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- Today’s Irish Times wrote:Steeple of landmark St George’s church restored
Frank McDonald, Environment EditorAfter spending nearly a quarter of a century shrouded by scaffolding, one of Dublin’s most significant landmarks, the triple-tiered steeple of St George’s Church in Hardwicke Place, has finally been revealed in all of its glory.
The steeple, which is nearly as high as Liberty Hall, is the only church spire which can be seen from O’Connell Bridge. It is also the first landmark to greet visitors on their way in to the city centre from Dublin airport.
The former church dates from 1814 and is acknowledged as the masterpiece of Francis Johnston, architect of the GPO in O’Connell Street and the Chapel Royal in Dublin Castle. It was deconsecrated in 1988 due to lack of patronage.
Its structure had been suffering from the same problem that hit the Custom House. As a result of water penetration over the years, the iron cramps holding its blocks of Portland stone together had expanded, splitting the stone.
Four years ago, Dublin City Council issued a dangerous buildings order requiring Galway-based Redgrove Properties Ltd, which then owned St George’s, to remove all the loose stonework in its steeple and wrap it in wire mesh to prevent any more falling off.
In December 2004, the property was acquired for a reported €1.25 million by Navan-based property developer Eugene O’Connor, who had already restored the former St Kienan’s Church in Duleek, Co Meath, as The Spire, a successful restaurant. Saying he was committed to bringing St George’s back to life, Mr O’Connor’s first task was to remove the rusty scaffolding erected years earlier by Rainey]
Good news@ctesiphon wrote:
Or is it the bridge just off Pearse Street? Sandwith Street, I think.
That may be more likely. I think there are more tracks on the bridge at that point so the bridge would probably be wider, which could explain the darkness over the left hand side of the picture. Unfortunately I am not in Dublin at the moment, ‘cos I’d love to go down and see.
@Sue wrote:
is E the underpass under harold’s cross bridge?
Hmmm, hadn’t thought of either of the canals. Though for some reason it reminds me of some tales that have been related to me of the Liffey swim. Due to the handicapping system, the swimmers all start to bunch up coming up to O’Connell Bridge. As a result of this, and the massive width of the bridge, you get a whole heap of swimmers swimming under the bridge in almost complete darkness. Quite an experience, I’m told.
Come to think of it, maybe it could be the underside of one of the Liffey bridges. But how would you take such a photo, except from our new bateau mouche.
Or maybe Graham Hickey is a boating man himself?
@Today’s Irish Times wrote:
Retention of temporary car park at Dáil gets green light
The politicians who run the Dáil complex have decided to defy the planning laws and retain a temporary car park on Leinster Lawn for the foreseeable future, writes Stephen Collins, Political Correspondent.
In the meantime they intend to explore the possibility of building a two-storey, underground car park which could also be put to commercial use.
The Oireachtas Commission decided to retain the temporary car park, which was put down on Leinster Lawn in the late 1990s to enable construction of new office accommodation, until the underground car park can be built. That will not happen for at least four years.
The decision was taken by the commission even though it noted that “the current temporary car park was in contravention of the Part IX planning process which required the lawn to be reinstated following completion of the Leinster House 2000 works”.
The car park on the lawn is mainly used by Dáil staff and journalists. Politicians have their own reserved spaces to one side of the lawn or in front of Leinster House. The facility is available free to all serving and former members of the Oireachtas.
The temporary car park was put in when the spaces traditionally used by staff were closed off during the building work on Leinster House in 2000. However, it has remained a permanent feature since the new block opened six years ago.
In the meantime, the Government decided that, in the long-term, all surface parking should be removed from the Kildare Street and Merrion Street sides of Leinster House to an underground car park.
Experts from the Office of Public Works told the Oireachtas Commission in May that preliminary discussions with the National Treasury Management Agency indicated good potential for public/private investment in the project. This would be based on the possibility for revenue generation, which in turn depends on the level of availability of spaces for commercial use.
“It is clear that the viability of the project as a ‘PPP’ type investment with a sufficient income stream would be very dependent on there being a significant availability of spaces for private use, eg at night, on non-sitting days and/or at weekends,” said the commission minutes.
It noted that construction of the underground car park was unlikely to commence within two years, and would take a further two years to complete. In that context, it took the view that it would be impractical and a poor use of public funds to restore the lawn only to dig it up in two years’ time to build the underground car park.
© The Irish TimesSurprise, surprise.
I think E is the very low railway bridge on Grand Canal Quay. Just beside that nice glass ESAT building.
@Frank Taylor wrote:
It looks like a bra.
It looks to me more like Jim Mansfield took away a bit of the Sydney Opera House.:D With full permission, of course.
@phil wrote:
I think that building is on the corner of Lower Abbey Street and O’Connell Street (North East Corner)
No confirmation yet. Could this still be outstanding?
After a few days reading about Mr Transport Plan’s voting machines, how nice to be able to get back to his current task.:) This is from today’s Irish Times.
