine what is a perfect environment / city park.

I don’t want to see any delay to the interconnector or metro north, but i’d sooner see substantial chunks of roady way around the green temporarily dug up if it meant the green itself could be saved.

Any alternatives ! ?

The large lawn of Iveagh Park ?

If you’re talking about the Iveagh Gardens you must be kidding, it’s the nicest park in the city, far nicer than St Stephen’s Gren. The whole reason for doing it at St Stephen’s Green is that it will link up with the Luas green line. This has been known about for two years at least. The deep tunnelling method should work and the undergound station could end up being superb, similar to some of the London underground stations

it’s my understanding that the majority of the north west quadrant would be closed and dug up. In this case i think expediency (short sharp shock theory) and the need for a quality interchange outweigh the harshness of tghe measures required. Maybe it will open people’s eyes to Merrion, Fitz and Iveagh Gardens as well? Now if only there was some sort of similar place for people in Dublin 6… oh wait…

Lord Ardilaun will be spinning on his plinth!

@jdivision wrote:

If you’re talking about the Iveagh Gardens you must be kidding, it’s the nicest park in the city, far nicer than St Stephen’s Gren. The whole reason for doing it at St Stephen’s Green is that it will link up with the Luas green line. This has been known about for two years at least. The deep tunnelling method should work and the undergound station could end up being superb, similar to some of the London underground stations

No quibble with St. Stephens Green as a location for the station jdivision & no doubt that the Iveagh Gardens are a treasure.

The problem is the size of the area required to sink the TBM, which basically means the removal of the mature tree stock in the north west corner of st. stephens green.

I’m suggesting the large lawn of Iveagh Gardens because of its size & proximity, visible on the aerial shot. Lawn can be easily replaced, 200 year old trees that have matured in tandem with the rest of the green can’t.

Is the massive TBM site required at both ends? When they were digging the Port Tunnel, the enormous canyon needed for the tunneling machine was only dug in Whitehall – there was no need for one at East Wall AFAIK.
It is possible the work could be relatively unobtrusive considering all you really need are maybe a few sets of stair wells into the Metro Station.
Don’t see any real alternative because they can’t touch St Stephen’s Green West itself without interfering with Luas. Unless of course they dug up the area outside Habitat/Top Man but that’s not really a runner to turn the top of the main shopping street of the country into a building site.

kefu, you obviously aren’t from east wall: there was a huge hole dug in fairview park, they are still backfilling it, one tbm was inserted at whitehall and turned at fairview, the final piece, from fairview to the exit, was tunneled by hand. As for stephen’s green, clearly they should keep going to crumlin and dig up sundrive park instead.

@notjim wrote:

As for stephen’s green, clearly they should keep going to crumlin and dig up sundrive park instead.

Definitely notjim. Starting or stopping construction of the tunnel in the city centre is nonsense, esp given its impact on Stephen’s Green. Sundrive would make a good location to carry on construction to Tallaght or wherever down the road which has already been signaled.

The fact that the long term aim is to extend metro north to the south city & suburbs makes the destruction of the north west quadrant of stephen’s green all the more pointless.
I wouldn’t mind if it could be reinstated as is, but that is just not possible.

this metro line will only be extended south along the current LUAS line B. That was in the DTO strategy and dropped from T21. The Tallaght Metro is out altogether. Too difficult and too expensive, as it would be entirely underground. The DTO strategy had it because their assessment thought it necessary, but Cullen knew better.

Much of the Green will be surrounded by hoardings and dug up. I presume LUAS will continue normal service. The EIS will tell all details. Any idea when this might be submitted?

There’s also potential for this entire junciton (Grafton, north green, west and king street) to be pedestrianised and unite the green with grafton street, as the LUAS will probably render it useless to cars. Could be pretty good i reckon. A pedestrian dominated space from Leeson street to parnell square anyone?

The plan I believe is to leave the tunnel bore under the Green in the “hope” – because they’re not sure if it can be restarted – that the line will eventually be extended to Firhouse.

