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CAMPAIGNERS FOR THE preservation of a derelict Dublin street synonymous with the 1916 Easter Rising have been granted a judicial review of the development plans for the area.
The Moore Street Preservation Trust said grounds for the judicial review include interference with and demolition of protected structures in the Moore Street area.
The leaders of the 1916 Rising retreated from the GPO on O’Connell Street to a row of terraced houses on Moore Street in the final stages of the rising.
Revolutionary leader Patrick Pearse formally surrendered to the Crown forces on the street.
Four properties in the red brick terrace row – 14 to 17 – are designated as a national monument and there are plans to turn them into a museum.
Planning permission was granted to property firm Hammerson in 2021 to develop pathways between and around the street and to build a town square in the area.
The development plan also includes drawings for new retail and office spaces on the largely derelict street.
It would see the demolition of homes which currently sit opposite the national monument.
The project insists however, on its website, that No 14-17 Moore St will be retained as it is due to its national monument status and that the area will be “appropriately restored as part of this landmark destination”.
But Moore Street Preservation Trust opposed the plans over its concerns that the site would be “destroyed and demolished“.
In a statement today, the great-grandson of James Connolly, James Connolly Heron, described Moore Street as the “great survivor of the 1916 Rising” and added that it is “the location of the last HQ of the Provisional Government still standing today”.
He said the Moore Street Preservation Trust “will not stand idly by and allow this sacred ground to be destroyed in the commercial interest of private property developers”.
“It simply cannot be allowed to meet the same fate as the family home of The O’ Rahilly – bulldozed overnight courtesy of another infamous decision by the members of An Bord Pleanála,” he added.
That building, 40 Herbert Park, was the former home of 1916 Rising leader Michael Joseph O’Rahilly, the only leader killed in the fighting.
It was bulldozed in September 2020 to use the site for a 12-storey apartment and hotel development.
James Connolly Heron added: “The Hammerson claim that their plan will sensitively rejuvenate this historic part of the city is simply untrue.
“It will do nothing of the sort. It will redraw streets and lanes that have remained intact for over a century.
“We are confident that the High Court will once again find in our favour and hold that this area satisfies the criteria for National Monument status and so must be preserved and protected in accordance with its historic importance.”
Sinn Féin’s general election manifesto meanwhile has said the “heritage of Ireland must be protected” and adds: “From the ongoing threat to the 1916 battle-site at Moore Street, it is clear that the preservation of our rich history requires a new government willing to put the people’s inheritance above the private profit of developers”.
One of the party’s cultural heritage priorities includes “declaring the Moore Street terrace, its yards and laneways, a National Monument and developing a 1916 Culture Quarter by enacting Aengus Ó Snodaigh’s Ceathrú Cultúir 1916 Bill”.
That Bill seeks to establish a body called An Cheathrún Cultúr 1916 Teoranta in relation to the “preservation, restoration and management of the cultural historical quarter within the Moore Street Battlefield Area”.
-With additional reporting from Muiris O’Cearbhaill
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Only in Ireland could a historic battle-site be sold off
@Brian D’Arcy: Are you joking? We haven’t preserved anything of consequence of our history and I include the burning of the High Court where we lost so much archives that would have given so much more information about everything down to the reasons why we are who we are.
Burning of ” big houses ” another travesty and this was all done by Republicans……to what end?
Moore Street is now nothing better than a Shanty town market and needs development with the proper remembrance of what happened there.
@Brian D’Arcy: Hardly a battle site . A small number of rebels ran up a back lane from Henry street to Moore street and hid in one of the buildings . They then surrendered at the top of Moore street . Considering the Irish have erased over 300 yrs of military history when they participated in wars across the world I wouldn’t call it a big deal . Their is something disturbing about a country who’s history revolves around a small group of people . Anyone that didn’t play a part in the Republican fairytale has been erased from the history books .
@Jack Moss: And that’s our issue erasing history, however all countries do it .
@Paul O’Mahoney: And making up a new narrative as you did further down…..
