Question about George's Dock Dublin?

tinytobe

What is the reason that George's Dock in Dublin is drained?

It's been like that for a while now.

Gregor Samsa

George doesn't want people docking their boats there.

Calahonda52

drained for the white water rafting project fiasco and then left that way because of insurance issues around

anti-social behaviour and the kids from Sheriff Street using as a jumping in pool

tinytobe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121197538#Comment_121197538

But the Inner Dock does still have water and doesn't have these problems with insurance and anti social behaviour?

By the sounds of it it's more down to poor public sector thinking and acting rather than good reasoning.

One can hardly describe the status quo as something nice to look at.

odyssey06

As this is AH - there could have been some casualties at Oktoberfest otherwise...

Grayson

Oh you said DOCK being drained.

bodhrandude

It could be just a place in Ireland.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121197806#Comment_121197806

The Oktoberfest event has not occurred for some years, and the dock had water in it at the time too.

tinytobe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121198939#Comment_121198939

I think this drained dock is just a big eyesore.

Also wondering how does the Inner Dock get the water? It's not connected to a canal? Or is it?

elperello

Places like it in other European cities have been repurposed to make features that are attractive and add to the civic space.

DCC have managed to turn this potential into an eyesore.

tinytobe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121199414#Comment_121199414

What also surprises me is that George's dock is rather shallow. This means, it was never meant to be for bigger ships? Was this only for long boats and canal barges?

George's dock also doesn't connect to the Royal Canal, or only via the Liffey.

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121199544#Comment_121199544

It dates back about 200 years to a time when sea going vessels were much smaller than nowadays.

tinytobe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121199643#Comment_121199643

It's possible, that that's the reason. However look at St. Katherine's dock in London? It seems quite a bit deeper and still in use today.

So what's the point of keeping George's Dock anymore? It's only an eyesore? They could fill it up convert it into a nice park or something?

D3V!L

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121199976#Comment_121199976

Totally agree. At least with water in it there was something nice to look at . I've worked in a building overlooking it for 7 years and since they drained it the dock is now just full of rubbish.

Fill it in , put a nice park in it for the locals.

Fatnacho

Plans currently to turn it into a heated outdoor pool facility. Obviously will never come to fruition so it will probably be left to deteriorate for the next 50 years instead.

https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/dublin/2023/01/10/first-look-at-all-season-heated-public-pool-for-dublins-georges-dock/

loyatemu

I think it has been partially filled in which is why it is shallow, possibly for safety reasons when the platform was built in the middle for the Octoberfest (it's also been used for crap Xmas markets and a few gigs). The local scamps still jump in the inner dock whenever the temperature goes above 10C. It was used for big wooden ships when it was originally built so must have been deeper. There was once a 3rd dock where the green IFSC buildings are now.

The rafting plan is dead, but AFAIK the Lido pool plan is just a proposal by an independent group, and is not a council objective (yet).

Larbre34

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121200082#Comment_121200082

**** the locals, they've wrecked everything all along the linear park by the Convention Centre, including the sculpture of Luke Kelly multiple times. Bunch of ungrateful knuckle draggers all around that area.

As for George's Dock, there has long been complaints that the City doesn't have a grand square, a place to assemble, celebrate, protest, speak, listen.

Filled in, George's Dock would be larger than a soccer pitch, at about 83,000 sq. ft. You could fit 20,000 safely into it and when its not being used for assemblies, you could operate the square as a venue for festivals, markets, summer outdoor theatre, free concerts and events around Paddy's Day, fairs and circuses. And in the process of filling it in, you could fit it out for under-surface heating, power, water, lighting, a beautiful Dublin granite finish, lined with public art and meeting places.

This 10 year old layout at Granary Square, King's Cross, London, comes to mind as a good example

mikemac2

A long time ago like 15 years ago they called it "plage" as in French for beach for some days

They dumped sand into it if I'm remembering correctly and put in tables and chairs and sold drinks. Pretty forgettable but at least it was being used for something.

That happened at least one year, maybe two and never happened again.

spacetweek

I have to work beside this and it makes me insanely angry that this public amenity has been left in such a state. I can think of no reason for its abandonment other than just sheer negligence.

Today I noticed a hobo has pitched a tent in it. He’s in for a shock if they start to refill it!

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122202956#Comment_122202956

It is Dublin City Council's stewardship of the city in microcosm.