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Dublin City Council granted planning permission to the Winthrop co-ownership to change the use of the second, third and fourth floors at 4 and 5 Grafton Street to four apartments. Alamy Stock Photo
Dublin City Council
Buskers fear for livelihoods as Grafton Street apartments given green light
Street entertainers raised concerns about noise complaints, with one objection saying they had “disproportionately targeted buskers”.
GRAFTON STREET BUSKERS’ fears for their livelihoods in a chorus of disapproval over new apartments for Grafton Street have fallen on deaf ears.
Dublin City Council granted planning permission to the Winthrop co-ownership to change the use of the second, third and fourth floors at 4 and 5 Grafton Street to four apartments, despite fears expressed by Grafton Street buskers and their supporters that the proposal “would lead to the decline of one of the most iconic busking streets in the world”.
Businessman David Goddard, who led the recent buy-out of Davy’s real estate arm, co-owns 4-5 Grafton Street along former Davy boss, Brian McKiernan.
Both Goddard and McKiernan’s Middle Cow Ltd provided letters of consent to the council to allow the Winthrop Co-Ownership lodge the plans.
However, in an objection against the plans, busker, Jacob Koopman told the council that his concern over the residential units for the area “will replicate the issues we have witnessed in Temple Bar, where noise complaints have disproportionately targeted buskers”.
A busker and resident here for the past 12 years, Koopman said: “Despite our relatively low impact compared to pubs and other venues, we have faced restrictions, including the recent ban on amplification, which has drastically reduced opportunities for artists like myself.”
He said: “The unique atmosphere of Grafton Street relies on its lively street performances…Introducing residential units may lead to increased noise complaints and further regulations that threaten the livelihood of buskers and the vibrant street culture that defines this area.”
In another objection, Ryu Uehara Dias told the council: “Turning upper floors into residential units would almost certainly lead to noise complaints and restrictions on busking, which would strip away the unique charm that made me, and so many others, want to call Dublin home.”
He said: “I believe this project could harm what makes Grafton Street so special – its live music and artistic energy. The street music scene, in particular, is what drew me in. It’s more than entertainment; it gives Grafton Street its soul.”
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An aerial view of 4 and 5 Grafton Street. DCC Planning PortalDCC Planning Portal
Marc Pyssa told the council that the approval of the scheme “would ultimately lead to the erosion of this cultural gem”.
He said: “Noise complaints from new residents will undoubtedly surface, leading to restrictions on buskers’ performances and hours. This in turn would jeopardise the livelihoods of hundreds of street musicians who depend on Grafton Street for income, visibility and artistic expression.”
Pyssa said that this proposal does not align with the wishes of the people of Dublin who take pride in Grafton Street’s rich musical culture.
Francesco Parodi told the council: “As a street performer and musician who has made Ireland my home, this development poses a serious threat to my livelihood and to the vibrant cultural atmosphere of Grafton Street itself.”
Andrew Kavanagh told the council that as a 42-year-old musician, allowing the apartments to proceed “will inevitably result in complaints about street music and that will directly impact my ability to support my family”.
Kavanagh stated that “allowing this development will irreparably harm one of Dublin’s most celebrated cultural landmarks. The people of Dublin, our tourism industry, and the global music community will all feel the negative effects if the proposal proceeds.”
In his objection, Andrew Glover told the council that “as we learned from Temple Bar residents in the past, the charm and culture of our street musicians that millions of tourists are attracted to every years are viewed as an inconvenience to those who choose to live in such a busy city centre environment.”
Planning consultant for Winthrop Co-ownership, John Spain Associates told the council that the proposed development “provides higher densities in proximity to public transport and avoiding further inefficient and unsustainable sprawl whilst helping to meet an identified need for quality residential accommodation”.
The submission states that “the subject site is advantageously located, capable of providing quality apartments within the existing building, adjacent to high quality public transport”.
Dublin City Council granted planning permission after concluding that the development would result in the activation of currently vacant floorspace and also would result in the development of residential accommodation over existing commercial premises which is something that is encouraged and welcomed.
Dublin City Council planner’s report stated that “this is particularly timely in light of the considerable level of vacancy of floor space on the upper floors of commercial premises in the city, which could assist towards alleviating the existing housing pressures within the city”.
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Dublin City needs more residents not buskers. The city is in the doldrums. People living in the city brings life into it when businesses are closed. Busk elsewhere. Shopping centres would be ideal as footfall huge. There are options.
@Ger Byrne: More residents will improve Dublin? WTF. If it does it doesn’t need them in a shopping/tourism district. Shopping centres are enclosed spaces with shops paying extortionate rent, they won’t be any buskers there.
@Ger Byrne: you’re obviously not familiar with the street if you think Grafton Street is in the doldrums. It’s packed seven days a week and a few apartments will do zero to enhance the premium shopping street, buskers do
I’m sure most of us agree that most of the buskers are too loud (probably above the Council-regulated decibel level) and play far to much over-played pop music.
Personally, I’d prefer no amplification, but I know a minority of performers need it for their pedal loops, which I don’t mind.
I’m thankful they’re finally starting to fill those upper floors. Very much needed and decades overdue. Well done.
@Garbhán Ó Ruis:
Firstly, I’ll declare an interest, my daughter busks. Not in Dublin.
That said I agree with your basic point, the amplification is often overdone, especially in the city centre but with modern insulation standards it shouldn’t be a insurmountable problem.