@Paul O’Mahoney: It’s just a coincidence that 5 yrs after the rising the island was broken in two after 700 yrs of been one country since the Norman conquest of 1169 .
Moore ST needs to be covered and preserved, it’s a historic and famous part of Dublin City, many a good hard working people came from the area, and preserved traditions and tales of history. It’s a landmark for Dublin folk.In every capital city they have a market for the people, the street has now become a slum area in the center of the city for all types. What a wonderful place it could be come for tourists and Irish people alike.
@Phillip Smyth: it’s the heart of the City preserve it please for future generations.
@Phillip Smyth: And who let that happen? Tony Gregory fought tooth and nail to preserve the market and my mother from Cork loved attending it but , who sold the pitches and for how much?
It’s like Dublin taxi drivers they sell the licence and then lament it, but not mentioning the money they are creaming off tax free…
@Phillip Smyth:
Heart of the city?
Don’t think so.
@Paul O’Mahoney: Pitch operators got bought out over the past 10 years.
Figures of around €100,000 plus for giving up the pitch licence. Some held out for more money but DCC/Developers didn’t pay out much belong this figure.
I’m a proud Dublin man and I love Dublin city it’s my capital city of the Republic of Ireland preserve its history it’s vital.
This is a disaster. Whoever designated these buildings a protected monument needs to undesignate them sharpish. The GPO is the more significant battle site and is only 100 meters away
@Shane O Neill: Ok Fintan.. sorry ‘Shane’.
@Shane O Neill: If a tourist came to Dublin and said ‘what is the best neighbourhood/housing estate in Dublin”, the majority of Dubliners would say Darndale. You know your a failed county when Darndale is your nicest residential area. This is why Dublin is the laughing stock of the rest of the county.
@Cole Palmer: you feeling OK ???
@Cole Palmer: You’d say Darndale, I presume north Dublin is no go area for you.
@Cole Palmer: Have you lost your mind?! If the tourist was asking someone from Darndale, there’s a bit of a chance perhaps but outside that, you need to evaluate your thinking!
@Jack Hayes: I’ve been to Dublin many times, all over, from Dun Laoighre all the way to Santry and everywhere in between. The nicest place was Darndale, and by ‘nicest’ for Dublin standards is still horrific. Unfortunately for yo Dubliners, that is the state of your county. I hope things get better for you. Well they can only go up from here, you have reached absolute rock bottom.
@Cole Palmer: an aul chip on the shoulder there Cole. That comes from an inferiority complex. Get help lad.
@Cole Palmer: You should check out Coolock, it’s fab at this time of year. Myself and the wife are actually heading there for a night away soon. Little pre Christmas treat!
@Mr “JonnieBoy” Johnson: How in God’s name, would someone be inferior to a dub? Any spare change? Have you a euro for the Lewis? Have you a tent I can go in a long your canal? Your county goes like this: Northside – yup bros in North face. Central – foreigners. Southside – yuppies in Porches that vote social democrat. Please Jonny boy help me understand
@Cole Palmer: you have not got a clue about Dublin or Ireland as a matter of fact with comments like, write for the Dandy or the Beano.
@Cole Palmer: you have confirmed my suspicion that you have a significant inferiority complex and are lashing out. God love you, you are more to be pitied than laughed at.
@Mr “JonnieBoy” Johnson: ah johnny that statement is quite preposterous
@Cole Palmer: Tell us again the name of the trams in Dublin.
@Phillip Smyth: he fairly nailed it with the yup bros tho!
@Hibernicus: why how?
@Shane O Neill: So because the GPO is a national monument these buildings aren’t also. If they were located in an area further south of river the would be a national shrine. That said a balance always has to be struck between preserving heritage and living in the present / planning for the future. The words judicial review for all types of developing this country just set eyes rolling. Asking a judge to rule if a housing development for example is compatible with the constitution. Other European countries would laugh if they heard this and it’s no wonder we can’t get anything done.
@brendan hackett: I wouldn’t know I wouldn’t lower myself to get on them. I don’t want a heroin addict or unvetted insane migrant to come within 100m of me.
