Our main street

Kermit.de.frog

Or rather our national street.

Had the pleasure of a few hours on O'Connell St the other day.


A national embarrassment the street is with Quirky's or whatever it's called now (had a Chinese flag on it for some reason), junkies quite prevalent, Mc Donalds, Burger King, Spar....all sorts of tat.

Can't the council do something about it or the government? Demand standards maybe?

I can't imagine any other "main street" in Europe in another capital city looking anything like it.

Tourists visibly not comfortable. OF COURSE. When locals feel they might be mugged and they are familiar with the place imagine how visitors feel.

It's so disappointing how we sell our capital city. It's a disaster actually.

Some day a real rain...

RobbingBandit

It went downhill when the Floozie in the Jacuzzi was taken away.

Collie D

What would you do with it, OP? McDonald’s and Burger King have been where they are on OCS for as long as I can remember. And it’s certainly not the only major street in Europe that has them.

You spent a few hours on it according to your post so it can’t be that bad. I’d say you’re exaggerating a bit.

Trigger Happy

It's a dump all right. Grand central for the cities scum.
To fix it though you would need cross agency long term thinking. That is not going to happen quickly.

Working class heroes

Yep, kip alright. Hasn’t been the same since that bunch of gangsters were holed up in the GPO. Only went downhill from there....

mr_edge_to_you

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

Mc Donalds, Burger King, Spar....all sorts of tat.

Not unlike Grafton St so!

In all seriousness though, sadly I don't think it's ever going to change. Sure there's two major sites available on it as far I know - Clerys and there's another massive site beside Dr Quirkeys (they have it covered over with a mesh curtain). If that was Grafton St, somewhere on the southside or even Henry St, they'd be snapped up and occupied/redeveloped.

I spent a large portion of last year commuting through O'Connell St and during the summer the footpaths were manky. It was like people poured gallons of coke all over the place. Apparently, it was sap from all the trees falling. Either way, it made the place look and feel like the kip that it is now considered.

Doesn't go either that the anti-everything people take over the place outside the GPO with their ridiculous protests.

Yamanoto

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

I can't imagine any other "main street" in Europe in another capital city looking anything like it.

Las Ramblas, Champs-Élysées , Damrak, Wenceslas Square & outside almost every Hauptbahnhof in Germany are all variations on a scene from the walking dead.

It's planning (or lack thereof) that sets the tone for an area & O'Connell St has long been left to rot. The pity is if you take your eye above the shopfronts on O'Connell, Marlbourough, Henry & Mary streets, you'll find charming detail on many of the buildings which have remained intact since the 1700/1800's.

Allinall

Spar is tat???

McMurphy

Kermie, if you hate Ireland as much as many of your threads suggest you do, go on and emigrate, leave the place, skidaddle, aur revoir, Auf Wiedersehen, feck off.

Don't let the big green door hit your tailless arse on the way out.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Every main Street in every major European city has fast food restaurants in it. It's to target tourists with reliable brand names before they get a chance to try a local cafe (Heaven forbid!) and get some healthy regional food.

Assetbacked

People have been saying this for as long as I can remember. While I agree, it does have a lot to do with the junkies making the street feel unsavoury but also the people that live around Dublin 1. Not exactly the kind that venture too far beyond Penny's, fast food and off licences.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Johnny Dogs wrote: »

Kermie, if you hate Ireland as much as many of your threads suggest you do, go on and emigrate, leave the place, skidaddle, aur revoir, Auf Wiedersehen, feck off.

Don't let the big green door hit your tailless arse on the way out.

So the place is beyond criticism, then?

Alf Veedersane

Princess Consuela Bananahammock wrote: »

Every main Street in every major European city has fast food restaurants in it. It's to target tourists with reliable brand names before they get a chance to try a local cafe (Heaven forbid!) and get some healthy regional food.

Healthy regional food or alternatively poorly cooked shìte thst tastes worse than the awful pictures outside lead you to believe

McMurphy

Princess Consuela Bananahammock wrote: »

So the place is beyond criticism, then?

No, and I never said it was. Where did you get that from?

ToddyDoody

My favourite is pick and PAY!

Badly Drunk Boy

I was on 'our national street' (#notmymainstreet since there is actually life outside Dublin! :pac:) on Friday, and yeah, it's not great but I'm sure the Irish will always judge it more harshly than visitors. And I probably wouldn't even notice half of things that locals would since I only pass through it a few times a year. I had my own things to do, so an analysis of the my immediate environment at that moment in time wasn't high on my priorities.

Do tourists really look that comfortable while on O'Connell Street or is the OP just projecting his own preconceptions and assumptions onto them? "I think it looks terrible so our visitors must feel the same, and they'll never come back and that's the end of tourism in Ireland!".

