Trim Castle

Riamfada

The first report by the Centre for Public Inquiry concerns the decision by the local authority in County Meath to permit the construction of a four storey hotel beside Trim Castle, one of Ireland's most important national monuments. The report is the result of complaints to this office by elected representatives in County Meath and concerned citizens including members of the heritage protection organisation, An Taisce. The investigation raises several issues of significant public concern which are outlined in detail in the following pages. The report has been made available to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Dick Roche, members of the Oireachtas and of the relevant local authorities as well as to a large number of interested parties including the people of Trim.

http://www.publicinquiry.ie/pdf/FIOSRU_270905.pdf

boneless

It was an excellent report. Thats why the CPI is being hounded by officialdom. The CPI is also conducting an inquiry into the site for the new prison near Swords. The proposed area is rich in monuments and possible ritual sites.

The Minister for Equality, Law Reform and Justice is on record as saying ''...any old guff about 'fairy forts'...'' will not stop the development of the site. Nice to see that its not just or Norman heritage that is getting destroyed...(nice way to get back on topic!!).

BEAT

wow 54 pages, I only skimmed through 35 pages here at work before my phone rang...but it looks like the hotelwill be done mid 2006...
what are they trying to accomplish at this stage since the frame has already been built?
I was shcoked to see how close it was to the castle...that was a bad decision and also the modern bldg style...Id say it have looked better to design something with an old castle look to it. With that model of a completed visual it looks entirley too commercial...dont like it at all.

What are your opinions on this whole thing? should it have gone ahead?
It will bing in money with tourists but the location was all wrong and the style of the bldg as well.
They should have built it a mile down the road or something not right beside the castle, for many reasons.

micosavo

Ha!

Should we be surprised? I grew up in an estate near. Nothing that involves planning and town councils has surprised me anymore. Money in brown paper bags has always ruled our councils :mad:

I am just glad that I don't live there anymore as I would be waking up every morning with my blood boiling.

If anybody has a couple of days to spare, take the Rosslare ferry to Cherbourg and drive for a bit around northern france, especially Brittany. I was amazed with what I saw. Castles and forts that were in near perfect condition either as family homes, museums. None were allowed to go into dis-repair.

We need to get rid of this attitude that because it is old means it should be demolised.

BEAT

micosavo wrote:

We need to get rid of this attitude that because it is old means it should be demolised.

I certainly hope this attitude doesnt take over, the youth must be taught the benefits and richness that goes with keeping the old ways...it doesnt mean there isnt room for change but you take away a lot when you take away bits of culture and history a bit at a time.
the minute that attitude is adapted Ireland will turn into a tiny america :eek:

masteroftherealm

We need to say nothing more than wood quay and carricmines when we see actions such as these

Aedh Baclamh

Look, our Government is a complete joke - an embarassment to our ancestors. A similar decision has taken place in an area nearby where I live, which I cannot understand whatsoever.

masteroftherealm

Yeah we can only hope that future generations will not be succint to such an idiotic government as our own

Riamfada

alot of people cant see the sense of holding onto the past and would gladly destroy it in order to move towards a more efficient future. Then lament when its gone

Degsy

boneless wrote:

It was an excellent report. Thats why the CPI is being hounded by officialdom. The CPI is also conducting an inquiry into the site for the new prison near Swords. The proposed area is rich in monuments and possible ritual sites.

The Minister for Equality, Law Reform and Justice is on record as saying ''...any old guff about 'fairy forts'...'' will not stop the development of the site. Nice to see that its not just or Norman heritage that is getting destroyed...(nice way to get back on topic!!).

Nonsense,the proposed area is a 19th century farm that has been in use till the present day.There's no archeological significance about the area,its a bunc of nimbys kicking up stink because they dont want their "lottery winner" lifestyle impinged on by commoners.

boneless

Degsy wrote:

Nonsense,the proposed area is a 19th century farm that has been in use till the present day.There's no archeological significance about the area,its a bunc of nimbys kicking up stink because they dont want their "lottery winner" lifestyle impinged on by commoners.

I have walked the site. There are a number of features visible on the surface and many more have been detected by geophysical survey... the last feature is indeed 19th century, but you have to look at the entire landscape in a context stretching back 5000 years. The site is rich in archaeology and heritage, in my opinion.