@james rowan: would I not be here backing myself up if I made the effort to create multiple accounts ? Dublin should be given to the UK in exchange for Northern Ireland. But deport all the Sinn Fein supporters up North into Dublin. Or else put them on a banana boat to Isle of Man.
@Cole Palmer: You got most of it right except they vote fffg.
@John Moore:
Why preserve a site where the people who lead the poor of Dublin out to die for Ireland ordered the rebels to shoot the poor of the slums for disgraceing the rebellion for looting.
When it was the leaders turn to die for Ireland they ran out with their hands up hiding behind a woman carrying a white flag.
Bulldoze the area and obliterate the national shame like any other country would do.
@Seosamh Ohuaine: You’re probably right there I agree
@H Woo: Yeah sure. Lol.
We need to get sf into government before ffg destroy this amazing and very important part our history
@he didnt take the 120k because he already got it s: Jesus no. They will have us at war with our northern brethren
I was appalled at the level of historical ignorance in the comments. I have walked this area while reading the transcript of Nurse O’Farrell. To do so is to walk in the shoes of history. This area has to be properly restored and protected for future generations and also a historic site. Properly done this area could do so much to restore the pride in our real history.
https://saoirseeireannblog.wordpress.com/2016/04/02/elizabeth-ofarrells-story-of-the-surrender/
The area is a kip and needs a total rejuvenation. Just start with the plans already!!
@Mojo: We need to address the Elephant in the room, that there is no wall built around Dublin to keep them in and all the mental people there bringing in. That way us Irish who live outside of “Dublin” can live with a bit of peace. Why couldn’t the UK just take Dublin instead of the North? It’s just the hand we were dealt I suppose. You don’t always win in life.
@Cole Palmer: there’s a tool born every minute.
Are the Magdalene laundries and handing over the education system to the church not legacy enough for the 1916 freedom fighters?
@Vincent Alexander: . Ridiculous comment.
@Richard Ford: yes
@Richard Ford: What plans had Pearse etc. to run the country if and when they achieved freedom? The whole idea of the Rising was thought up by a group with a bad dose of romanticism and no concrete plans for government.
‘We want nuthin’ to change round ‘ere’
Understandable. What would you have to complain about then?
If there was no 1916 rising there would have been no war of independence or civil war . The island would not have been broken in two and the troubles in NI would not have happened . 50 thousand people in NI would not have been injured and killed and Ireland today would be one all island independent nation like every other country in the British empire that has long been independent and moved on .
@Jack Moss: That’s a lot of word salad, perhaps you could break it down to a simple thesis, …..for example why would 50k people in NI die?
@Paul O’Mahoney: I said 50 thousand were killed and injured during the troubles not including over a hundred thousand that are still living with mental effects of it . If there was no rising the war of independence and civil war would not have happened and the island would not have been broken into two . At the end of WW2 the British lost interest in their empire . The human and financial cost of fighting two world wars broke the back of the country . They just granted countries their independence.
@Jack Moss: The peaceful route was the way to go. There is too much glorification of terrorism when it was not necessary.
@Vincent Alexander: dialogue
Unbelievable, the gap in buildings at the top of O’Connell St is an embarrassment to the nation as it has been there for 40 years…the Moore St area is dilapidated for so long and after so many redrawn plans we have now yet another judicial review to delay a never ending redevelopment process.
This area is a complete cess pit, only for this development company who are putting money and expertise into developing this kip, no wonder no sane developer would go near Dublin as the shit they have to put with from the usual keep Dublin a backward kip objecters. as for so called historic buildings they are manky eyesore there is already enough so called historic buildings around to remind us of Ireland tragic past, we don’t need hipocrities like Sein Fiein
Do something with it, and stop messing.
It was grand in the 50/60/70s, and served a purpose, but now it’s a kip, and is being taken over by those who are’nt Irish, and who don’t even like us, or our history.
The development plans state they’ll retain the buildings and turn it into a museum so what’s the problem here. Moire street is a Kip and needs to be redeveloped.
have your say