As others have said, main streets in other international cities have similar issues but unless it's really bad, that's not what's going to stick with you if you're visiting it fleetingly.

Yurt2

A genuine cultural attraction of national importance on the street wouldn't go astray. The Abbey should be moved to the Carlton site (if there are not any plans on the table for it already).

Mad_maxx

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

Or rather our national street.

Had the pleasure of a few hours on O'Connell St the other day.


A national embarrassment the street is with Quirky's or whatever it's called now (had a Chinese flag on it for some reason), junkies quite prevalent, Mc Donalds, Burger King, Spar....all sorts of tat.

Can't the council do something about it or the government? Demand standards maybe?

I can't imagine any other "main street" in Europe in another capital city looking anything like it.

Tourists visibly not comfortable. OF COURSE. When locals feel they might be mugged and they are familiar with the place imagine how visitors feel.

It's so disappointing how we sell our capital city. It's a disaster actually.

We have an altogether useless police force

Tails142

Maybe the brits will come back with that gunboat aiming for the GPO again and level the whole street

Harry Palmr

Sackville Street has been in decline ever since the Free State was established.

The Satanist

There's been more rejuvenation attempts at it than I've had dinners. Maybe it's time to tackle the real problem - nuke the north inner city.

Beechwoodspark

Was on OCS on thurs last and first thing I noticed was 2/3 big groups of tourists maybe 50 ppl in all on guided tours around the street.

They looked enthralled and really happy to be on OCS. The guides seemed informative from the brief time I spent near them.

Further up I saw good numbers of ppl talking photos of the spire and the GPO and statues in the middle island of the thoroughfare.

The hustle and bustle of the street is easy to see. The shops seem to be full of contented shoppers and also ppl just browsing

Then of course you have ppl sampling the wide selection of food offerings from venues on the street. Most businesses appear to be thriving.

However further up around where Quirkeys is needs regeneration as a few empty units there. And also would be great to see what was clerys reopened as a department store and if possible employ the old staff from before it closed down.

I saw guards patrolling the street and guards visibily stationed at the GPO.

I saw a good few undesirables yes but no more than is the norm throughout Dublin city centre.

JupiterKid

I'm involved in a group that is looking to turn the fortunes of O'Connell Street around.

We are a voluntary society set up a year ago. We care about our national thoroughfare and want to see it in the shape it was 50 odd years ago when it had respectable, decent shops and was a place to enjoy and not just pass through quickly.

We have drafted a Vision Statement for the street and know realistically that our aims won't be achieved overnight.

Good news is that Clerys is finally being redeveloped and the huge Carlton site on Upper O'Connell St will also see work getting underway later this year - there will be a new retail and mixed use development there that will bring activity and life to that part of the street. We are also lobbying City Councillors and candidateds running in the upcoming local elections to get them onside.

Another issue that needs addressing the the number of drug clinics just off the street - most of these need to be relocated to take a lot of the scummy element away.

We are the O'Connell St Revival Society. Check out our FB page, or better yet...join up!

Pythagorean

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Sackville Street has been in decline ever since the Free State was established.

And even more so since Nelson's Pillar was blown up by our great "patriots":mad:

John_Rambo

JupiterKid wrote: »

I'm involved in a group that is looking to turn the fortunes of O'Connell Street around.

We are a voluntary society set up a year ago. We care about our national thoroughfare and want to see it in the shape it was 50 odd years ago when it had respectable, decent shops and was a place to enjoy and not just pass through quickly.

We have drafted a Vision Statement for the street and know realistically that our aims won't be achieved overnight.

Good news is that Clerys is finally being redeveloped and the huge Carlton site on Upper O'Connell St will also see work getting underway later this year - there will be a new retail and mixed use development there that will bring activity and life to that part of the street. We are also lobbying City Councillors and candidateds running in the upcoming local elections to get them onside.

Another issue that needs addressing the the number of drug clinics just off the street - most of these need to be relocated to take a lot of the scummy element away.

We are the O'Connell St Revival Society. Check out our FB page, or better yet...join up!

Excellent stuff Jupiterkid... FB page looks good. I'm sure our concerned Kermit.de.frog will be joining up because he's not a keyboard warrior that complains about things on the internet but does nothing about them.

Hal3000

JupiterKid wrote: »

I'm involved in a group that is looking to turn the fortunes of O'Connell Street around.

We are a voluntary society set up a year ago. We care about our national thoroughfare and want to see it in the shape it was 50 odd years ago when it had respectable, decent shops and was a place to enjoy and not just pass through quickly.

We have drafted a Vision Statement for the street and know realistically that our aims won't be achieved overnight.

