Proposal to rename East-Link Bridge

Victor · 04-03-2016 6:32pm #1

http://www.rte.ie/news/2016/0302/772053-news-in-brief/

DCC to vote on name change to East Link bridge

A move to name Dublin's East Link bridge in honour of 1916 signatory Tom Clarke is be voted on by city councillors.

City council officials are recommending the proposal for acceptance after it was passed by councillors on the Commemorative Naming Committee.

Independent Councillor Nial Ring said he made the application because there is nothing in the city named after Clarke unlike other leaders such Connolly, Pearse and Heuston.

The East Link Bridge, which reverted to Dublin City Council's control this year, is due to to undergo refurbishment and a group called the Tom Clarke Memorial Committee is prepared to pay half the cost of a statue in his honour.

I think such a move would be quite misguided. Not only is it a waste of money to rename a bridge that has a perfectly good name, when there are more pressing needs, but there is already a Clarke's Bridge (seemingly named for a different Clarke) over the canal at Summerhill, complete with a little bronze plaque. Do you want to send ambulances to the wrong location?

There is also the Thomas Clarke House in Ballybough, so the quote attributed to Councillor Ring is wrong. Meanwhile, Clarke Station is in Dundalk.

At a time when people are homeless and transport and many other things need investment, I think the effort and money would be better spent elsewhere.

http://www.dublincity.ie/sites/default/files/content/YourCouncil/CouncilMeetings/Documents/Agenda.pdf

COUNCILLOR NIAL RING Received: 01/12/2014
Replaced: 16/02/2016

In view of the acceptance by the Commemorative Naming Committee of my proposal (supported by the Tom Clarke Memorial Committee and relatives of Tom Clarke) to have the City Council owned East-Link Bridge renamed the Tom Clarke Bridge in honour of the executed leader of the 1916 Rising, the Members agree that, in order to appropriately mark the renaming of the bridge, Dublin City Council will allocate sufficient funds from the 1916 commemorations budget and/or toll income to:
a. Fund a clean up and lighting of the bridge
b. Erect suitable and prominent signage on the bridge indicating its new name
c Undertake a publicity campaign to inform the public of the new name
d. Fund public competition for the design of a suitable memorial to Tom Clarke and/or 1916 on the green area at the toll booths
e. Fund the erection of the winning memorial in partnership with the Tom Clarke Memorial Committee
f. Fund an official renaming ceremony.

Hanley · 04-03-2016 7:44pm

Point a. - awesome.

Points b-f. - if that's what city councillors spend their days talking about, FML.

odyssey06 · 04-03-2016 8:32pm

Sheer tokenism... they're not even building a new bridge, just renaming a not exactly loved bridge in his 'honour' ... Given how much Dubliners have paid for using that bridge at this stage should we not call it the absentee landlord bridge???