GrahamH
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Is the there public access to that part of the Rotunda?
(1858)Though as mentioned before, it’s debatable as to whether the obelisks of Charlemont House came from Gardiner’s Mall.
Desmond Guinness says they feature in an engraving of the house from 1780, which makes things very tight with regard to their moving from the Mall. Considering works got underway to create Lower Sackville Street from 1777 onwards, it is just about conceivable that the Mall was dismantled in time, but difficult to believe all the same considering it took about seven years to build the Lower street and surely any dismantling would have happened last? And even then the Upper part mightn’t have been touched at all.
Indeed it’s possible the Mall wasn’t taken apart until the early 19th century. I can’t see the residents being overly pleased with the idea in 1777…
Yes these ‘consultations’ are little more than talking shops, which frankly is acceptable in a way. The last people I want making decisions about Dublin’s transport infrastructure are the public wandering in off the street! Though the RPA certainly ought to take suggestions on board.
As for Middle Abbey Street, could it not be pedestrianised? It must be the least-used major thoroughfare in the entire city; why not close the remaining traffic lane off, pave it and plant trees down the centre?
Airbrushing was precisely the same response I got from them Stephen about the wirescape! As if flippin postcards is the issue at stake :rolleyes: 😡
It is just crazy that this antiquated technology, in use since the late 19th century is proposed for the centre of Dublin in 2006. Whilst my concerns were previously dampened down by the Frank McDonald’s soothing tones on the issue, as much as I still hold him in very high regard, his credibility on matters of wiring have been reduced to zilch since a certain pie in the sky proposal.It is extraordinary in the public consultations that, not only as Stephen has said, there are no critical facts available on matters of journey time or building costs, but also the vastly important arena of environmental impact is completely excluded! How are you supposed to make any sort of credible judgement on the basis of a few lines on a map?! A wirescape and myriad poles are proposed to be erected through the very heart of the capital’s historic core, and yet the public are only asked to assess the routes on prosaic efficency factors?!!
It nothing short of beggars belief.Is the reality that the RPA know only too well the likely reaction to renderings and photomontages of their wirescape and poles running through College Green, across O’Connell Bridge and wrapping themselves round O’Connell Monument? And what of depictions of the possible extension up O’Connell Street – what of their potentially disastrous impact on PR? Why are we, the public, not allowed to see these images as part of what is billed a ‘public consulatation’? Why are they not being published in national newspapers alongside the route option maps? Why are these critical environmental factors being brushed aside at best, or at worst being deliberately concealed?
There has been no environmental impact documentation whatever released into the public domain regarding the proposed routes. It is simply not acceptable. If only to put minds at rest if nothing else.
Yes, and in fairness 2006 was always the finish date, stated as far back as 2002 – even if three and a half years is a frustratingly long period of time!
I can see Upper east easily being finished by March 17th and the median open assuming the lampposts and taxi furniture arrives in time, but not Upper west – there’s still a good bit to go there. That should be done by April, though perhaps the place looking like a bomb site would be rather appropriate…
I keep hoping to see a granite obelisk or two emerging from the muck in the trenches up there, but no luck thus far 🙂
Hopefully not, but environmentally I do wonder. Considering this is apparently the biggest urban regeneration project in all of Europe, what cutting-edge, state-of-the-art environmental, energy saving, sustainable-living elements are being incorporated into the thousands of units being built? Very little if anything I’d imagine.
Does every house have a solar water heater on the roof? What use is made of geothermal? Rainwater recycling? U-value of homes – are they just bog-basic building regs standard? Solar electricity? Pellet heating systems?
The vast opportunity the Ballymun Project offered to build a highly efficient residential community of mammoth proportions doesn’t seem to have been realised.
You see this is the problem with ‘debates’ like these, and you’re as much to blame as anyone PDLL. Even if as in your view rural stereotypes are generated here (which I don’t accept), instead of being mature about it and contesting the alleged stereotyping etc, you just chuck it straight back in the form of urban stereotypes – and so the cycle continues.