Re: Iveagh Gardens, the point is the underground has to be next to the Luas station. It has to be St Stephen’s Green. I would hope there’s ways in which the trees can be temporarily moved. The lawn in the Iveagh Gardens is actually the only purpose built archery practice ground in Ireland (afaik). There’s also an elephant from Dublin Zoo that died in 1922 buried there. Not that that makes it worthy of preservation but thought it might interest people.

where did you get that firhouse plan from? that’s news to me….is it just the Tallaght line from the DTO plan?

@jdivision wrote:

The plan I believe is to leave the tunnel bore under the Green in the “hope” – because they’re not sure if it can be restarted – that the line will eventually be extended to Firhouse.

Re: Iveagh Gardens, the point is the underground has to be next to the Luas station. It has to be St Stephen’s Green. I would hope there’s ways in which the trees can be temporarily moved. The lawn in the Iveagh Gardens is actually the only purpose built archery practice ground in Ireland (afaik). There’s also an elephant from Dublin Zoo that died in 1922 buried there. Not that that makes it worthy of preservation but thought it might interest people.

Just to clarify, I’m not suggesting relocating the metro station from st. stephen’s green for a second, it obviously has to be directly beside the interconnector station … just using the lawn at Iveagh to sink the TBM thereby allowing for much more limited excavation at St. Stephen’s Green to connect in to the bore & construct the underground terminus.

If the lake was sufficient in size to sink the TBM within the green i wouldn’t mind, but i very much doubt it, in which case the cluster to the right of the Fusiliers Arch will be removed. To be clear the group of mature trees to the right of the arch is exactly what is at issue here.

There is no possibility that mature trees of that vintage can be successfully moved.

I don’t want to see metro delayed by an inch but there will be more tara like hassle once people cop on, an alternative should be found.

Interesting stuff about the iveagh lawn jd.

@alonso wrote:

where did you get that firhouse plan from? that’s news to me….is it just the Tallaght line from the DTO plan?

i seem to recollect a senior official in the department of transport saying it to a Dail subcommittee meeting. I think it was shown in Oireachtas Report but not sure if I ever saw it in a newspaper. I’ll do some searching.

Under the Government’s Transport 21 blueprint St Stephen’s Green will become one of Dublin’s main transport hubs as a junction for Luas and Metro services as well as the rail interconnector which will link the city’s main shopping area with Heuston Station and the new Spencer Dock station which opened earlier this week.

I find this all very odd.

At no stage has there been any public consultation about the proposed interconnector.

No invitation for views about the proposed line, and no consultation about the merits of a number of possible routes across the city.

As the main original justification for proposing the line was that it would relieve the bottleneck at Connolly Station – a situation which has now been dealt with to a large extent by the presence of the Docklands Station – I find it amazing that we are being led to believe that this can only be achieved by building the proposed interconnector through St. Stephen’s Green.

There must be other options. And as it’s a very important line, the public should get a chance to see those options and make their views known.

@alonso wrote:

where did you get that firhouse plan from? that’s news to me….is it just the Tallaght line from the DTO plan?

Regarding luas for firhouse – there was speculation about joining the lines as follows : Tallaght -> Firhouse -> Knocklyon -> Balinteer, then to Dundrum or Sandyford. See wikipediafor more.
Doubt it will happen in even medium term.

Nearest LUAS will get to firhouse may be Rathfarnham ….

“Substantially improve and expand Luas services in Dublin by:
• Joining the Green and Red Luas lines.
• Extending Luas to Docklands.
• Extending Luas to Citywest.
• Extending Luas to Cherrywood.
• Extending Luas to Lucan.
• Extending Luas from the City Centre to Liffey Junction (Broadstone/Cabra).
• Extending Luas to Rathfarnham subject to a feasibility study. “

Programme for government 12th June 2007.

the interconnector is at an extremely early stage, and the reopening of Broadstone may be regarded as a political tactic to render it unnecessary. there are no route options at this stage. however as Metro North proceeds they will have to design in the interconnector from the outset

The main justification for the line is to provide 2 continuous DART lines through the city centre. Balbriggan to Kildare, and Maynooth to Greystones. The current north south alignment will be severed in the city, and cross cty journeys that you do in one today will require interchange underT21

Regarding East Wall – the reason why there was such a gigantic hole was because the two tunnels had to emerge there to create the new roads. Whilst building a Metro, there is no such requirement. In saying that, I accept that a chunk of St Stephen’s Green will end up a building site but comparing with Port Tunnel isn’t realistic.

