GrahamH

She didn’t get a chance to develop any of her points, except when she was rebuking O’ Cuiv that time.
Frank did well, much better than last time, although as usual there wasn’t enough time to develop points, he spent most of it simply trying to clear up statistical issues rather than putting AT’s policies across. In fact, I don’t think in th whole half hour did he have a chance to put forward an AT policy and explain it.
O’ Cuiv – what a fool, he makes me boil with rage “Oh well we keep building more roads and infrastructure in Dublin & the East and are getting nowhere so I think it’s time rural Ireland got the resources for improved infrasructure”
???? YOU’RE THE ONES IN GOVERNMENT! YOU’RE THE ONES NOT GETTING US ANYWHERE IN THE EAST!
And that most ludicrous of remarks I’ve ever heard in my life – one he’s made before – in relation to the fact one off housing generates car dependancy “Well Dublin is choked with cars with wall to wall traffic, so we in Dublin aren’t ones to talk”
Oh of course, so rural Ireland has some catching up to do has it?
How pathetic.

As usual Prime Time failed miserably in the presentation stakes – I was wondering as I watched how many of the 400,000 viewers or so had any idea of what a one-off house is, what it looks like, or indeed what a septic tank is, and the effects they have, esp when not working.
These issues should have been cleared up at the start with an explanitary report. Television is a visual medium, something RTE have yet to cop on to. The debate may have well as been on radio.

Once they are open perhaps they will become more transparent – although, there’s no provision for windows to the rear.

For once, pedestrians have been given precedence over motorists with the kiosks looking much better from the pavement.
What they look like from the road or from the other side mustn’t be too pleasant.

On Liveline today people were ringing up to support Flatley for once – describing him as a walking ATM for the local economy.

There’s some problem about building a gym and swimming pool, I didn’t hear what it was, although it’s related to Cork CC giving out – again.
I was very heartened that 3 callers made point of the fact that he restored the sashes rather than install ‘that plastic rubbish’.
Pity they wouldn’t practice similar thinking on their own homes.

Planner? Portacabin? Please tell Diaspora.

Glasgow is very fine, from what I can recall from a fleeting visit many moons ago.

I totally agree Alan about Georgian and streamlined modern working together, by their nature they are compatible.
But my point is about the character and completeness of the area, no amount of ‘sympathy’ or cleaniness of modern design can contibute to this.
In Dublin, this area is all we have of a distinctive complete set of historic buildings.
It’s not as if Dublin is a museum city, or the Venice of northern Europe! This is a very small, compact area, and should be consolidated.

It dosn’t matter in the slightest what type of modern building fills this in, by definition a modern building on this scale will change the character of the area from Georgian to – well, something else.
Whether it is a sweeping glass clad structure or something clad in copper or polished granite, it matters not in the slightest if it is ‘sympathetic’ or not. If any modern building was to continue on this site, it should be the existing facade (which was designed not by Sam but by Arthur).
It relates to the street excellently, as do the materials used (excluding the horrendous ground floor)

Here comes the but.
I think the house facades should be rebuilt.
Why?
For one reason only, to restore the unity of the area, and not just Fitzwilliam St, but the whole Georgian character of the area.
I remember as clear as anything the first time I saw this building – it was the first time I walked around the Georgian city, an area completely alien to the rest of the generally shabby and incoherent Dublin.
I was bowled over by the manner in which no matter where you looked, there were Georgian houses lining the streets, from Merrion Street to Merrion Square, to Mount Street and then – the ESB.
And contrary to what someone mentioned earlier about the building acting as a good orientation point, I found it had the exact opposite – muddling – effect, it was like I had exited the historic area, the junction with Baggot St further confusing matters and the unity of the area was lost.
When you come up from the Green through Baggot St, past all of it’s Georgians, you arrive at the junction. Look left – more Georgians. Look right – aggregate concrete. The area is destroyed.
And the route from Merrion Square, also taking in the Mount St vista, through Fitzwilliam St to the magnificent Fitzwilliam Square and further on down to Leeson St is also wrecked – with the ESB plonked mid-way, disrupting the whole flow and ruining the continuity.

The basic point is that Dublin’s Georgians rely on each other for effect, to create the ‘massing cliff’ formation. And each street relies on it’s neighbours to unify the character of the entire area.
Rebuilding the facades (not interiors etc) restores this unity and character.
At this stage its nothing to do with history, harking back, the British or anything else.
It is about architecture, and the architecture of the area in my opinion would be greatly enhanced with the reconstruction of the 16 houses’ facades.
If this Geogian core had been built 5 years ago, most people would see the logic in unifying the area.
But most discussing this issue get what is essentially an architectural issue mixed up with the usual issues of being revisionist, harking back, colonialism, what is Irish etc etc