It’s ridiculous and gets no one anywhere – not unlike certain infrastructural projects come to think of it…
Yes there is a Dublin bias here, but only numerically in relation to members – not a favouritism over other areas of the country. Indeed one would have to wonder about the 288 active members of the Forums section – out of all of those people, surely a sizeable chunk of who come from all areas of the country, not one apparently sees the need to speak out and defend their countryside and the planning policies being pursued by the current administration.
If anything one could quite easily get the impression that it’s mostly Dublin people on Archiseek who seem to care about the countryside…..I fully sympathise with the lack of investment in infrastructure in the West, particularly rail, but I wouldn’t necessarily come to the conclusion that it is due to an Eastern bias. It must be considered that nowhere received much infrastructural investment up until quite recently – it is logical and to be expected that the critical routes along the east coast linking the capital with Belfast both by road and rail would be the first to be developed, as would primary routes encircling the country’s greatest centre of population.
But agreed that ‘bias’ if one could even describe it as such, ought to have worn off years ago – it hasn’t, as the capital is still choking. So whilst regional centres are crying out for critical initial funding, so too is the capital for ‘second phase ‘ funding in spite of the resources already received. It is this state of affairs that is generating understandable tensions.In spite of what you say PDLL, as you probably well know, pretty much everyone here is reasonable. Pretty much everyone wants to see balanced regional development. Pretty much everyone wants to see the regions expanding and sustaining themselves through increased funding allocated to viable projects (as in Dublin). And pretty much everyone wants the pressure taken off the capital
It is simply the pettiness of language that is pulling things apart.
*citizenry of the capital scurry to the Castle for cover for the first time in 400 years*
*finds astonished aul wans with hovers clearing up after Ability Awards*
“um sorry lads, we eh…made a mistake – we kinda need it back”
For how long have altar rails been in use? Where do they have their origins? When did they stop being regularly installed – indeed were they ever installed in small churches in Ireland?
(thanks for the Cobh picture Gianlorenzo)
Not sure johnbo, but there are images in The Construction of Dublin anyway.
Oh dear 🙁
They never leave the poor fella alone, but particularly at this time of the year.
For those that don’t recall from last year, seagulls for whatever utterly bizarre reason, decide to defecate en masse in the first few months of the year, and in something of an um, ‘explosive’ fashion :o. Rather aptly in Dublin, they choose the handrail of the new Eden Quay Boardwalk on which to do it, as last year, which is hardly surprising given if I was a seagull Eden Quay would probably my first port of call too.
Sadly they completely destroy the Boardwalk, coating in particular, and I mean coating the handrail in the stuff. The City Council seem aware of the problem as they had a dedicated man-and-his-cart out cleaning it off with an array of cleaners and implements at what is hopefully the end of the ‘season’. Why the gulls only choose Eden Quay and nowhere else is a complete mystery, as is where they did it before the Boardwalk was built.
In that context :o, it is more than appropriate that the CC get one of their cherry pickers out from the Lighting Division and get poor aul O’Connell cleaned up – the scale of the devastation up there 😮 is a one-off, so it would be worthwhile getting rid of it: it really looks appalling. Indeed a picker ought to be sent out a few times a year to clean him and other monuments – I’ve been reliably informed that all of these monuments ought to be cleaned on a regular basis simply for protection from corrosion; the bronze of O’Connell Monument in particular ought to be cleaned and rewaxed every two/three years minimum – not every 120 years :rolleyes:
Simply from an aesthetic point of view it is really not too much to ask that O’Connell in particular be lightly washed down a couple of times a year, perhaps in tandem with cleaning of the Spire (assuming that’s ever going to happen). In spite of the seagulls, it’s very heartening to see how well the monuments have weathered nearly a year on from the conservation project – they all still look great, particularly the bronze of O’Connell. And the reasoning behind the use of limestone in its construction has been apparent ever since it was first cleaned (aside from nationalistic matters no doubt) – the Monument has a spectacular glowing blue quality to it that really shines on overcast days. It also contrasts well with the (later) Portland dressings of surrounding buildings.
If only the gulls could be curtailed – they are aptly described as weapons of mass-defecation on some sites.
Cheeky little feckers.
Sounds most interesting – will look it up, thanks ctesiphon.