Good news is that Clerys is finally being redeveloped and the huge Carlton site on Upper O'Connell St will also see work getting underway later this year - there will be a new retail and mixed use development there that will bring activity and life to that part of the street. We are also lobbying City Councillors and candidateds running in the upcoming local elections to get them onside.

Another issue that needs addressing the the number of drug clinics just off the street - most of these need to be relocated to take a lot of the scummy element away.

We are the O'Connell St Revival Society. Check out our FB page, or better yet...join up!

Fair play bit of national pride and action. Well done.

Muahahaha

Fair play Jupiter Kid.

I reckon half the problem on OCS seems to be the policing strategy of leaving one Garda at the GPO and often none to be seen anywhere else on the street. What it needs is two Gardai on bicycles constantly riding up and down the street and nipping trouble in the bud. The junkies and alcos would soon get the message and hang out elsewhere. As it stands now apart from the solitary Garda outside the GPO there is next to no police visibility on the street so the junkies know they have free rein.

Only there a few weeks ago on a sunny day I saw a gang of 10 alcos who had completely taken over the steps of the Daniel O'Connell statue and were fighting and generally throwing abuse at each other and other passers by. And right there you have tourists trying to take photos of the very statue. Its outrageous how far the Gardai have let things slide on OCS, if the same crap was going on in Grafton St you'd soon find the Gardai would clamp down hard on it. But on OCS anything goes from what I can see.

Edgware

Any chance we could bring back the gunship "Helga" to improve the kip?

janfebmar

Pythagorean wrote: »

And even more so since Nelson's Pillar was blown up by our great "patriots":mad:

Nelsons Pillar was a great tourist attraction and I believe (well, it was blown up before my time) you could climb the steps and have a great view over the city. Shame it was destroyed. That needle just reminds me now of all the drug addicts around the place: I overheard a guide joking that to a group once too and the group laughing.

Irexit

O'Connell St has become a public toilet.

sabat

I was getting the last bus at 11.30pm from outside McDonald's on Upper O'Connell St a few weeks ago and there were two different junkie couples with babies in prams scoring drugs from the rabble that congregate along that stretch around funland and Dublin Bus HQ.

wakka12

Yeh this topic is talked about a lot. I guess what differentiates it from the many other horrible Dublin streets is its strong potential to be an amazing public space which has never been even slightly realised despite so decades of talks of rejuvenation, and the fact that its called our main street, when grafton,henry,dame and thomas street seem a lot more important to the social and commercial life of the city than it

MarkY91

It's a nice street up until the spire. Then it takes a drastic nosedive..mostly due to the while block where Dr.quirkeys is. Vacant lots, disgusting little convenient stores. Wtf are they there for on a national street?

monkeybutter

Best Doughnuts in the country on O'Connell street, only reason to go near the place

Utter Consternation

If one were to take an evening constitutional down the luscious surrounds of Talbot street/Gardiner Street, one would be amazed at the welcoming environment and delightful locals who are always willing to inspect your wallet or unburden you of your personal belongings.

Mollyb60

When I worked in Dublin I was involved in the large scale redevelopment proposals that were submitted to DCC for planning approval. It would've covered the block between Moore St and O'Connell St around Dr Quirkeys and included apartments, offices, retail space and a museum for the houses on Moore St involved in the 1916 Rising. That was at least 10 years ago now but I seem to recall the planning was refused over objections from historical societies about the plans for the Moore St houses. As far as I know there was no pleasing the objectors so it killed the project dead.

OCS has some really stunning buildings on it like Clerys and the Ambassador and the Grand Central Hotel but that top part around Quirkeys really desperately needs some investment and buy in from DCC. So I'm very happy to hear about this O'Connell St Revival Society. Hopefully it revives the street a bit.

Snow Garden

Agree with OP. O'Connell Street is a complete kip. It's got so much potential too. Shame really.

Utter Consternation

It's not ideal that you have to keep your eyes open for puke on the footpath either. This can be said for every main street in Ireland after a weekend however.

Elmer Jones

Dublin all along the quays and around O'Connell street is extremely dirty looking (and it's been like that for the 10 years or so I've commuted to Dublin) and yet nothing has been done about it.


It's our capital city which should be showing off the country to tourists but instead we've decided to leave it looking like some **** hole provincial town.Dublin City Council should really be held to task for this and told to up their game, it's letting down the entire country.

Utter Consternation

Elmer Jones wrote: »

Dublin all along the quays and around O'Connell street is extremely dirty looking (and it's been like that for the 10 years or so I've commuted to Dublin) and yet nothing has been done about it.


It's our capital city which should be showing off the country to tourists but instead we've decided to leave it looking like some **** hole provincial town.Dublin City Council should really be held to task for this and told to up their game, it's letting down the entire country.

