Costello Urges Minister to Publish Proposals for the National Monument 14-17 Moore St

MadsL

Motion on the Adjournment of the Dail,

The Need for the Minister for the Arts Heritage and the Gaeltacht to give details on the content of the report he received on the National Monument 14-17 Moore Street

16 Moore Street which was the final headquarters of the leaders of 1916 Rising, from where they surrendered to the British forces a week after the beginning of the 1916 Rising. Today, despite being declared a National Monument, the building is empty in a state of disrepair and has fallen into a derelict state. I am horrified every time I visit Moore Street, which is located in the heart of my constituency, when I see how such an important national historical site has been let fall into such a condition.

There has been long and concerted campaign to ensure that the significance of 16 Moore Street in the struggle for Irish independence is recognised. Descendents of the signatories of the 1916 Proclamation, the Save 16 Committee, the National Graves Association and local public representatives have fought the good fight over the years to have the buildings protected and developed as part of a 1916 cultural historical quarter, which traces the origins of the State.

In 2006 Dublin City Council placed No 16 on the record of protected structures. This was followed by an announcement by the Taoiseach to a great fanfare, in December 2006 declaring the houses 14-17 Moore Street to be a National Monument. A preservation order under the National Monuments Act was placed on 14 - 17 Moore Street in January 2007 by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. It was thought that National Monument Status would afford the terrace the protection it deserved but this was not to be. The National Monument has been allowed to become derelict and decay in front of our very eyes. Moreover, there are plans for significant commercial development within the actual boundary of the National Monument.

The terrace of houses is part of the "Carlton Site" which was to be a flagship project for O'Connell Street/Moore Street area. The Carlton Site is a key site for the City and there is broad agreement and acceptance on the need for the development to take place on the site. But the development of the site has been hampered for almost thirty years by legal wrangling over land ownership issues, and so the Celtic Tiger came and left and the site was never developed. Planning permission has now been granted by An Bord Pleanala for a major commercial and residential development on the site.

However, the permission which has been granted allows for development to take place on the site of the National Monument. The proposal for commercial development on the Backlands is seen by many as a desecration of the National Monument. Alternative proposals have been drafted by the Save 16 Committee, which would allow for the development of the Carlton site but which would be respectful of the historical significance of the National Monument. The proposals include the development of a museum and the restoration of the houses as they were in 1916. In this way the area from the GPO to Moore Street and Parnell Street could become a cultural historic quarter of Dublin City.

The centenary of the 1916 Rising will take place in less than five years. The planning for the centenary celebrations must start now and the terrace of houses including No 16 Moore Street must be included in those plans.

I understand that one of the main proponents of the Carlton Site Development is now in NAMA. There is uncertainty as to when the site can be developed and it is clear that the massive development granted permission cannot be achieved in advance of the centenary of 1916.

Minister, I believe that it is important that we act now to preserve and protect the National Monument. The Programme for Government specifically refers to developing a social or cultural dividend from NAMA. The terrace of houses from 14-17 Moore Street could provide such a dividend. We have an opportunity to restore the terrace of houses and develop cultural quarter from the GPO to Moore Street. It could provide a wonderful opportunity and would certainly be a fitting centenary project.

Minister, you now have the power to protect the National monument. It falls to you to ensure that any development that takes place on the site is respectful of the entire National Monument.

I understand that you have received a report on the current development proposals and that you will be making a decision as to whether to permit the development in the near future. I am asking that you make the contents of that report public before making your decision. I would further request that you use the unique opportunity presented by the centenary commemoration to develop the Moore Street area as a cultural historic quarter.

http://www.labour.ie/press/listing/13088501684470497.html

We are less than 5 years to the Centenary - is there ANY political will in this country to make an effort to see that the built fabric of the Rising is restored? Or will the 2016 Commemoration just be a tarted up, scaled up version of the usual, whilst around the corner Moore St rots into the ground...

Who will lead the effort to make 2016 Ireland's biggest tourist year since the Ryder Cup?

MadsL

Wow, 3 hrs. 15 views, no replies.

Burn the place then so....

CiaranC

MadsL wrote: »

Wow, 3 hrs. 15 views, no replies.

Burn the place then so....

Dont think there is any appetite for a monument to our failed Republic.

joshrogan

I don't think it'll take 5 whole years to complete the restoration project, they'll have plenty of time.

