tupp01

I’m the Editor of Tuppenceworth.ie.

As you’ve seen, we’ve been running something of a small campaign in opposition to the alterations to the portico. I am very pleased that this has been under discussion on these fora as well.

To clarify what some posters have said, security concerns have not been cited as the reason for the installation of railings across the portico. According to the letter on the City Council’s file from Liz Hughes, Architect, addressed to the Principal Officer of Dublin City Council’s Planning Department the railings are to be installed because the portico space “gives rise to additional litter and occasional graffiti. Because of this use, the portico has to be washed down each morning, and sometimes obstruction occurs in the mornings.”

This is a plan to alter the main frontage of one of Ireland’s most admired buildings, as well as symbolically alter the relationship between the Justice system and the citizens it represents, because Courts Service officials don’t like tidying up the porch in the morning.

The installations of railings will not even succeed in meeting that ignoble aim. There will still be room behind the columns where homeless people may sleep. The space behind the railings will become dead space, full of crispbags and litter. And it seems perverse that the solution to intermittent obstruction of a door is to permanently close it to all comers.

The most recent state of play is outlined in this thread, which I put up before finding this discussion. If anyone has any ideas as to what course of action might be pursued usefully next, I would be delighted to hear them at smcgarr@gmail.com.

Thanks again.