GrahamH

Indeed. In fact I don’t think there has been a single political figure since that has promoted the urban regeneration or architectural cause in such an active way, nor the restoration of state buildings.

Then again it is very easy to spend other people’s money (and not just taxpayers’) on grandiose projects that simply needed doing anyway. None all of the often touted projects were solely the result of Haughey’s work.

Dublin Castle’s State Apartments required an overhaul for the 1990 EU Presidency regardless of his aspirations, along with the Castle’s Conference Centre development.
Government Buildings equally needed refurbishment as a result of the final moving out of UCD in 1989 – a pleasant coincidence for Haughey moving in.
And IMMA also needed a new home, with the Royal Hospital being on the cards for such an exhibition space since the 70s.

Colm Tobin summed him up very well on radio today, noting that everything you say about him is true: his appreciation of heritage, of architecture and the wider arts scene – and yet isn’t true.
He was a crony of those who tore down 40% of Georgian Dublin. He had a hand in the demolition of one of the key buildings that formed part of a master stroke of 18th century urban planning in Ireland, and the construction of probably the single-most devastatingly impactful structures in the capital.
He lauded the urban ideal in the rejuvenation of Temple Bar, the instigation of the IFSC, and the restoration of many state buildings in Dublin, yet colluded with those developing some of the most shameful residential schemes on the outskirts of the city, on a par with the worst planning in Europe, committing hundreds of thousands of people to misery and social exclusion, and the country on a wider level to urban sprawl and car dependence.
And he splashed out on a Gandon mansion, extolling its virtues and filling it with fine art, while simultaneously his friends were demolishing a plethora of historic and architecturally significant buildings in the city he escaped from every evening.

It would seem difficult to like the man for all that he did and failed to do on an architectural level, and yet personally I’ve frustratingly have always liked the man. He was and still is one of the few people in Irish political life that could hold themselves with decorum and dignity, and that was articulate and a person one could be proud of representing Ireland on an international level.
Not that he wasn’t as full as much bluster of the best of Bertie – he most certainly was looking back on footage from the 70s and 80s: often using a strange 1950s-Ireland patronising type of language too – just he did it in a more pompous way 🙂

Above all, what he has done to Irish political life is unforgivable – he did such an injustice to his colleagues and the wider political life in Ireland.

This is all very tiresome. If the site wasn’t identified as suitable for tall buildings in the height survey comissioned by DCC (which I don’t think it is anyway, being at neither extremity of the city) then it shouldn’t be built. Plain and simple. The eight storey blocks pushing into Thomas St sound particularly intrusive.
Also, why it is being hailed as a 47 storey scheme when it is clearly 51 is nothing but blatent obfuscation in avoiding mentioning the war: the 50 mark.

Alas I fear these scheme has legs given the ambitiousness of the project, the level of detail and amount of effort exerted, and the fact that such a project wouldn’t be proposed were it not to have a decent chance of getting approval, even if at 60-70% of the proposed scale.

It seems to be 12 storeys, however each is relatively low at around 2.5 metres/9 feet, bringing the building up to a height of 30m or around 105 feet. Plus a bit more probably.

So did I – most surprised not to find any reference to them on the Record. Even under the guise of a surrounding street name, still nothing.

Given the steel windows it probably dates from 1920 to 1950, but sure we knew that anyway 🙂
Indeed they could be iron, completely throwing things off.
The late 40s seems about right,

It must have been the tallest building ever built in Ireland when constructed surely?
(spires and chimneys aside).
When did it close does anyone know, and who owned it since?

On the right-hand side of this building in the first picture, you can just make out an Edwardian redbrick warehouse building – it’s got a magnificent 1901 interior:

Didn’t manage to get any further east. But looking across northwards, this is what’s happening where it all started:

…i.e, nothing much bar Spencer Dock bloatedly emerging out onto the quay front:

This should be resolved if there’s something proposed for the left of this building on the site above. Anyone know?

It has a very impressive atrium running through the centre. Is it residential?