MadsL

I don't think it'll take 5 whole years to complete the restoration project

There is NO restoration project - just a NAMA'd €2bn Shopping Centre pipe dream and a hole where the Royal Dublin used to be...:rolleyes:

johnnyskeleton

MadsL wrote: »

Wow, 3 hrs. 15 views, no replies.

Burn the place then so....

1916 stuff is a bit like James Joyce houses. All fine and well in their own right, but there are dozens of them and they can't all be kept as tourist attractions atthe expense of the state.

They can't be bulldozed if there is a protection order, so presumably any development will nit knock them. If there is no development then they will stay as they are.

jank

I agree with the OP. A national fund should be set up and areas of historical importance should be restored and rejuvinated (within reason of course). Would be a good legacy from the current government, bad and all the economy is at the moment. Should be all ready for 2016.

We desperately need some national pride, this may help in the short run.

hotmail.com

I'm keen on history, but I don't see the point in keeping these buildings the way they are frankly. The Rising gets too much attention in my opinion, and the GPO is there to remind people of the event. That's enough.

Einhard

I'd much rather that the GPO was re-developed, with a focus on the Rising and its legacy. As another poster pointed out, there are many buildings associated with that period in history, and we can't resuce them all.

MadsL

Einhard wrote: »

I'd much rather that the GPO was re-developed, with a focus on the Rising and its legacy. As another poster pointed out, there are many buildings associated with that period in history, and we can't resuce them all.

Do you not feel that the site of the last stand and final surrender is significant?

Dermo

I am all for restoring the buildings but where is the money going to come from?

Floppybits

Dermo wrote: »

I am all for restoring the buildings but where is the money going to come from?

In the 80's and 90's, if I remember correctly there schemes set up where people who were collecting social welfare were put on projects such as this and were funded by FAS, ANCO or manpower or what ever the name of the agency was in the day.

As far as I know there are a lot trades people currently claiming social welfare and should be assigned to work on a project such as this in conjunction with SOLAS.

Yes 1916 was a small part in the republic but it was starting point on our way to independence. Look at the other cities that have restored such buildings, London for example with the Cabinet and war rooms from world war 2. Ok, we cant restore every building but a buildings such as the ones in moore street should be restored to the way it was when the leaders of the 1916 rising surrendered and then open it to the public to see what it was like for the leaders in those houses at that time.

Someone said the GPO is there, yes that is true but you dont get a sense of what is like in there in the days during the Easter rising, this is something that can be done with those houses on Moore street.

MadsL

Floppybits wrote: »

In the 80's and 90's, if I remember correctly there schemes set up where people who were collecting social welfare were put on projects such as this and were funded by FAS, ANCO or manpower or what ever the name of the agency was in the day.

As far as I know there are a lot trades people currently claiming social welfare and should be assigned to work on a project such as this in conjunction with SOLAS.

Yes 1916 was a small part in the republic but it was starting point on our way to independence. Look at the other cities that have restored such buildings, London for example with the Cabinet and war rooms from world war 2. Ok, we cant restore every building but a buildings such as the ones in moore street should be restored to the way it was when the leaders of the 1916 rising surrendered and then open it to the public to see what it was like for the leaders in those houses at that time.

Someone said the GPO is there, yes that is true but you dont get a sense of what is like in there in the days during the Easter rising, this is something that can be done with those houses on Moore street.

This is an excellent idea, the Save 16 campaign have a vision for how this could look - Solas could very well provide the supervision and help train in conservation techniques for example. I'd love to see the Abbey given a new home where the Royal Dublin once stood creating a space for current cultural use leading through into the Moore Lane, back yards of Moore St...

Political will required...looking at you Mr Jimmy Deenihan.

MadsL

Dermo wrote: »

I am all for restoring the buildings but where is the money going to come from?

http://breaking.tcm.ie/ireland/report-nama-enters-debt-forgiveness-talks-with-developers-514906.html

It has been reported that NAMA is entering debt forgiveness talks with a number of property developers.

The Sunday Times has reported that around €37.5bn worth of loans given by banks to these developers will never be recovered.

This means the developers will escape from up to 60% of their liabilities.

In order to qualify, the developers will have to co-operate fully with the agency.

There are a lot of zeros but I believe 0.01% of €37bn is €370m, surely it could be done for that amount of money. Fitting too that at least one good thing comes out of that poisonous pool of debt.