Fair comment but wouldn’t it be better to continue on to Ranelagh; the Green at Manders Terrace would be a perfect launch site to get trucks of muck out with nowhere nearly as much hassle as St Green.

A proper change would take no more than 1-2 minutes walk underground and the increased frequencies on all routes will deliver net gains in journey times.

@alonso wrote:

there are no route options at this stage. however as Metro North proceeds they will have to design in the interconnector from the outset.

I think its fairly well accepted that the interconnector will travel through south city with stations at high street / christ church, st. stephen’s green, pearse and on to spencer.

I’ve certainly never seen any variation on that alignment.

no neither have I. Docklands, Pearse, Green, Digital Hub and Heuston

@Peter FitzPatrick wrote:

I think its fairly well accepted that the interconnector will travel through south city with stations at high street / christ church, st. stephen’s green, pearse and on to spencer.

Do you think it is fairly well accepted? I would be interested to know what you base this on. It can certainly not be based on discussion of the line among the general public, as I suspect many people are unaware of the entire proposal. Even the Irish Rail website makes almost no mention of the project.

Whether or not the proposed alignment is the correct one, it is important that the proposed route should be discussed by the public in a public consultation process, along with other possible routes.

I’ve certainly never seen any variation on that alignment.

Alternative alignments were suggested long before the currently proposed alignment appeared. I suggest you look at the DRRTS report of the 1970’s to inform yourself of just one of the other options.

@alonso wrote:

the interconnector is at an extremely early stage, and the reopening of Broadstone may be regarded as a political tactic to render it unnecessary. there are no route options at this stage. however as Metro North proceeds they will have to design in the interconnector from the outset

A proposed route map has been produced by Irish Rail at a number of presentations. However, this has never been presented to the general public. It is vital that this proposed route, and other options which could also be feasible, should be presented to the public for consultation.

Based on the FACT that the interconnector will be a line with a much higher capacity than the metro, I think it’s a pity that we don’t see it as follows: “As the interconnector proceeds, they will have to design in the metro from the outset.”

That statement would make a lot more sense to me.:(

The main justification for the line is to provide 2 continuous DART lines through the city centre. Balbriggan to Kildare, and Maynooth to Greystones. The current north south alignment will be severed in the city, and cross cty journeys that you do in one today will require interchange underT21

Obviously I understand what the interconnector is intended to achieve. But we had public consultation about the LUAS link-up, the metro north, the original LUAS, LUAS extensions, etc. Why must the highest capacity line ever proposed in this country be routed through St. Stephen’s Green without proper discussion?

@Seamus wrote:

Why must the highest capacity line ever proposed in this country be routed through St. Stephen’s Green without proper discussion?

Because its still 9 years away at best Seamus, with many worried that it will never happen at all.
Obviously all the usual hoops will have to be jumped for such a major project, with full public consultation etc.

I’ve heard several radio interviews with the heads of IE & RPA saying they are in close consultation re the hub at Stephen’s Green, you have to assume that this is the case.

Agreed the interconnector & its benefits are known to few, IE need to change its title & clearly explain what it will mean in practice.

Given that metro north is starting at the green, the only question for the interconnector is where it should connect with the metro, o’connell or the green.

If the tbm was inserted at the other end, it would only have to turned at stephen’s green; is that possible, if the station was mined could the tbm be turned in the box without digging a huge hole?

@Peter FitzPatrick wrote:

Because its still 9 years away at best Seamus, with many worried that it will never happen at all.
Obviously all the usual hoops will have to be jumped for such a major project, with full public consultation etc.

I’ve heard several radio interviews with the heads of IE & RPA saying they are in close consultation re the hub at Stephen’s Green, you have to assume that this is the case.

I do assume that this is the case.

So when does the consultation with the general public occur about the various options for our highest capacity line?

@Seamus wrote:

So when does the consultation with the general public occur about the various options for our highest capacity line?

Whenever we get a clear sign from IE or Government that the damn thing is actually going ahead at all.

Well that should give us plenty of time to look at all the possibilities.