Degsy

boneless wrote:

I have walked the site. There are a number of features visible on the surface and many more have been detected by geophysical survey... the last feature is indeed 19th century, but you have to look at the entire landscape in a context stretching back 5000 years. The site is rich in archaeology and heritage, in my opinion.

Accepted,but if you take ANY landscape it will have features extending back 5000 years provided it hasnt already been built on.There's nothing particularly remarkable about that particular site and certainly nothing to suggest it should be preserved as a 'national monument' as oppposers of the prison seem to suggest.As Mc Dowell pointed out,the people who live in the area didnt hesitate to build thier houses on the grounds that they may be destroying archeology,they're objecting purely on the selfish basis that they dont want a PRISON in their backyards.Apparantly,a portion of an adze head was recovered from the *general* area in the 1960's and this has been deemed proof positive that the *particular* area that the prison is to be built on should be preserved,its true that some of the past will probably be lost when the prison goes ahead but this is true for every inch of developed land,includingthe houses residents in the thornton hall area live in.

boneless

Degsy wrote:

Accepted,but if you take ANY landscape it will have features extending back 5000 years provided it hasnt already been built on.There's nothing particularly remarkable about that particular site and certainly nothing to suggest it should be preserved as a 'national monument' as oppposers of the prison seem to suggest.As Mc Dowell pointed out,the people who live in the area didnt hesitate to build thier houses on the grounds that they may be destroying archeology,they're objecting purely on the selfish basis that they dont want a PRISON in their backyards.Apparantly,a portion of an adze head was recovered from the *general* area in the 1960's and this has been deemed proof positive that the *particular* area that the prison is to be built on should be preserved,its true that some of the past will probably be lost when the prison goes ahead but this is true for every inch of developed land,includingthe houses residents in the thornton hall area live in.

But the problem here is that the Justice Minister is not willing to allow proper investigation to take place. I'm not against the prison being built (but I don't like the idea of a lot of Fat Cats making a fortune on the Mountjoy site... that will need to be surveyed too!!!), but it would be nice to be able to assess the landscape via proper surveys.

Degsy

boneless wrote:

But the problem here is that the Justice Minister is not willing to allow proper investigation to take place. I'm not against the prison being built (but I don't like the idea of a lot of Fat Cats making a fortune on the Mountjoy site... that will need to be surveyed too!!!), but it would be nice to be able to assess the landscape via proper surveys.

The whole political system in this country is rotten!

Archeron

That hotel is disgusting looking, and destroys the whole feel of Trim. When you;re coming in from the Dublin road, the view used to be great of the castle. the tower, St Patricks church etc across the fields around the river, and now there's a p*xy looking hotel lumped right in the middle of it all. Fecking thing should be demolished, it has no place there at all. It might bring tourism, but at what cost? Also, how far are we willing to go to suit tourists?

boneless

Archeron wrote:

That hotel is disgusting looking, and destroys the whole feel of Trim. When you;re coming in from the Dublin road, the view used to be great of the castle. the tower, St Patricks church etc across the fields around the river, and now there's a p*xy looking hotel lumped right in the middle of it all. Fecking thing should be demolished, it has no place there at all. It might bring tourism, but at what cost? Also, how far are we willing to go to suit tourists?

It is not the tourists who are being considered, it is the hoteliers.

I brought some German friends to visit Trim during the summer and they were appalled by the hotel. A number of other overseas visiters also expressed disgust on the issue on the day I was there.

Archeron

good point Boneless. I heard this issue was to be taken to the European court, did anything ever happen with this? Is it a case that the hotel is now built, so tough luck to anyone who doesnt like it? I know it probably seems petty, but i would love nothing more than to hear they're being forced to pull the thing down again. On another note, I walked through the grounds of St Patricks just before Christmas, (the side where the grotto is) Its an amazing place, really peaceful, and a great place to contemplate. I find it hard to believe that there are actually going to be hotel rooms looking right into this area. Grrrrr. nothing is sacred (literally):mad:

Archeron

Just noticed that the facade of the hotel seems to be different that what was proposed in the artists impression. The impression was of a kind of white planed facade, but it looks like they are now finishing it with a kind of block stone that matches in somewhat the castle.

Still a kick in the history nads, but at least now without the spikes attached.