@The Irish Times wrote:
Metro line stop for city plaza urged by RPA
John DownesThe proposed new metro line linking Dublin city centre with the airport should have a stop located in the main plaza of the “underused” Department of Education buildings in Marlborough Street, according to a submission to the Railway Procurement Agency’s (RPA) public consultation process from city centre traders.
The Dublin City Business Association (DCBA) believes that if located under the plaza, the north city centre metro station could accommodate large numbers of pedestrians exiting and entering the metro.
The Department of Education is due to move to Mullingar within three years as part of the Government’s planned decentralisation process.
In its submission supporting the proposed central route for the metro, business association chief executive Tom Coffey says that with a footfall of 60 million per year already, O’Connell Street would become too congested if a metro stop were to be located there.
The association’s members include Arnotts, Boots, Dublin Bus, Marks and Spencer and Roches Stores, employing more than 25,000 people in the city centre.
In previous correspondence with the association, the RPA has expressed concerns about space constraints in the Marlborough Street plaza.
If approved, it may necessitate the acquisition of extra buildings and demolition work, it also believes.
However, this is something which the DCBA disputes. It believes a metro station at the main plaza might drive development and economic activity east of O’Connell Street, and create a “joined-up” economic area from Smithfield to the IFSC.
On the south side of the city, the business association wishes to see a stop at St Stephen’s Green, which is in line with the intentions of the RPA.
“This [Marlborough Street] location also has the advantage that it is within a two to five-minute walk of O’Connell Street, the quays, and the Luas IFSC, and hence in the heart of the central business district transport hub,” Mr Coffey said.
His comments are contained in the association’s submission to the second round of public consultation on the metro north route, sent to the RPA last week and seen by The Irish Times.
“It is also between O’Connell Street and the Docklands, which is an area with significant potential for development of new business and customer growth.”
The association also claimed that it is the “norm” in European cities for the main street to be reserved for pedestrians, buses, bicycles and shoppers’ cars.
The adjacent streets are then used for light rail and metro, it added.
© The Irish Times@Graham Hickey wrote:
Surely there must be one example of a recently planned street somewhere on the island?!
Tram Street, running between Church Street and Smithfield, is a new street. (Though probably not what you had in mind).
90 or so pages into this great discussion of what needs to be done with O’Connell Street, how that is to be done, how work is progressing and how that work has turned out, could the NEW O’Connell Street now….finally….be deserving of a thread of its own?:p
Hmmmmmm.
This building is setting some kind of a record on this thread.
I liked the Pigeon House suggestion earlier. It has that delapidated look and a broken window which would have fitted in.
Not to be.
Hmmmmmmmmmm.
Maybe F is that red CIE building on North Wall Quay, just at the edge of the Spencer Dock development?
Great to see that building on the corner of Trinity Street and College Green taking its place on this thread. It’s one of my favourites. Viewed from the top of Anglesea Street it just seems to fit into that corner slot so perfectly.:)
hutton wrote:Yeah – it lacks engagement with abbey and – ironically – Jervis St on ground levels. Still, not the self-evident failure that Wolfe Tone Square is, post “regeneration”.Please DCC, admit the failure]
Very well put.It used to be a nice quiet park – the only major problem I could see with it was that it tended to attract groups of “winos”. Regeneration has not helped it at all. There isn’t a recognisable path from Wolfe Tone Street to Jervis Street, except maybe that gravelly bit at the south end. I’m not very comfortable with walking across gravestones to get across the park. The grass is also of very poor quality.
I’m afraid this is one project that may have looked great on a computer screen but does not deliver in reality. (While I’m way off topic, could I suggest that the spire is another. The whole point of the 11,888 little holes at the top was so that the light would diffuse out and create the effect of a “ball” of light at the top – I remember that the early pictures of the proposed spire showed this effect. I’m afraid that didn’t happen – the effect we get is of a straightforward fluorescent light at the top of a metal pole:mad: )
As for Little Italy, I’d say the city council deserve some credit as well for ensuring that this path between Abbey Street and the Millenium Bridge was created.
I’m also wondering about G.
At the very top of the picture is a building with an extended skylight of sorts – I’m sure there’s a proper term for it – an elevated section of the roof which is made up almost entirely of windows. Stack A style.
I seem to remember seeing something like that around the Earlsfort Terrace / Hatch Street area. Can’t place it though. But it might put the doll’s house around that area.
Is this the only distinctively sloped Georgian street in Dublin aside from North Great George’s St?
🙂 It was the slope that made me think of it straight off, so I admit I was chancing my arm! I’ve cycled up it many times. I suppose it also doesn’t look quite as polished now as North Great George’s St does.
The authorities should tear it down as soon as possible. What a classic example of poorly maintained one-off housing:p
@Thomond Park wrote:
In relation to B1 you may find this on the money:
http://www.platform11.org/reports/
It is at the bottom of the page
I understood from their website that Platform 11 had dropped their objection to the proposed route. Or was that only certain bits of it? The way they put it is this:
“In light of recent information received with respect to Metro Platform 11 has now withdrawn its objections to the Glencairn routing.” http://www.platform11.org/news/news.php?year=2006&no=9.html