@Seamus O’G wrote:

Obviously I understand what the interconnector is intended to achieve. But we had public consultation about the LUAS link-up, the metro north, the original LUAS, LUAS extensions, etc. Why must the highest capacity line ever proposed in this country be routed through St. Stephen’s Green without proper discussion?

Well if the interconnector is to (a) loop around the south City centre serving Pearse and onwards to Heuston and (b) meet with Luas and the metro then surely St Stephen’s Green makes sense for a stop. I can’t see what the problem is here Seamus?

Woo-hoo 1000 posts – now must start working:rolleyes:

What’s all the fuss? There’s plenty of room for excavating on the streetside of the railings, or will the faux fancy hotel start to complain. As it is, that part of ‘The Green’ isn’t used anymore for through traffic (ahem, should a a city have through traffic?!?), and, if I recall well, when Frankfurt a/M was building her U-Bahn in the late sixties (yes folks we are THAT far behind) the disruption in the centre was only two thoroughfares wide. Great excuse to shift LUAS.

@Rory W wrote:

Well if the interconnector is to (a) loop around the south City centre serving Pearse and onwards to Heuston and (b) meet with Luas and the metro then surely St Stephen’s Green makes sense for a stop. I can’t see what the problem is here Seamus?

Well is it to loop around the south city centre? What was the problem with the original route proposed in the DRRTS study (which involved a line running from Connolly to Heuston that did not serve Pearse and did not loop around the south city centre)? Or some other route?

There must surely be a number of ways that a line can be built across the city between the Northern line and the Kildare line, connecting with the LUAS (as it is linked up) and with the metro (as it is built).

I suspect that it was possibly illegal for the RPA to refer to the proposed metro station at St. Stephen’s Green as being a connection point to the proposed interconnector (in the document relating to the three possible routes), given that there has been no consultation about the much higher capacity line. However, unlike the M3 protestors, I would not have the resources to test this out.:(

Not sufficient space outside luas on Stephen’s Green west form what i understand. I’d be quite happy if the works could be confined to the roadway.

Seamus, that route is already served via the Luas. they probably felt it would make more sense to go via south city centre in order to create a near radial route around the inner city.

it’s simple. We have a west-east connection on the northside already. It’s overground. The interconnector is the Southside equivalent. Look at the map of Transport 21. we will have 2 distinct DART lines as I described above. There won’t be public consultation on the i/c for years yet. I don’t see the issue here at all.

@Peter FitzPatrick wrote:

Not sufficient space outside luas on Stephen’s Green west from what i understand. I’d be quite happy if the works could be confined to the roadway.

Surely the Luas platform could just be temporarily shifted southwards? There’s a huge tract of track here (outside Eircom), much longer than the existing stop that could be used to temporaily terminate the Luas instead of its current location. Unfortunately, going by the earlier picture, it seems they still won’t have the width in the roadway that’s required – though I can’t see why three traffic lanes plus the substantial width of the Green pavement isn’t sufficient…

Agreed the impact on the Green must be minimised; this is arguably the most scenic part of the park, with that delightfiul winding path leading up to the picturesque keeper’s house, and the huge rolling lawn facing it with magnificent mature feature specimens strategically placed about. It’d be shameful for this to be destroyed.

Totally agree the impacts on Dublins best Square must be limited but during construction and post completion.

The reality is that at no time will metro come on street from the undeground at this location. Why are we discussing the surfacing of an incompleted underground line in an architectural conservation area?

It is totally bonkers both in terms of delivering an incomplete asset and for all the reasons Graham lists above.

I also want to see at leaat 3 to 4 entrances/ exits at this location as a gaping cavernous entrance would dominate the square and would distort pedestrian flows unacceptably.

eh do we all realise that the construction of the Metro will run concurrently with LUAS Line BX? The north east corner of the Green will simply be a construction site for 3 or 4 years.

don’t get me started on the farce that is the BX option alonso 😡

@GrahamH wrote:

Surely the Luas platform could just be temporarily shifted southwards? There’s a huge tract of track here (outside Eircom), much longer than the existing stop that could be used to temporaily terminate the Luas instead of its current location. Unfortunately, going by the earlier picture, it seems they still won’t have the width in the roadway that’s required – though I can’t see why three traffic lanes plus the substantial width of the Green pavement isn’t sufficient…

Initially i thought the same Graham, I suppose it all depends on the detail & I am making a few assumptions… but if a TBM is to be dropped or removed within the green, its going to have a major impact. I assume the park itself has been flagged as the location because no section of surrounding roadway will do.

