GrahamH

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  • in reply to: A new one just begun… #739335
    GrahamH
    Participant

    During the summer I was walking along the Boardwalk – why, I don’t know as I hate being watched by the 65 million people gawking at you eating their lunch along it – but anyway, there was a homeless (I’m sure there are less PC names)person drinking a 2l bottle of cider, and a female Guard came up to him & started the usual shouting match.
    She then proceeded to take the bottle from him and empty the entire contents all over the Boardwalk.
    I was ready to hit her a thump myself.
    The place stank to the high heavens afterwards.

    That’s my little story of the day.

    in reply to: O’ Connell Street, Dublin #728042
    GrahamH
    Participant

    There’s enough flippin orange in this city at night!
    I can’t wait to see the entire sculpture lit after dark, it’ll be fantastic, especially seen from Westmoreland St across the bridge.

    I saw the Spike got it’s first’real’ dose of graffitti last week in the form of big, blue marker/spray marks. I assume they’re gone now. To their credit, the CC have been pretty nifty in removing such marks.

    in reply to: Gardens for Cars? #739392
    GrahamH
    Participant

    I agree, it’s everywhere.
    There were property owners on the radio recently ranting over this (I didn’t hear it), about the fact the CC weren’t letting them remove railings and tarmac their gardens for second cars because their houses were listed.
    Good to see the guildlines being implemented.

    in reply to: an taisce-and rumours of them going bust #739206
    GrahamH
    Participant

    Since Bohemian Rhapsody is raised again, the priest in Father Ted was Noel Furlong – I shouldn’t know that but no matter…

    I know very little about the inner workings of An Taisce – although I’m learning fast via this thread!
    The public perception of them is appalling for a National Trust – this is an issue that they have allowed get out of control.
    I agree totally with regard to their negative negative negative stance.

    Just like any company or organisation PR is the key – and especially considering that AT are dealing with members of the public with which they have no other connection, and they have to ‘advise’ or otherwise with regard to their development, it is crucial that there is a positive spin put on things, for this not currently to be the case is disgraceful on their part.

    One of AT’s senior members, I can’t remember his name now (the man that lives in the 17th century townhouse on the quays) appeared on the Late Late about a year ago about the rural housing issue, and his performance was woeful.
    Eamon O Cuiv walked all over over him with the usual crap, the audience made him look like a fool, and An Taisce looked pathetic.
    This shouldn’t have been the case, they should have put their best foot forward, as they should always be doing, and they failed miserably.
    This instance marked the end of public sympathy with AT on the rural housing issue.

    It is crucial that the National Trust of a nation has credibility and support from the public.
    The attacks being made here are from personal experiences and supposed incompetence of staff etc, but at the end of the day it is the organisation itself which is important, and if it dosn’t have public support, which I fundamentally believe it dosn’t, then questions must be raised as to the competence and suitability of AT as the nation’s Ntl Trust or equivilant.

    in reply to: O’ Connell Street, Dublin #728032
    GrahamH
    Participant

    The fact that there was a 5 year period between the IAP and the first works on the street is madness – this is what annoys me, that the current works are going to bring it up to nearly 9 years until completion, and there are no visible efforts to speed up other aspects of the project to make up for lost time.
    Indeed the exact opposite appears to be prevailing.
    Westmoreland St will then probably begin causing further disruption and unsightliness.
    This work should be going on at the same time, or at the very least the northern end of O ‘Cll St and Westmoreland at the same time.

