That Floozy

This occured to me the other day… was intending dropping the city council a line… will do it now

The fountain was meant to be reinstated in the Croppy Acre. I imagine the Council are waiting for the Luas construction to clear up here before they roll out their plans for the park. On the other hand, it was mentioned somewhere (probably here – Graham?) that the Council were using the move to Croppy Acre as a pretext to binning the sculpture, or at least the fountain element

It was mentioned it was going there all right – never heard of removing the water element though.
No more bubble baths for you missy!

I only noticed yesterday how clean and much better that particular part of O’Connell Street does look now. I had never fully understood it before, but O’Connell Street should not have any trees whatsoever – they are only a picturesque crap idea that 1970s ‘improving the city’ geographers must have had!

I hope the new Master Plan doesn’t have any trees at all in O’Connell Street, because then it begins to become a great space once again. The trees in O’Connell Street are what makes it feel like a good spot to go knacker drinking at night in the cold! Without those camouflage, it would become a much safer place and much easier to police or respond to someone in trouble. Much easier to light etc, etc.

The problem with the Fountain, was the pedestrians had only about 600mm either side of it to walk up and down the central pedestrian area of O’Connell Street – that was pure sad.

Completely disagree garethace. I think trees can add so much to a streetscape, define lines, frame vista’s etc.

the main problem with the existing london plane’s apart from their size is that they were planted in the middle island, dividing the street, and therefore concealing its width.

As far as I know, all the existing london plane’s trees are to be removed as part of the I.A.P.

New clipped lime trees will be planted running the full length of the street on the left and right pavements. Additional trees will be planted around the new plaza to define the boundaries of that space. Limes are a much neater tree and on O’Connell Street will be clipped in to a box shape in the same way as those at the front of the AIB bank centre.

Well I always liked that description of the Salk Institute by Barragan – not a scrap of rubbish or any interference whatsoever on it. That makes some sense to me, especially with the spire – it needs space around it. Me thinks.

If you do not believe me, make a wander up that way this eveing, and see the clear open space I am talking about, between the Savoy and the monument – it isn’t bad at all.

the “clear open space” needed for the monument will be provided by the plaza, which will be framed by trees … take a look at the IAP, don’t have the exact link but think its all in there somewhere

http://www.dublincity.ie/dublin/oconniap2.html

I’d also love to see all the trees removed from O’Connell St. to open it up as a wide boulevard unencumbered by the treest currently there which obscure the built nature of the environment.

I had been meaning to open a thread about this. There are a number of areas I’d like to see trees removed from the city. It seems such a contentious issue though at times – lots of tree huggers out there it seems.

In particular and of utmost importance I would remove those surrounding the Grattan statute at College Green. I hate the ways these obscure the view of the front of Trinity.

yep i agree … trees should have never been planted there, apart from blocking the front of trinity, the statue of grattan is completely hidden ….

I hope the new Master Plan doesn’t have any trees at all in O’Connell Street, because then it begins to become a great space once again. The trees in O’Connell Street are what makes it feel like a good spot to go knacker drinking at night in the cold!

you architects may not be aware of this but i heard that trees are not only usefull as ‘architectural features’ or ‘good spots for knacker drinking’ to to be placed at our astetic disgression, but they also provide us with oxygen, so we can breathe !. Should we not be trying to maximize the number of ‘c02 to 02 convertors’ we have on our city streets, after all these are essential to the sucessful running of any city. so why are u picking on these poor defenceless trees, what about cars surely these do alot more to detract from the beauty than a few trees. is there nothing worse than the entire street cloged with what is it 6 lane of car and trucks for most of the day.

I hope the new Master Plan doesn’t have any cars at all in O’Connell Street, because then it begins to become a great space once again

There are a number of areas I’d like to see cars removed from the city. It seems such a contentious issue though at times – lots of auto-addicts out there it seems.

beep-beep

The fountain, last I heard, is in storage in St Anne’s park in Fairview. I think the Corpo is hoping that everybody quietly forgets about it.

They originally wanted to put it beside the garda station in Pearse Street, but the locals kicked up such a fuss that they rapidly backed off that idea. The Croppy acre idea came next, but I don’t think their heart was in it. They need to put it in a place where punters can’t dump rubbish – maybe by railing it off or elevating it. Nobody cares much for it now, apart from Eamon Doherty (wasn’t it?), the architect.

Does it deserve a new berth? I don’t think so. It would be no harm if a few other public monuments about the place were taken down too. Dame Street deserves better than that Thomas Davis statue, for starters.

silenceo……….

should i be sorry for dis-ing the car,

why does it all go quite when someone qustions the cars place in our cities ???

you don’t like the thomas davis statue? wierd.