As said by many before, to terminate in the city centre is crazy, at the very least continue to the nearest open park or tract of publicly owned land that will allow the line continue to wherever without the same major disruption to the city centre 5 years+ of completion.

Why isn’t it feasible to demolish one of the monstrous office blocks, (perhaps the Eircom office), drop in the equipment and then rebuild a new office block.

The trees and park have been maturing there for hundreds? of years and will take many, many decades to return to their former glory.

With this idea we get rid of an ugly office block, get the equipment in place and then re-instate a nicer building on site, (although going by the state of contemporary builds in this city I’m not so sure on that point!!).

Totally agree on the principle but feel that KPMG is more likely to come into play.

There should definitely be a planning gain if they were to accomodate metro

Stephens Green………old shit:)

<a href="http://www.dublincity.ie/swiftlg/apas/run/WPHAPPDETAIL.DisplayUrl?theApnID=3815/08&backURL=Search%20Criteria%20>%20Ref. 3815/08

Oh sweet mother of god, that’s atrocious looking.

I’d have thought Devin was taking the piss if it wasn’t for the planning ref. STW what are you up to?

F#ck, no-way

This is very retrograde considering the wonderful job done on the Shelbourne by the same developers which bought them a lot of kudos in my book as putting something back.

STW should be ashamed of themselves they are wasting their clients money this is a complete non-runner for any listed building let alone one on a georgian square. They should donate these fees to charity

Big 1960s block proposed here for the corner of Earlsfort Terrace and Hatch Street Lower, to replace a 4-storey ’80s building (proposed view from Hatch Street above). Very little third party interest in this, surprisingly. Usually plenty of curt, middle class professionals around here who know about tings like planning ..
Ref. 5257/08

Would that be Deloittes hq Devin ?

I don’t know who is in it. Here is the existing building.

ah right, Deloitte is across the street (facing concert hall) … anyway the scale of this proposal is way off.

I saw the model of that thing in the Corpo before Christmas, and I was hoping it would have been dispatched by now.

What kind of design philosophy teaches you to take the worst attributes of the standard 1970s spec. office block, add four storeys onto it, and stick in in for planning, as if the last twenty years of urban debate was all happening on someone else’s planet?

Arrogance, dear boy, arrogance. By the way, what has happened to Dublin’s most romantic bldg (well, one of them), the former University Hostel on Hatch St?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_Hall_(Dublin)

Being used as a home for asylum seekers, according to Dr Wikipedia.

Not sure but would the proposal be the OPW/Clancourt jv? Would explain a lot
“In addition, Clancourt, the development company belonging to Charlie Kenny and his family, will redevelop houses it owns on Earlsfort Terrace along with the OPW’s building on Hatch Street.”
http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2007/10/07/story27131.asp
(second last para)

I know for sure that the OPW has a place on the opposite (north) side of Hatch Street, a bit closer to Leeson Street. I’m not sure if they’ve anything on this side.

What kind of design philosophy teaches you to take the worst attributes of the standard 1970s spec. office block, add four storeys onto it, and stick in in for planning, as if the last twenty years of urban debate was all happening on someone else’s planet?[/QUOTE]

Hmmm. I’m not sure if the people responsible for large commercial buildings in this country subscribe to any design philosophy at all.

I didn’t know that FAI Chief Executive, John Delaney, was a time travelling tranvestite!………………:D

@ctesiphon wrote:

I know for sure that the OPW has a place on the opposite (north) side of Hatch Street, a bit closer to Leeson Street. I’m not sure if they’ve anything on this side.

The 1980’s brown brick building on Hatch Street in the style of the now demolished Gaiety Centre used to be an Inland Waterways office.

I quite like the proposal on densification of backland terms and the general fenestration looks ok depending on the quality of materials used. Its relationship with the Terrace between Hatch Street and Davitt House is less encouraging.

