St. Joseph's Deaf School Building on the Navan Road

susiewoosie

As most of the locals in D7 probably know,

The St. Joseph's School for Deaf Boys on the Navan Road is getting demolished (bar the chapel wing of the school) soon,

A new Deaf Village is being built in the grounds of St. Josephs,

I have been looking online for views and comments from those in the D7 area and I thought I would chance my arm here to see if anyone had any comments,

http://www.cidp.ie/village.html is a website that has some (not really updated) information on the village itself

Part of the building will include a community centre, Sports grounds, new swimming pool and a gym.

There are a number of Deaf people who do not agree with the demolition (for such reasons as its a part of Deaf history (built in 1857). There are some who want the demolition (Especially those were abused in the schools) and then are some who don't agree with the building of a new village as it could make it almost like a Deaf ghetto.

I'd love to hear any comments people may have - do you want a new deaf village in the D7 area, do you think the building should be retained, etc?

panda100

I would like to know more about why people are against the idea of the village?
It sounds like a great idea to me!

FreudianSlippers

I thought the whole "old school" was being kept. Surely they cannot demolish that!?

What are they going to do with the current site? My guess is it'll just remain vacant for years.

arybvtcw0eolkf

susiewoosie wrote: »

I'd love to hear any comments people may have - do you want a new deaf village in the D7 area, do you think the building should be retained, etc?

Level it to the ground, including the chapel - pity we can't get a few of the Christian Brothers who served there too while we're at it.

Oh, a name change might be in order too.

FreudianSlippers

Deandre Yummy Protein wrote: »

Level it to the ground, including the chapel - pity we can't get a few of the Christian Brothers who served there too while we're at it.

Oh, a name change might be in order too.

Say what you want about the brothers, but it is a nice building.

Faith+1

I was in the old building recently to vote and was surprised at how run down it actually was. I guess it cheaper to knock it down and rebuild rather than renovate.

susiewoosie

I don't live in D7 so am interested in the views of locals...

i.e. the new plans for the village include a new Sport Centre, 5-a-side football pitches, gym, Deaf organisations moving in such as Dublin Deaf Association, The Irish Deaf Sports Association, Irish Deaf Youth Association, Irish Deaf Society, Deafhear, IrishDeaf.com, Life Long Learning Center, some residential apartments, SLIS, CIDP to name a few.

The Dublin Deaf Association has a massive building in Drumcondra (by the railway station and Quinns Pub) and is being demolished (CPO order for metro) and thats another iconic building in the Deaf community being demolished and also an important feature in Drumcondra. Money raised from this was put into the plans for the Deaf village in Cabra.

I have been googling around D7 but there seems not to be any comments about it....

Demolishing is due to happen sometime soon.

susiewoosie

panda100 wrote: »

I would like to know more about why people are against the idea of the village?
It sounds like a great idea to me!

Can I ask why you think its a great idea -- I know it might sound obvious but I would be intrigued to know!

arybvtcw0eolkf

FreudianSlippers wrote: »

Say what you want about the brothers, but it is a nice building.

Its a horrible building IMO.

I'll drop in and take some photos during the week for this thread.

Gerry Asstrix

I dont mean sound insensitive but that whole institute always came accross as extremely lavish to me for what it was intended.

I know the deaf need utilities and adequate help, but acres of land with swimming pool, stables, dozens of modern buildings, soccor pitches etc, all for a small number of kids always seemed abit excessive while the kids of cabra and the rest of D7 were stuffed into oversized classrooms with no recreational outlets
Lets not forget the Gaelscoil in Cabra that have no heat or proper toilet facilites

The old chapel building is big and ugly, it has loomed over Cabra and D7 for years as an ugly eyesore, lets not put its ruins to waste and build adequate housing for D7, which its residents badly need.
The deaf community have enough with whats there by the looks of it

susiewoosie

Deandre Yummy Protein wrote: »

Its a horrible building IMO.

I'll drop in and take some photos during the week for this thread.

There is a website called Deaf Heritage.ie that has a gallery.

They recently held a tour inside the building for past pupils of St. Joseph's (before it demolished) - lots of photo's were taken but they don't seem to be up on the website (that I can see anyways)

A friend of mine took a pile of pics (interior) and has them on his facebook - I'll email and ask him if he can put them onto a public page and forward the link.

susiewoosie

A friend of mine took a pile of pics (interior) and has them on his facebook - I'll email and ask him if he can put them onto a public page and forward the link.[/QUOTE]


Pics of the interior done by Deaf photographer Johnny Corcoran who says I can link his Facebook page -- there are 2 folders of pictures titled St. Josephs

http://www.facebook.com/corcoran.johnny?sk=photos

Andre80Johnson

Gerry Asstrix wrote: »

I dont mean sound insensitive but that whole institute always came accross as extremely lavish to me for what it was intended.

1) I know the deaf need utilities and adequate help, but acres of land with swimming pool, stables, dozens of modern buildings, soccor pitches etc, all for a small number of kids always seemed abit excessive while the kids of cabra and the rest of D7 were stuffed into oversized classrooms with no recreational outlets
Lets not forget the Gaelscoil in Cabra that have no heat or proper toilet facilites

The old chapel building is big and ugly, it has loomed over Cabra and D7 for years as an ugly eyesore, lets not put its ruins to waste and build adequate housing for D7, which its residents badly need.
The deaf community have enough with whats there by the looks of it

1) First of all. It is owned by Deaf people so while you think it may have been excessive for a small number of kids, you clearly haven't researched anything. St Declan's use the football pitch for whenever they need to. The swimming pool is open to people outside of the Deaf community. All the time. There was/is a non denominational school on the campus. Two schools are also on the campus, a primary school for Muslim people and an Irish school (They were there while their school was being renovated). Pretty sure I'm forgetting something. Oh yeah while back on the football pitches, again it's opened to people outside the Deaf community. Hell even Drogheda United trained there for a while 2002/2003. Lavish? While all this is going on, you'd think the kids be able to do anything? But no because the space is being used up like what I mentioned.