The Thomas Davis statue is a gem… its just a pity its been left to languish on a traffic island with little to no attention for so long. Despite many letters to the Council, OPW, Duchas etc I still haven’t found anyone who will accept responsiblity and restore the fountain and install some floodlighting. Its a crying shame!

I think the trees around Grattan and Moore are in need of some ruthless pruning. Better still remove them (withouit chopping them down – it can be done) and replan the whole College Green area. Less cars, wider pavements better street furniture, low leve planting.

i’d like to see College Green completely pedestrianised. I think it would create a great public space right on the axis of Trinity, Temple Bar and Grafton Street. Perhaps with some cafés, outdoor seating and a Luas line it might actually resemble a ‘proper’ European plaza.

The tricky part is figuring out how to divert the cars and buses around the area…

yeah i agree that could be a fantastic civic space and would actually be the heart of dublin city. but cant see it going ahead, it would fight with the plaza on o connell street.
if they want to make that the centre of the city theyll have to do a lot to the north side.

Just get rid of those flippin trees, and poor old Moore on College St, I think the city has forgotten him – hidden away under his leafy canopy.
Although to give credit to the CC, the trees on College Green have been purposly pruned so they have very tall trunks and small canopies to allow as much of a view of Trinity & the BOI as possible.

They may be pruned as well as possible, but they’re in the way. They should be removed.

Something that has never been used in Dublin but is common as muck in most cities is the idea of underpasses in city centre. It wouldn’t be difficult to use cut and cover to put the trafficways underground in college green and create a fantastic civic space for pedestrians etc. Would completely change the city. Anyone else have any similar ideas?

its true that underpasses are used a lot to good effect in other cities but i dont think this would work in college green. the problem areas are where the traffic is moving from street level down to underpass level. this in reality takes quite a long run. and would bisect whatever areas are chosen for this bit. so either westmorland steet or dame street for example would be virtally ruined, and these are heavily crossed streets.
would be great if it could work tho. the more i think of that as a public space the more i like it and see what a waste it is at the moment.

An underpass is a fab idea – but we can’t even build these at junctions of our major intercity routes – just cheapo congestion causing roundabouts.

The traffic make up of Dublin is going to be very different once the port tunnel is completed. The spare capacity on the Quays could harnessed to make College Green a Public Transport and Access only area. By diverting traffic via Christchurch North/East bound down Ormond Quay and Via Wellington Quay and Parliment Street South/West Bound.

That only leaves the traffic going to Merion Square and Kildare Street, I think that is best left as it is. Given the no right turn regime at Georges St and Dawson St it has to go down Pearse St. This strategy would deliver a European ambience from The Central Bank To the front of TCD. At vitrually no cost, barring the five sets of roadsigns before anyone can understand them.

Dont agree that Westmoreland Street or Dame Street would be ruined. Depending where the roadway dropped down perhaps halfway up westmoreland street people can still easily cross the road. This would be the beginning of this public space and could go right up to Grafton St. Think of the traffic flow improvements there would be by the removal of many pedestrian crossings around this area as well as providing a truely magnificent new focus point for people in the city….

On another point imagine underpasses on the quays at either end of o’connell bridge. Could provide for a long boulevard from o’connell st, across and including the bridge and into westmoreland st. Just another thing I thought of before. Might be difficult with the quay walls though

Does anybody know anything about the current whereabouts of the Floozy in the Jacuzzi?

I heard rumours a while ago that she was being located to a site near the Screen cinema but that has become a bus slip road.

Where is the floozy?

@phil wrote:

Bert, there was discussion about it a while ago. The discussion does go a little off the point, but it might be of help. I thought I heard it was going to be placed in the Croppy Acre area.

I seem to recall a TV programme / newsbite about it a while back but I may be mixing my statues – the staue in question was being stored under the supervision of the original sculptor. it was in several bits and he was restoring it, pending a new location.

Did they ever decide on a new location – last I heard was down near the Croppy Acre, as part of new museum development etc.

Ha this is timely Paul. She is to be relocated in a matter of days to the pocket park at the end of Parkgate Street who’s name currently eludes me. She is to be placed in the water there, rather than re-erected on the modulated granite plinth of O’Connell Street fame/notoriety.

She is to be floated down the Liffey on a barge to her final resting place beside the Croppy Acre as part of a DCC PR field day! A nice idea. Indeed I’ve heard she’s in the water already. Hopefully she won’t dissolve in the murky waters on her way over.

Ah yes the little park in front of the Aisling Hotel – it has a pond.
Appropriately considering you’d find the odd auld hooker down there 😉

Nice to see it back

Her new home…at last. :clap:

http://www.thejournal.ie/anna-livia-monument-floats-to-a-new-home-2011-02/