Cinema planned for roof of SG shopping center!

http://www.tribune.ie/business/article/2010/jan/17/andersons-plan-9m-cineplex-on-roof-of-stephens-gre/

“The new cinema deal has been under discussion between the Andersons and the owners of the centre for nine months and they are hoping to apply for planning permission by the end of February. Anderson said most of the structure will be built off-site in panels and then assembled on-site, making construction relatively quick, and they hope to open in the middle of next year.

Anderson said they would be using lightweight structures and the existing centre could take the extra capacity, meaning structural supports would not be needed.

He believes the cinema could the first phase in a regeneration of the entire St Stephen’s Green shopping centre by landlords Irish Life and property investor Pierce Maloney, who owns the Bus Stop chain of newsagents.”

I thought St Stephens green had hit the ceiling literally a long time ago…

So, we are off again. A new traffic layout for St Stephen’s Green. This time to facilitate the Luas works beginning in May and the operating of the Luas BXD in 2030 or whenever its meant to be completed. A Part VIII application has been lodged by Dublin City Council for changes to the North, East and South sides and various side streets. The big change is the junction at Merrion Row whcih is being reconstructed to create a right turn onto Merrion Row.

As usual, Dublin City Council’s abysmal website doesnt have the plans and spec uploaded yet. There is no doubt a queue for the scanner in Wood Quay.

Application is here http://www.dublincity.ie/swiftlg/apas/run/WPHAPPDETAIL.DisplayUrl?theApnID=3542/12&backURL=%3Ca%20href=wphappcriteria.display?paSearchKey=1826934%3ESearch%20Criteria%3C/a%3E%20%3E%20%3Ca%20href=’wphappsearchres.displayResultsURL?ResultID=2251162%26StartIndex=111%26SortOrder=APNID:asc%26DispResultsAs=WPHAPPSEARCHRES%26BackURL=%3Ca%20href=wphappcriteria.display?paSearchKey=1826934%3ESearch%20Criteria%3C/a%3E’%3ESearch%20Results%3C/a%3E Observations by the 14th Jan, although I would highlight that the Council are appear to be ignoring most comments that made on Part VIIIs. Pesky public consultations.

On balance the changes sounds straightforward to me. They should remove some of the ugly junctions and clutter that accumulated from the last round of works in 2004(?). As ever, the devil is in the bollard- and signage-filled detail…

Here’s the text describing the works…

Pursuant to the requirements of the above, notice is hereby given of proposed Revised Southside Traffic Management Measures to Facilitate LUAS Broombridge on St Stephens Green North and St Stephens Green East, Dublin 2. The revised traffic management arrangements are required to facilitate construction works on Dawson Street and the operation of Luas once constructed.

The proposed works will comprise the reconfiguration of the road space along St Stephens Green North and St Stephens Green East to provide the following:
Removal of existing build out at the junction of St Stephens Green East, St Stephens Green North and Merrion Row.
Provision of island at the junction of St Stephens Green East and St Stephens Green North and a median along St Stephens Green North for approx 50 meters.
Relocation of the Grace Weir sculpture approx 8 meters to the west on the new proposed island. Revised arrangements for eastbound traffic on St Stephens Green North between Kildare Street and Merrion Row to include: -Reconfiguration of traffic lanes to provide one straight ahead lane onto Merrion Row. -Provision of a loading bay along Shelbourne Hotel frontage. -Widening of footpath between Kildare Street and Merrion Row from 2.6 meters to a maximum of 6 meters. Revised arrangements for westbound traffic on St Stephens Green North between St Stephens Green East and Kildare Street to include: -Reconfiguration of traffic lanes to provide one straight ahead lane onto St Stephens Green North. -Provision of one right turn lane onto Kildare Street. -Provision of a 1.75 metre wide cycle lane. Revised arrangements for southbound traffic on St Stephens Green East between Merrion Row and Hume Street to include: -Widening of footpath from 2.50 meters to 3.8 meters. -Provision of a 1.75 meter wide cycle lane.
Revised arrangements for northbound traffic on St Stephens Green East between Hume Street and Merrion Row to include: -Reconfiguration of traffic lanes to provide one turning lane onto St Stephens Green North. -Provision of two right turning lanes onto Merrion Row. -Removal of 12 no. pay and display car parking spaces. -Provision of a 1.75 meter wide cycle lane. Revised arrangements for southbound traffic on St Stephens Green East between Hume Street and Leeson Street to include: -Provision of a dedicated left turn bus lane onto Leeson Street. -Provision of a straight ahead lane onto Earlsfort Terrace for buses and vehicles exiting the existing private car park approx 34 meters from the junction of St Stephens Green East and Leeson Street.
Revised arrangements for northbound traffic on St Stephens Green East between Leeson Street and Hume Street to include: -Reconfigure traffic lanes to provide 3 no. lanes approaching the new signalised junction. -Provision of a 1.75 meter wide cycle lane. Signalisation of the junction of Hume Street and St Stephens Green East to include: -Removal of pedestrian crossing in the centre of St Stephens Green East. -Provision of pedestrian crossing at the Hume Street junction. -Provision of an advanced stop line for cyclists at the traffic lights on St Stephens Green East. Relocate the existing dublinbikes stand from the centre of St Stephens Green East to the north of new signalised junction at Hume Street. The provision of 10 no. additional dublinbikes stands to the south of the new signalised junction.
Relocate existing bicycle parking from existing build out to Hume Street and St Stephens Green North.
Alterations to egress arrangements for private car park on St Stephens Green East allowing left only.