    Slow slow slow

    in reply to: A new one just begun… #739332
    GrahamH
    Participant

    The new stretch of the Boardwalk is to go up – or should that be down – this year isn’t it?
    I think I heard Feb/March mentioned.
    Don’t think you’d want to be drinking on that though along Eden Quay – it’d be nicked from your hand…

    This year should prove exciting, esp with Luas, as well as the impact it will have around Connolly.
    Luas should also make the city feel more European, something quite alien to Dublin – perhaps it’ll have a civilizing effect on all of us!

    in reply to: O’ Connell Street, Dublin #728023
    GrahamH
    Participant

    Fingal is being converted into a hotel – apparently.
    The Abbey should never move to O ‘Cll St, yet another struture to add the morguelike atmosphere of northern end

    When we see the works being executed, and the builders on site etc, everyone inevitably get very excited and a perception is created that progress is being made.
    However the improvment of the public space is only half of the plan – the other part being to improve the building stock of the street, specifically with regard to the tax designated sites, and then the broader approach to ‘encourage’ property owners to improve their buildings.
    There has been not so much as the slightest scrap of progress in relation to this, not a single facade has been cleaned with the exception of the Gresham who were refurbishing anyway.
    And the only progress on shopfronts has been from the Bank of Ireland who also were carrying out refurbishments, on account of their downsizing on the street.

    Assuming that the CC can get property owners to improve their buildings, all of the work will take place AFTER the paving works etc.
    So in theory, and according to the plans in the IAP, the street is going to be a building site for years to come.
    Ok, I accept such works won’t affect pedestrians etc, but it is unacceptable for buildings to be encased in scaffolding, for sites to be surrounded by hoarding and for the new paving to be lifted again, after all of the current works are finished!

    There is a complete lack of co-ordination here.
    One need only look at the paving fiasco on Henry St at Christmas.
    One need only look at the brand new traffic signals at O ‘Cll Bridge/Bachelors Walk which have stood unoperational for the past year.
    What a joke.

    I’m not just picking holes here, I’m absolutely furious with the City Council, furious.

    They couldn’t organise a prayer in a convent.

    in reply to: Conference Centre @ CityWest. #739028
    GrahamH
    Participant

    It’s just ludicrous in this country that when we want something built, paid for by the State, we have to wait years and years and years.

    When the private sector have a project, as soon as outline permission is granted they’re on site digging!
    I agree it is like a warehouse – when completed the interior will be little more than a cavernous shell, with Regency-striped wallpaper.
    I’d love to see how they’re gonna wrap that in mock-Georgian – if anyone’s any pictures for a laugh.

    Any time a ‘worst buildings’ thread crops up here, there’s always one that’s in the back of my mind but I never think of it.
    So while I still remember – the City West Hotel.

    It is offically the worst building thrown up in this country in the 1990s – it is mind-boggling in it’s crapiness, dripping in the worst cliches from the pastiche rulebook.
    The PVC, the frilly facias, the pillars, the gold lettering, the red doors, the ‘charming’ Victoriana yellow walls, the pitched roofs, the lanterns….shudder

    The increasing emergence of these small to medium sized conference centres will probably quash any plans for a national centre.
    The State should facilitate private developers in aquiring a site for such a centre, but that’s it. They have no role in such a development, especially considering the reason they got involved in the first place – to attract tourism to the country – is largely irrelevant now.

    in reply to: O’ Connell Street, Dublin #728000
    GrahamH
    Participant

    1st January 2004

    Well its finally made it, O’ Connell Street’s derelict site is 25 years old this year, a gaping wound in the capital’s main thoroughfare for a quarter of a century.
    Congratulations to all involved – the old Corpo, the new City Council, the site owners – you must all be chuffed to bits.

    We should hold some sort of celebration in September to mark the occasion – any suggestions welcome.
    We can send them to the CC, see if they’re interested in joining in – might even provide some funding for crisps and nibbles.

    Whatever about the previous 20 years and not enacting the Derelict Sites Act, for the CC to renege on the develpment of this site after the IAP, with all the messing around with Treasury Holdings and others is just disgraceful.
    Next month the IAP will have been published for 6 years, and still there hasn’t been a sod turned on either the Carlton or the derelict site.
    At least they had the cop-on to clean the Carlton’s facade and to erect scaffolding over the site – something at least.

