sw101

some people might say that being from rural ireland disqualifies your opinion. Proximity to the subject matter could mean a warped perspective is achieved and a narrow examination of the subject is all that can be accomplished.

On a national scale it is vital to this country that development is maintained within urban centres, with controlled growth where absolutely necassary, but only after considered decision making amongst planners, local government etcetera. Any idiot can see (not to suggest any idiots are posting here, god forbid) that the granting of permission to any house on any site by any person would ruin irelands character and forever damage our landscape which is so important, whether you live in a flat in temple bar or muck about on a farm in fermanagh. This country is too small to adopt a wild west attitude where any land claimed can be developed and defended as necassary. Hopefully an bord pleanala will keep tabs on the governments motions on this issue and keep some semblance of control.

Yes. measurements are important. hence the alternate units option in the dimension bar of autocad. this means everyone can read measurements. and measure things. and make distances. and cut stuff. yes. important.

in the words of a great man, “thats all i have to say about that”

did he do the series of books called “yada yada” dublin. “walking” and “flying” and “carousing” and also “eeking ones way through” are great titles.

mahon point is a disgrace. mahon neither needs it or wants it. shopping centres in douglas have reduced it to a little village surrounded by commerce driven monstrosities a la the douglas court s.c, douglas village s. c(which is currently looking for planning to expand and heighten), and watergold building etc. all out of character and adversely affecting the surrounds

i never intend to shop in ikea dont worry. i’m not arguing from a personal point of view, but from the point of view of whats good for our economy and workers.

i agree that each proposal should be granted hearing based on its merits, i’m currently trying to get planning for over 40 apartments on land zoned for 8 semi-d’s, so i understand development pressure and where it leads to.

i dont agree with set caps either, but planners wouldnt have the cop on or balls to limit each individual proposal sensibly without some set control level. if there is sufficient support is gathered for an 8500sq m proposal “or whatever” from political and commercial sides, then the cap will be out the window like a dead smelly fish two days after good friday.

its not the principal i’m opposed to but the arm bending that goes on to the achievement of planning for such stores. nobody stands up for whats been set as good practice when money comes into it. the scaremongering i see is that people are being told we NEED these stores or we’ll lose out. as you say blain we already have them, but the new ones want more more more. its corporate greed and i think unhealthy.

its not that i “don’t like larger stores like IKEA”, its that i feel they may not be suited to our little island on the massive scale they intend to appear at. 4 0r 5 stores “or whatever” is exactly what i dont want in our capitals outer suburbs. i dont want to end up living on an island of suburbia and mass commercialism. have you seen ‘one hour photo’? terrifying

what? i’m 21 and more idealistic than you’ll ever see. but i’m slightly more reality driven it seems. theres a marked difference between going ahead with your chin held high and your head up, compared to a head in the clouds. we wont suddenly become america because its a good idea. small yet fundamental changes must be made and only controlled rebellion and graft will accomplish that. not whinging and dropping names of wholly uncomparable successes on other continents.

i’m sorry to hear you forgot your jar but dammit you’re the one that left it there, stop blaming establishment, it just doesnt wash

its not an issue of whether or not we accept europe. thats been done and done in the 70’s or so i’ve been told about in history books. its about rejecting corporate statutes and demands, their gain is our loss. maybe not architects who would love to specify 300 identical chairs which could then be picked up by mr. van man from a town-sized shop outside tallaght, but working class people and the country and its economy as whole.

my point is this, and you’re welcome to disagree. i dont believe ikea should be allowed to dictate terms to the irish government. what they are doing is effectively extorting privileges and exemptions by convincing people we will be losing out by their abcense. i believe we would be losing out as a country if we allow their presence under their terms

eh, no.

we’re all consumers and as a majority we would opt for the giant showroom of tat. thereby undermining the wee cobbled together spots where originality means something (hemp store capel street for example, that place gets sold from stoner to stoner every few months, when it was the fair trade shop i got a stunning handmade walnut presentation case for a song, one of a kind and forever mine).

when this happens continually the smaller shops get pushed out and people who run these businesses either opt toward dole queues or get jobs in mr. giant retail 10,000sq m shop. thereby redistributing basic wages or social welfare while money gets pumped straight out of the country. where are we then? we could go to ikea or habitat for our stuff, depending on how posh we are and our skills with a screwdriver. not a choice i’d be happy making

Originally posted by Aierlan

I’d rather have an IKEA that stocked their full range, had plenty of display space and was comfortable to navigate,………………..I have visited perhaps every furniture store in Dublin and Navan over the last year and it has been a miserable experience …………………… As consumers, we are just hurting ourselves by not allowing a company operating to IKEA’s standards to locate here.

go back there then. if you’re willing to sacrifice irish produce and labor for a bit of cheap tat then you’re clearly not thinking of the spirit of the irish. my solution would be for irelands workforce of competent and quality driven individuals (not Iarnrod Eireann employees) being put to use producing quality flat packed well designed furniture here, then flood the dutch and german markets and make them all feel bad about themselves, and unemployed, then watch them all flood over here to buy our quality produce and cry because we’re so good. this is a rambling arguement because the whole thread is a bit directionless. IKEA want to come here on there own terms and fuck with our lifestyle as much as anything else. i like going to every crappy shop on capel street looking for that perfect hand-honed piece for my gaff. i dont want some stern yet smiling kraut telling me which of his 3500 tables is my favourite. balls to that. heres to village shops and overpriced wobbly stools. we have to make a little stand here not to surrender ourselves to european ideals because it suits them, and them alone.

in response to your revised utterances;

the luas says a hell of a lot of good about this country. all the visualisation and 3d representation of an army of technicians couldnt hurry this project along. these things only happen when the relevant councils, authorities, planners, land owners and objectors come to a disagreeable agreement whereby nobody is satisfied and a hodge podge version of the ideal is achieved. in a city where the oppurtunity of reopening the harcourt street line over the last few years is still not achieved becaused of beuracracy and stalled progress, its amazing the luas is even approaching completion.

this isnt really an arguement about the ability of professions to come together to achieve efficient success, but about all the powerful but ineffectual amateurs who hold up the whole show in this old boys club of rich farmers we call a leadership