Were you expecting Bordeaux-style vision?

Those plans are available to view now. Actually all looks quite logical to me and definitely an improvement on the current set up. Its not clear but I assume there will be a right turn from Merrion Row onto Ely Place in future for buses etc. It will be interesting to see how Kildare Street reacts to traffic in both directions.

One small point that continues to irritate me is the way pavement build-outs are constructed. Rather than lifting and resetting the kerb line, a second kerb line is installed and the build-out paved to meet it. Despite all the traffic and now the Luas…it must still be remembered that St Stephen’s Green is an historic city square. Some finessing of the design to reflect this would be welcome.

However, despite the rhetoric of that lofty Public Realm Strategy…these improvements seem to have been drafted by the Roads Engineering Team. I would be very interested to be corrected on that.

I see all the windows of the Hume Street Hospital are now open giving some impressive glimpses of some very fine pasterwork.

It looks like the refurb has begun!

@StephenC wrote:

However, despite the rhetoric of that lofty Public Realm Strategy…these improvements seem to have been drafted by the Roads Engineering Team. I would be very interested to be corrected on that.

It would seem so….the biggest give-away being a somewhat semi-incredible revelation that,when the SSG project is complete,even with wider footpaths,build-outs and much else there will be 3 additional Car Parking spaces available on SSG….from 84 today to 87 tomorrow.

http://www.dublincity.ie/RoadsandTraffic/ScheduledDisruptions/Documents/South_Traffic_Part_8_Final_Planning_Report.pdf

I’m just in awe at the previously unknown abilities of DCC to go into Tardis mode when it comes to road-space…

http://www.dublincity.ie/RoadsandTraffic/ScheduledDisruptions/Documents/RT4125_11_Part_8_Merrion+Jct.pdf

Can’t wait to experience the broad open spaces of the veldt concept for myself…..bring it ON. :thumbup:

The Arches sculpture on St Stephens Green is being dismantled and relocated as part of the new traffic layout on the east side of the Green. Its part of a huge city wide process of wrecking due to take place as part of Luas CrossCity 🙂

The endless bridge works on Marlborough Street …endless… and the just begun work to fill in cellar etc along the proposed route will surely mean that Dublin City Centre will look like a dump for a couple of years to come.

let’s do the time warp again…

One for Mr Smart

Changes to St Stephen’s Green traffic by November – Altered routes will divert cars and buses from new Luas line
Olivia Kelly