The boardwalk is not a place i'd linger at any time of the day.

Elmer Jones

Utter Consternation wrote: »

The boardwalk is not a place i'd linger at any time of the day.

No far too many scumbags hang around there alright , but even a lot of buildings along the quays are porly maintained at the front and it's just a really bad look for the city.

Another unsavoury aspect:. At any given time, at least one of the "bridge ovens" / ice cream makers / coffee machines will be "out of order" / broken inside one of these fast food restaurants on this street

Kermit.de.frog

I accept the point that there are Burger Kings and McDonalds on a lot of main roads around the world. Fair enough.

But Dr Quirkys? Sites abandoned/derelict? And don't get me started on shop signage although that's a city wide problem.

There should be standards for premises in the city center in terms of presentation. It looks terrible.

Looks like Sheffield or Sunderland instead of how it's marketed - a confident, forward looking, European capital city.

It looks anything but when you are walking around.

And then on Talbot Street - a huge Sports Direct store with it's "worst of British" huge signs. Classy eh? Who thought that would spruce the place up when Boyers frontage looked way better.

Shame really - and simple things could make it so much better.

CucaFace

The problem with O'Connell street is actually mainly just on the same side as the GPO for some reason. Really poorly designed buildings that look terrible, horrible gambling places that should be shut down, cheap Chinese restaurants and even a big hole where that hotel was demolished now at last 15 years ago and still nothing is there to this day. DCC are just useless. How the hell can someone own the land on O'Connell street and just leave it derelict for this long without the authorities coming along and say do something with it or sell it ?

The junkie problem on the street has improved a lot in the last 2/3 years in reality, they have been moved to the southside.

The fact that you could go hours without seeing a Garda on that street doesn't help with the antisocial issues happening there (especially later at night).

Cienciano

The Satanist wrote: »

There's been more rejuvenation attempts at it than I've had dinners. Maybe it's time to tackle the real problem - nuke the north inner city.

I agree with part of that. The problem with O'Connell street isn't the shops. It's the people. The amount of scumbags in the north inner city is crazy. From the boardwalks (OK, I haven't been on the boardwalk in about 8 years, they might be ok now) right up past Dorset Street. Junkie central. Any large area of council houses gives you a high percentage of skangers unfortunately.

EmmetSpiceland

The north side of the city centre is, for the most part, a dump. The parts over the ha’penny bridge up towards Henry St aren’t bad but up Parnell St and over to Gardiner St are horrible. East of O’Connell St too.

Even worse when the sun goes down.

Muahahaha

Elmer Jones wrote: »

No far too many scumbags hang around there alright , but even a lot of buildings along the quays are porly maintained at the front and it's just a really bad look for the city.

The buildings on OCS, all along the quays and Dame St especially are absolutely filthy and caked in road dust if you look up past the ground floor. In other countries owners have to powerwash them a few times a year but here it seems to be a case of ah sure it will rain, theres no need to clean them. But there actually is, theres buildings on Dame St that are almost black in colour but a good powerwash would make them a lot brighter.

CucaFace wrote: »

. DCC are just useless. How the hell can someone own the land on O'Connell street and just leave it derelict for this long without the authorities coming along and say do something with it or sell it ?

Its a good question. In the case of the Carlton site flagged for a shopping centre the developer there went bust and got bailed by NAMA. During all this time when the site is laying derelict instead of being forced to use it or lose it he applied for and was granted a 7 year extension to the planning permission. I don't even think he will have a brick laid by the time the permission is up and it'll be another extension. By the time its all done that site on OCS will have been derelict for the best part of 20 years, DCC are next to useless at ensuring we have a nice public realm.

bear1

I must be one of the lucky ones to have never noticed the junkies on OCS..
There are **** streets in every city.

Utter Consternation

bear1 wrote: »

I must be one of the lucky ones to have never noticed the junkies on OCS..
There are **** streets in every city.

I think if you veer down Talbot Street/Gardiner Street you'll get to meet some 'authentic Dubs.'

Kermit.de.frog

The state of the northern part of the street on the western side.

https://www.google.com/maps/@53.3501301,-6.2605031,3a,75y,216.49h,90.82t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sDK0xX35xjldE31LiFVkWjg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

A "Funland casino" and other ****e right beside the Spire and GPO. Classy.

https://www.google.com/maps/@53.3515623,-6.2611078,3a,49.5y,215.47h,90.13t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1suL-_VH1cRgl4VMvQyeDzmg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.com/maps/@53.3518938,-6.2612595,3a,75y,293.76h,93.39t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sDYwada2X2iznHfjI5DrgOA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192