Deaf people have needs and it isn't being met anywhere so hence the village for Deaf people. It's a great idea. Least it'll make up for the lack of recognition of ISL.

donegalgirl28

Gerry Asstrix wrote: »

I dont mean sound insensitive but that whole institute always came accross as extremely lavish to me for what it was intended.

I know the deaf need utilities and adequate help, but acres of land with swimming pool, stables, dozens of modern buildings, soccor pitches etc, all for a small number of kids always seemed abit excessive while the kids of cabra and the rest of D7 were stuffed into oversized classrooms with no recreational outlets
Lets not forget the Gaelscoil in Cabra that have no heat or proper toilet facilites

The old chapel building is big and ugly, it has loomed over Cabra and D7 for years as an ugly eyesore, lets not put its ruins to waste and build adequate housing for D7, which its residents badly need.
The deaf community have enough with whats there by the looks of it

The school was built in the mid 1850's. There was loads of land back then. They housed 600-800 Deaf boys there every year. You think that they weren't squashed in a room where they boarded and went to school and only returned home for holidays such as Easter, Christmas and Summer. When the school was built, they were thinking on terms of the boys needs such as swimming, activites etc... They were isolated from their family and neighbour so they needed to recreate a community in the ground. Hence the reason for the vast amount of land. They needed swimming lessons (they couldn't just go home and get them), they needed sports to keep fit etc.. plus the Catholic church had loads of money.

FYI, there is a building which Deaf people use for say meetings, meet up, workshops etc... which is in Drumcondra. However, that building was basically paid off and told to get the **** out by the government so they could build their fancy new metro station there. Not Quinns, not Centra but a valuable centre for Deaf people where everyday is being used for all sorts of things.

So, they then started thinking about the future, what was gonna happen, all this land they had in St.Joeph's wasn't getting used so they decided to build a small community aka a village there this time basing on the needs of Deaf people in the 21st century. Deaf people are a close community, they need a swimming pool cos in their own area it's full of hearing people which Deaf people often full uncomfortable in, not to mention we have excellent swimmers who often compete in hearing and deaf games. One of which broke the European record for fasted 400m stroke or something. This was all down to having the swimming pool at the school when he attended the school as a boarder. If there was no swimming pool, then he probably wouldn't have achieved the success he has done so far.

Also, FYI, there will be a medical centre in the grounds also (CIDP sold off an acre) that all the Cabra and D7 residents can avail off.

P.S. Your attitude to society is appalling. Just proves the term; "People are not disabled, society disables them.".

Yillan

donegalgirl28 wrote: »

P.S. Your attitude to society is appalling. Just proves the term; "People are not disabled, society disables them.".

Obviously you know more about deaf people, their needs and history than the person you've quoted, but he didn't deserve this attack. He is not suggesting that the deaf people should just be marginalised and ignored, but simply was suggesting that maybe people living in terrible conditions in Cabra might benefit from the funding more than the deaf people, not knowing that it was a private venture. That more people would be helped with the same money, were it used improving the rundown areas of the city, rather than a facility for deaf people.

There's nothing appalling about that suggestion at all and that you have an interest in one side of the argument does not make it so either.

alexjk

My brother went to this school and I'll be sad to see it go because I used to love visiting the place when I was younger. Is everything being demolished or is just the school building and the swimming pool?

I think the idea of the deaf village sounds great though, having all these resources in the one area will make things a lot less complicated.

donegalgirl28

Yillan wrote: »

Obviously you know more about deaf people, their needs and history than the person you've quoted, but he didn't deserve this attack. He is not suggesting that the deaf people should just be marginalised and ignored, but simply was suggesting that maybe people living in terrible conditions in Cabra might benefit from the funding more than the deaf people, not knowing that it was a private venture. That more people would be helped with the same money, were it used improving the rundown areas of the city, rather than a facility for deaf people.

There's nothing appalling about that suggestion at all and that you have an interest in one side of the argument does not make it so either.

From previous posts in the thread, it was mentioned it was a private venture (the website to the project was linked to twice in the posts above his). Yes I can understand he is defending the Cabra residents and advocating the need for better and more housing but, he said;

The deaf community have enough with whats there by the looks of it

Obviously he doesn't realise the barriers Deaf people face everyday with access to news, radio, media, CIC services, Social Welfare offices etc... He could have been a bit more understanding and less ignorant in his post. Deaf people are a cultural minority and from his post he makes it seem like Deaf people are not important as the residents of Cabra.

The term that I used is a well known term and it wasn't aiming at him specifically but it was attitudes like that.

panda100

susiewoosie wrote: »

Can I ask why you think its a great idea -- I know it might sound obvious but I would be intrigued to know!

Well I think its important that the deaf community have a space they can feel comfortable in and that suits their needs. The facilities sound fantastic and I think are well needed in this day and age. I've never been to St.Joseph's, but have been to the deaf centre in Drumcondra once or twice, and there was a really nice atmosphere there.

d1975

I went to that school myself and sad to see it being knocked down, where will the spirits go lol (for years I was told that the top part of the old building where borders slept was haunted, I've spent 14 years there left in 1994


suprised it wasn't a proected building an all that?