Who is Frank Mc Donald’s transport (and seemingly housing) Expert ?

Leave the only decent planned housing schemes in the history of post independence Dublin well alone and knock down the rubbish as listed above. Frank and his expert need a reality check, come back from the moon lads.

I am of Ballyfermot …it is a good place on the edge of Dublin city …..It was once what could be termed predominantly ‘working class’ ..it was awful in the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s as I remember when poverty was rife and morale was rock bottom, but some people held on and brought us through the bad times…….but now that there is a proliferation of work and money….things have picked up big time. They have built a new Civic centre in Ballyfermot …it looks very well….’Temple Bar’ comes to the suburbs. Many present Irish ‘celebs’ come from ‘Ballyer’ such as Joe Duffy, The Fureys Brothers and Lorraine Keane’s ma as well as Tom Hyland,reknowned for his campaign for human rights in Asia. Many such working class suburbs can boast renowned names of Irish life and culture..ie Brendan Behan once lived in In Drimnagh etc…
The housing schemes of Ballyfermot are good….soundly built and visually ok………if they are painted up with a bright colour and the front garden tended to … they can look as good if not better than any private housing estate.
Frank McDonald is a good writer ….he is well informed of Dublin’s architectural history ….I gained part of my knowledge and love for Dublin city through Frank McDonalds newspaper articles and books throughout the years.

[This message has been edited by GregF (edited 13 May 2002).]

Bit of context here lads – Frank was saying that for the economics of the Metro to make sense – then it would have to run through higher density areas hence, if they want to have stations at Cabra, Crumlin, Finglas etc. The economics of the Metro dictate that these areas will have to be knocked down and redeveloped at a higher density. Nothing about destroying the communities.

As a young professional myself – the only reason I was going to buy in Cabra was it was close to the city centre was that it was cheap – believe me I didn’t really want to live there. In the end I bought in Drogheda.

And lets be honest – they aint the prettiest areas of town

Well said Greg and don’t forget the greatest school band of that era “The Ballyfermot De La Salle Boys Band” lead by the one and only Brother Syprion (“Sipo”) and the unique Cherry Orchard FC a great school for soccer talent.

Fair play to the Ballyfermot brothers in St. John’s and their massive Primary school (3 fine much needed blocks with their copper roofs), low density !! 50 to a class.

The brothers hit out at times but many a local lad and lads from neighbouring “low density estates” received great encouragement into further education / 3rd level when it was so controlled expensive and seemed beyond reach.

Drogheda is a fine town but give me my own semi-d on Ballyfermot’s rolling Californian Hills over looking the Pheno, river Liffey and only 4 miles from Dublin Town.

Question: How do you knock down old established ( 50 years) fine well built Dublin districts and yet preserve their communities ? Its Cloud Cookoo land stuff it will never happen.

Originally posted by Luke Gardnier:

There are plenty of newer estates conveniently rezoned built upon and then abandoned in the 70s that can be demolished and where the abandoned locals would gladly join in, Jobstown, Fettercairn, Glenshane, Brookfield, Homelawns, Avenbeg, Killinardin, Neilstown, Bawnogue, Darndale…………of zero architectural and social merit and an indictment of Irish “pals planning” at its worst.

speaking as someone who was part of the ‘dumping’ of folks from Ballymun flats to Fettercairn in ’82 I can only agree. Half of Balbutcher Lane Flats ended up in Fettercairn and the community continued for a while but ultimately was so neglected it’s hard not to get angry.

When you see Civic planning like the nice facilities housed around the immediate Square Shopping Centre area. (now including hotels, decent bars, library, theatre etc.) and then look at Fettercairn, just around the corner it is clear that all the effort has been put into small land areas for civic ameniaties and nothing into the housing estates themselves. I mean jesus, they won’t even put down a speed ramp on our road (Kilmartin), despite it being a nightly racetrack for stolen cars.

20 years later, it has just occured to me, it has received no immediate attention whatsoever, apart from the Vigilante activities that cleaned it up about 8 years ago.

What is the point in having all these nice facilities up by The Square when half of the folks living there are too afraid to walk to them. The thought of my mother having to grow old out there by herself absolutely kills me.

the only good thing about living there is that Politicians are too scared to knock on your door canvasing. [ ]

Maybe, we should suggest to the all wise one himself Frank that the demolition ball should fall down on those low density energy inefficient Victorian piles in Rathgar !! Frank you must be running out of material there are plenty of developements you have been so quiet on. You have gone soft Frank too many late nights in Milan !!