The biggest traffic changes on St Stephen’s Green since the Luas Green Line was constructed almost a decade ago, are to come into force in two month’s time.
New traffic routes are being introduced to divert cars and buses away from the site of the Cross City Luas line ahead of the start of work to lay the tracks.
The new Luas will connect the existing Green and Red lines through the city centre before continuing north to the new DIT campus planned for Grangegorman, then onto Phibsborough and Cabra where it will terminate at the Irish Rail station at Broombridge.
The Molly Malone statue on Grafton Street in Dublin, due to be moved to facilitate the development of the cross-city Luas link.
The line begins at the terminus of the existing Green line on St Stephen’s Green West, turns right on to St Stephen’s Green North and then exits the green left on Dawson Street. Two new turns off the green are being introduced to divert traffic from this area.
The first will be a right hand turn from St Stephen’s Green East on to Merrion Row. Currently traffic heading north on the east side of the green must turn left passing in front of the Shelbourne Hotel. Motorists who want to access Merrion Row to head for Baggot Street or Merrion Square must currently take a right onto Dawson Street and use either Molesworth Street or Nassau Street to loop back around to the green and on Merrion Row.
The new system will give two right turning lanes on to Merrion Row from the green and one left turning lane continuing around the green. This new system will be in place in late October or early November.
The second major change is at the diagonally opposite corner of the green with the creation of a new turn from St Stephen’s Green South onto the west side of the green. Traffic taking this new turn will cross the existing Luas line and then run parallel with the line as far as York Street. This turn allows motorists access to the Royal College of Surgeons and St Stephen’s Green car parks, or they can continue on to Mercer Street and take Noel Purcell Walk to access Drury Street and the car parks in that area. This new turn should also be in place by early November.
The changes, which will be permanent, provide additional routes for motorists and no routes are being closed off to traffic at this stage, Brendan O’Brien of the council’s traffic department said.
“We are not banning traffic from any current route along the green, or closing off any streets, but with all the construction activity we want to give people an alternative to being in that area.”
Restrictions and traffic bans will however come into force from next year onwards, when the left turn from Dawson Street to Nassau Street, used by buses and for deliveries at certain times, will be eliminated.
“Dawson Street will be quite problematic. When the major work starts it won’t be able to accommodate much traffic,” said Mr O’Brien
In anticipation of the laying of the line down Dawson Street, Kildare Street, currently one way heading south only, will be reconfigured over the next two months into a two-way street. Buses will be able to go both ways for the full length of the street, but cars heading north will have to turn into Molesworth Street.
Once the Luas line is operational the right turn at the end of Dawson Street will be a bus lane only so motorists who decide to turn from the green into Dawson Street will have to turn right into Molesworth Street.
In addition to these major changes the council will be reconfiguring traffic lanes, junctions and traffic islands and removing some car parking spaces from the green. It will also provide cycle lanes and widen footpaths.
Traffic changes required onwards from Nassau Street to College Green, Westmoreland Street and O’Connell Street will be the subject of discussions with the contractors when they are appointed Mr O’Brien said.
However, he said it was likely some extension of the Bus Gate, which sees cars banned from travelling north through College Green at peak times, would be required.

What a state the north side of St Stephen’s Green has become.

This section of the square, the famous Beaux Walk, has so much going for it. Undoubtedly the liveliest section with undoubtedly the best collection of buildings. It has huge footfall. It has a major Dublin hotel…probably the most prestigious. Some of the best restaurants in the city. Growing retail. Little Museum of Dublin. It should be the most prestigious public areas in the city.

But, what on earth are the combined City Council and RPA doing to this area. The western end id obviously being readied for Luas and some sort of resolution of the top of Grafton Street. It’s been a state here for years, at least since the Luas was constructed in 2003. Despite the amount of people pottering about, vast swathes of roadway dominate, given over to a taxi rank.

From here, the pavement narrows ridiculously in front of the St Stephen’s Green Club, despite the fact that this section is retail up to Dawson Street.

A horror shop of poles and island and traffic engineers paraphernalia dominates the junction with Dawson Street, the ugliest in the city. Cross over (at your peril) and continue along narrow pavements in front of Little Museum and the various offices and restaurants here. Again acres of roadway.

Then you come to Kildare Street and are greeted by a new enormous build out of concrete slabs. So poorly done. Part of this new arrangement turning traffic onto Merrion Row from SSG East. Across Kildare Street and the same thing again, shitty build-outs, really poorly done. No concept of what a kerb is. All haphazard and careless DCC work. It will be ever so from the Council. Its impervious to anything else.

And back again to narrow pavements as you approach Merrion Row. And you cant help but wonder why?