    Forget this country’s inability to handle major infrastructure projects – it can’t even handle this!

    in reply to: O’ Connell Street, Dublin #727999
    GrahamH
    Participant

    Agreed – although yes, the Spire lighting looks woeful.
    Have they shoved a sodium streetlight up there or something?

    in reply to: Busaras #738869
    GrahamH
    Participant

    An entrance facing Connolly & Luas is certainly welcome – this whole area is set to become a major transport hub and such an entrance would acknowledge this.

    The flooring inside is in bits and is in dire need of the renovation mentioned; what it is to be replaced with is of course is the key.

    Suppose one could be cynical and say that CIE can’t be trusted etc – but with all of the hype around the proposed renovations, here and in the media, it’s unlikely they’ll make a botched job.
    There are many eyes watching…

    in reply to: Docklands answer to Sydney Opera House #738846
    GrahamH
    Participant

    Maybe the shoebox development of the Docklands has been all part of the DDDA’s master plan, to highlight the landmark buildings!
    Yikes – thats scary enough to be true
    Forget I said anything…

    in reply to: Heuston Gate model #738853
    GrahamH
    Participant

    The profile is very striking – obviously the devil is in the detail, and we can’t see materials and surface relief etc yet.

    I was just trying to think where I’d seen part of this design before – it’s the glass tower at the top – almost identical to that glass brick tower atop the Dental Hospital – complete with obligatory spike/flagpoley thing.

    We also cannot see how it relates to the Royal Hospital yet.

    in reply to: Heuston Gate model #738854
    GrahamH
    Participant

    Oops – can delete this

    in reply to: New Streets of Dublin #738706
    GrahamH
    Participant

    Agreed

    in reply to: 32-floor building planned for Dublin #738556
    GrahamH
    Participant

    I was talking with a senior member of the Georgian Brigade the other day and they are particularly peeved that they are held up as the scapegoats for the controversy surrounding the Millenium Wing.
    It was in fact the Gallery’s fault for the difficulties, as they had offered the site and plans to the architects with the site of the townhouse as a ‘cleared site’ – it might as well have been a surface car-park.

    It was only when the plans and all the rest had to be changed to accomodate the house that they highlighted (IGS), that they were then blamed for the delays and destroying the design of the new wing etc

    in reply to: O’ Connell Street, Dublin #727995
    GrahamH
    Participant

    Noticed this today too – one would have thought lighting would be sunken into the regular pattern of the plaza.
    Hopefully the statues can still be lit – such lighting is naerly always placed on the back of street lighting – like the light illuminating the top of Parnell’s monument.

    There’s a new pedestrian crossing going in at Penneys which will link to Clerys at the other side, which is welcome.
    And those chromed traffic signals look great – these should have been installed years ago.
    The little mini signals on the same posts are fun.

    in reply to: Best Irish building ever… #738740
    GrahamH
    Participant

    Well if An Taisce has anything to do with it they’ll all be in a perfect state of preservation incased in vast Tupperware containers!

    And rightly so!

    I was talking about the College Green west front of Trinity earlier – passed it today – just beautiful (ignoring the pvc frames behind the sashes)

    in reply to: Best Irish building ever… #738737
    GrahamH
    Participant

    Nah – the Custom House is taking the easy way out – I never really became attached to this building – its too perfect. Like a pretty girl fluttering her eyelashes aching to be liked.
    Still stunning though.

    Bank of Ireland is my favourite, with City Hall and Trinity’s West Front joint second. Trinity’s too well known as an institution with the Book of Kells etc – so the west front is just glossed over by everyone. I think it’s just perfect, so simple and elegant – a more continental style really.

    And the central block of the other BOI as my modern.
    Damn that bank – they’ve monopolies in everything!

    in reply to: New Streets of Dublin #738700
    GrahamH
    Participant

    The Millenium Bridge bldg looks derelict without it’s sashes – it simply doesn’t make visual sense not to have them in an urban context.

    Lots and lots and lots of lovely red brick going up on the new buildings on Talbot Street – which is turning into a ‘new street’ in itself.

    Hmmmm – wonder what’s going to replace Mall Mart…

    Take one guess

Viewing 20 posts - 2,901 through 2,920 (of 3,577 total)