Regarding the matter of LA’s operating their own rating system in their RPSs and specifically the RPS mentioned (doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out for where ;)) – a good question, and one that I will look up. I’m not sure in what context the ‘local’ is used, whether in the description or rating section, so it’ll be interesting to find out.
Agreed about building maintenance etc.
Wow! Now that is impressive!
It’s going to completely alter this part of the city, making Pease Street into a street again rather than falling away into the nothing that it is now in that area. The building very deftly manoeuvres the site – surprising how close it can get to the line.
How long has this site been vacant – were the pre-Loop Line houses facing Pearse St demolished in the 1890s or in the 1960s/70s?The Ambassador across the road is just nearing completion too with that monster-sized building tacked on to the rear.
Well having Taoiseach Enda Kenny living in the PVC clad house that he does would really be too much for me to stomach 🙂
The Steward’s House is certainly, eh, ‘modest’. And there was me thinking there was this tucked away amongst the horse chestnuts of the Park:
(anyone care to guess what country?)I’d agree with you up to a point Frank, but there is a logic in combining the governmental and residential aspects of the post of Taoiseach/Prime Minister. It would seem to make for more efficient use of that person’s time, as well as provide the public with a more solid concept of the Department of the Taoiseach.
Whereas in the UK everything is issued or declared directly or on behalf of the PM via ‘Downing Street’, we get the nonsense of ‘spokespeople’ or ‘advisors to the Taoiseach’ etc. There is no concept of a strong leading force in Goverment in Ireland which is a shame I think.Certainly it could argued that is a good thing: advisors etc cannot operate under a ceremonial prime ministerial cloak as we have seen in the UK, but sure we already have that sort of culture here anyway. By and large I think it is a shame we don’t have a physically recognisable Department of the Taoiseach (though RT
Ah…
Well for what it’s worth that’s some very convincing ‘marblising’ going on there. That explains a lot so.
Do you have a pre-70s image Praxiteles – there was a c1900 one posted before but it could be anywhere.What a stunning building Denver is.
One aspect of St. Colmans that really lets it down I think is the ambo/altar table – it’s quite ugly don’t you think?
It barely fits into context at all; solid, heavy, cumbersome, basic, and ever so faintly naff in that garish white marble in contrast to the muted tones of its surroundings and the tokenistic ‘gothic pointy bits.’
Is it later that the rest of the sanctuary? Looks like a 1920s piece…
Replicas of the original gothic sashes are now going back in on the ground floor in place of what were frankly rather ugly – not to mention very strange – clunky Victorian plates as seen earlier. The new frames look great: very delicate and seemingly of hardwood given the exposed sill evident in one of the pics.
What is difficult to understand is what appears to be the very odd pane of crown glass positioned to the top of some of the windows amongst otherwise flawless modern glass. Why? And where did it come from?
There are impressive new lanterns at the main entrance too. Strangely enough the Provost’s House has had colossal lanterns installed either side of its front door over the weekend, as has the Westin to College St on a more modest scale recently…
tsk – keep up with the times trace 🙂
https://archiseek.com/content/showpost.php?p=41855&postcount=63
@tommyt wrote:
Thought it was interesting what his kids said about their own gaff being freezing cold.
Had to laugh – as he was saying this, in the same shot behind him was a discreet curved radiator installed around the foot of the window 🙂
As expected really, not much of his architecure work was shown given the other aspects of his life. What a great film that he took part in during the war years: ‘I want to join the Irish Republican Arrrrmy’ ‘Oirland is still partitioned don’t you know’ 😀
The sheer quality of Busá]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v219/Dublin1/Dublin%20Archiseek/Busras.jpg[/IMG]
(anyone think Scott looks remarkably like Larry Gogan in many images?)As for Carrolls trace, I don’t have any current pics as it is difficult to access on the main road, but this taken last year shows what the entire site now looks like – at the time this was the only part of the boundary that was reasonably clear of shrubbery.
It had reached about ten feet in some places, but mostly was around four/five feet.
The ditch that surrounds it, almost like a 20th century ha-ha, has been fully cleared of all this junk:
…and the lawns now sweep up to the road as originally intended 🙂
Not sure if the pool around Froemmel’s sculpture is filled or not though.