The music played is often what sells, probably not to your choice.
Happened to know a builder who looked into renovating over shops in Dublin city centre about 2 years ago and said the extra cost involved in the location meant he walked away.
I’m afraid these apartments will be horrendously expensive.
id respect the opinions of buskers once they provide proof of declaring their income and paying the relevant tax to the revenue. but no doubt its just a supplementary income to the dole they already receive.
@Kevin Kerr: hi stalker, I see you getting any comments deleted that ‘expose’ any of your accounts…..it’s despicable and heinous what you’re doing to this comments board
@Kevin Kerr: Well, as KPMG was declaring the Irish banks to be financially sound up to the day they collapsed, I wouldn’t think their audit to be worth the paper it’s printed on!
@Brian Hunt: I was joking, Brian. But seriously, I very much doubt you’d trust any of them, particularly EY, who were the Anglo auditors, even if nearly 20 years has elapsed since.
@Kevin Kerr: wouldn’t trust any of the big 4, as someone who works in financial services industry and deals with auditors, they’ll sign off anything just to get their audit fee.
@Niall English: Will you show us all your end of year tax accounts? Do you demand it of all businesses or just the people who stand in the cold and provide a bit of entertainment?
@Meatball Martin: Can you please define exactly what an Irish person is? Do they have to have been born in Ireland? Do both their parents also need to have been born here? Are they Irish if they weren’t born here but their parents were? What if only one of their parents were born in Ireland? Will gaining Irish citizenship make them Irish enough for you? Are they Irish if they were born here but their skin is dark?
Living there would come with a lot of noise anyway given the footfall especially late at night/early morning at the weekend so I would assume that any residences would be sound proofed properly. As much housing as possible is needed particularly all over the city centre. There should be far more people living there for numerous reasons. But like the airport if you do move that you should know beforehand that busking etc. is a part of grafton street and will go on there.
@Dave G Doe: You literally just made me yawn… do you really think that anyone with the means to buy or rent over those properties would choose to do so?! Lol
@Donna Fallon:
To be honest I think you are wrong there Donna, there will be plenty of Dot.com yuppies for them. Corporate buyers/renter’s also an option.
They will be snapped up.
In theory I have sympathy with the buskers. In practice however, male buskers in particular need to stop only singing Snow Patrol and Coldplay on Grafton Street, you’ve been at it a good 15 years now and it’s time to learn some new songs. Stop it.
@John Doe: I most certainly have one at the moment!! At least I don’t hide behind a pseudonym on this forum. I might wreck your head but at least I’m not afraid to have the courage over my convictions. Get a grip Man.
Honestly, I can’t say that they will be a big loss. If anything, buskers attract criminality with the money that they are collecting being displayed openly. Many of them are also rude, one even demanded that I give more after a dropped him a two euro coin for his panpipe playing which I happened to like. He reeked of alcohol. Many to have just turned into panhandlers who happen to be musical. They seem to now think it’s acceptable to walk out into the middle of the street and hassle people for some money after they are done playing their tune. Dublin needs more people and modern buildings, so this development is a win/win. They’ll also boost local businesses when they move in by purchasing products from their stores, hopefully bringing a bit of livelihood back into the streets.
@Brian Hunt: The problem is that they don’t take that answer straight away. Even after I’ve told them that, the ones that are just playing a hand instrument tend to follow you for 50 metres and get aggressive because they’re not leaving anything behind at their busking spot to watch that someone could snatch. They literally just pick up their money bag and walk into the middle of the street and start hassling people. It’s really getting on my nerves lately. I can’t walk 2 minutes down Henry Street, O’Connell Street or Jervis Street without being hassled for money. As I said, a lot of buskers have basically turned into panhandlers who happen to be musical.
More apartments, less buskers. Sounds like a win. Buskers are way too amplified even tho there was a ban? Also, a lot of them play the same same same songs over and over. I would loose my mind living there.
Buskers or housing? I know what I’d choose. If the buskers were any good, they’d have no issue picking up a couple of pub gigs a week to generate an income but it’s obvious, they’re not worth paying
Just wondering out loud here, but is the recent decision regarding soup kitchens and helping those sleeping rough in the area just coincidental timing? A report that contained nothing but “problems” with volunteer groups helping those in need and put forward absolutely zero solutions. Hang your heads in shame…
@Ckeego: nothing like that is coincidental, it’s all part of FFGs plan to sell off taxpayer owned assets to their vulture fund cronies. An Post are pulling out of the GPO and that’s where a lot of the soup kitchens operate, it’s much easier to sell off a building it there’s no soup kitchens outside it.
RULE 1: Always follow the money trail to see who benefits.
The main thing that needs to be done about buskers on Grafton St is to ban amps. Dublin City Council foolishly chose not to do this a few years ago. Lets please hear buskers at normal volume from now on.
Nonsense. We lived in a city in Germany with a bustling ‘Altstadt’, the old town was mixed commercial with residential units upstairs. Buskers, Flamenco music, singing and clapping from the Spanish taverna next door, crowds of happy drunk and singing people were part of the atmosphere.
If you don’t like it, don’t move there.
Simple.
I worked of grafton street for a few years and imo all buskers should be banned. Lol. Listening to the same tune over and over again all day is torture.
I’ve heard them being referred collectively as the boring buskers of Dublin. Maybe get rid of amplified noise and electronic effects . Back to basics where you can either entertain ….or not ,without amplification
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