It relates well to the neighbouring Victorian:

…and you know who 🙂

Back on the southside, and all of the development taking place is really going in cheek by jowl in relation to the existing housing stock. It’s a refreshing contrast, but I can certainly see how those of the North Wall gave out about the initial Spencer Dock!

Quite extraordinary:

Nothing’s changed since the ’60s so 😉

A list of Protected Structures in the complex:

Grand Canal Dock, Dublin 4:

a) Boland’s warehouse/mill at lifting bridge, Ringsend Road: six-storey stone warehouse
b) Boland’s warehouse/mill to south and east of concrete silos fronting quay: six-storey, stone warehouse
c) Two-storey brick gables of warehouses fronting at (b) above, i.e. Boland’s Ltd: warehouse
d) Four-storey brick warehouses/mill parallel to quayside to rere of 38-40 Barrow Street 3307
e) Five-storey warehouse/mill gable end to quay, north of (d) above
f) Three-storey warehouse with oriel window adjoining north side of (d) above

It seems the two houses are also protected:

Barrow Street, Dublin 4:

No 33 House/offices including railings and steps
No 34 House/offices including railings and steps

Madness! It looks like a photo of the location including the crane in the foreground, and the background replaced with an artist’s impression!

You’ve some very weird light down there…

Clearly I

That advertisment you posted above Devin is truly unbelievable – before and after indeed! :rolleyes: 😮
That single little square from a newspaper captures in a nutshell what is contained in nearly ten pages of material here, and what is happening across the country to our older building stock.
Living breathing heritage replaced with an idealised, synthetic version of what is deemed to be ‘traditional’.
This in particular is the sickest example yet come across:

I noted this exact phenomenon you mention of derelict buildings in towns and villages in Ballymore Eustace recently. The townland surrounding the village of course coming down with new development (though seemingly more controlled than other parts of the country), while there’s about six derelict 19th century houses and buildings coming into the village and in the village itself. The largest of which, a two storey house with extensive frontage near the village centre (about the size of the two buildings above), is proposed to be demolished and replaced with a humdrum two storey development, to include a medical/doctor’s surgery.
No doubt ‘what about the children’ tactics are being thrown about as we speak.

There is way too much focus in the media on getting people back into Dublin city to live. Getting developers to build family units in the capital is bad enough, but in regional towns and villages it’s almost non-existant – especially villages. This should be the real focus of environmental and planning journalism. It’s a massive problem. Dublin is just constantly used as a token example, which in itself is damaging as it reinforces the widespread perception that Dublin is the only urban area in Ireland – everywhere else is just ‘the countryside’, even with major regional towns and villages.

And so these places are left to crumble as the estates and one-offs capture new territory elsewhere. The doughnut effect could not be more apt a description for what is happen in regional urban Ireland, only the part that is most often forgotton about, the hole, is particularly relevant to many Irish urban centres. There’s nothing in the middle.

Undoubtedly what has made the restoration is the installation of a fantastic LED lighting scheme. Both parts of the memorial are going to look spectacular at night:

No less than about 30 of these dinky little fittings have been installed, as well as others underneath the water.

Similarly around the base of the statue:

What’s very impressive, and I’m glad to see the CC have finally taken the concept on board, is the idea of sinking powerful lamps into the pavement underneath a sheet of glass. Just look at these fancy LED floods!

Very swanky! And yes, the question everyone’s about to say in chorus is……..why wasn’t this done on O’Connell Street?!
Larkin obviously stands out for treatment similar to the LEDs surrounding the base at the very least. Perhaps an indication then that the CC definitely intend to light the monuments from the buildings?

The removal of the hoardings was very timely for the fine weather – this being the only street water feature in all of Dublin city centre, a state of affairs that has to change. There’s nothing like sitting near water on a hot dusty day in the city – everyone’s just drawn like magnets to the fountains in the Green when really it’s on a city street that you want it: at the south end of Grafton Street, or the centre of College Green. Cleanliness shouldn’t be an issue anymore – nearly every capital in the world probably has such a feature, but Dublin has nothing.

Not that it isn’t pleasant to sit on the grass – Stephen’s Green was packed as usual today:

Lovely Continental air about the place too : )

(yawn)