We somewhat have ourselves to blame, we want content for free so the revenue source has changed and the consumer has become the product.
Thats the sad reality of it, look at all the recents articles of weather bombs and freezing temperatures. The media and what passes as journalism and news is currently a disgrace.
I've said it numerous times, I know they're very busy with actually designing the infrastructure but Tii need to far more procative in creating positive spin and pr around their projects.
Negative sells better, these aren’t journalists anymore they are in sales.
I know its not the worst article they have wrote but why not write about the 10 Benefits that the Metro will bring
But they'll not argue on the basis of a binary metro or no metro. They'll pull apart the decision making process and point to a decision where one option that scored lower on environmental grounds but was considered best option overall was made and say that be their argument, not that there shouldn't be a metro at all.
TII will be well prepared for what JRs might come. The work the Greens have done in the background with the planning court etc. will pay off here.
The project is so consequential for the city that any environmental impacts, typically the "go-to" choice of JR, won't stand up in court, as it can easily be argued that not building the metro would have a far larger environmental impact.
Overall it's a well balanced article, points out ridiculous complaints and includes TII's response to each complaint regarding mitigation measures, minimizing disruption and long term benefit. I also like that they used the actual $9.5B estimate and not the crazy "unknown unknowns" inflated nonsense.
Smyths says the loss of the toy shop “would be significant given the expected population growth in the area”, especially of the “young population”.
Good God! If Smyths was worried about a growing population of young people they might be more supportive of building a METRO to the city centre!!! They'd swear they're not being compensated for it or that Dublin lacks suitable alternative locations to rebuild! From the article it sounds like they want TII to decide their location rather than picking a suitable one themselves, Christ almighty.
It makes an appearance in James Joyce’s Ulysses and “contains high-quality works including the existing signage at front elevation”, owners Michael and Peter Hedigan say. “The demolition of the premises will thus remove a building noted for its heritage and connection to the local area.” ..... The brothers did themselves twice apply for planning permission for the substantial demolition of the building and its replacement with apartments and a new pub.
LOL 😅😅 there's a difference between knocking for a vital METRO and knocking to rebuild a new pub and apartments!!! Christ almighty.
Yes, definitely not the worst, there's a long list of worse articles that they've pushed out over the years.
It is quite funny seeing them all listed out like that, it really puts it in perspective for me, these complaints against an infrastructure project that will change the face and nature of the city for the next 100 years. Some of the submissions are totally spurious, like the Hedigans pub one: "We tried to knock this pub down, and because we got rejected, so should you". The park at the Mater too, "we have a private park that is locked 99% of the year, and we'd like to keep it to run fundraisers please".
It's more a list of people likely to take a JR though, which is depressing. Charlemont Square, Trinity and the OPW are the most likely, in my eyes.
To be fair, not the worst article I've seen from them on the subject. Tbh , when it started with Smyths toys, I didn't hold out much hope the rest of article.
The Times running with a negative story about the Metro. It would kill them to run a story of all the good the metro will bring.
the Dublin MetroBus plan will have been already anounnced by then to replace it.
There will be shovels in the ground or the project will have been cancelled and the latter is (thankfully) still a fairly remote possibility.
I would be very surprised if shovels weren't in ground by Q4 2025 to be honest.
The race is on!
The second last Western European city to build rail to its capital’s airport, Luxembourg, is opening a tram extension there in early 2025. We will then be the only one left.
Let’s set ourselves a target that at the very least we need to be under construction on Metrolink by the time Lux opens there rail link to the public.
On your marks!
This is the most positive news I've heard on PT in Ireland in years.
I'm now hearing that DART+ SW will not require an oral hearing, perhaps due to relative lack of concerns. DART+ W are expecting to be granted their railway order this month. Separately metrolink hearing will get going on the 19th. We may still see contract awards and some prep works before the end of the year on all 3 rail projects which is massive for Dublin, and Ireland
The hour long lecture from Sen. McDowell will be a turgid affair.
I went down through the list of people who want to have their 15 minutes of fame at the Oral Hearing. It is one hell of a long list! It's no wonder everything takes so long to get through in Ireland. I understand that it is major project, but I don't think I've seen an oral hearing as long before.
All this does is adds to the cost and time to get through this project that is of vital national importance. Residents associations, OPW has a full day...
It's scheduled to start on the 19th:
Searching that case number and clicking Additional Information brings up the agenda with the timelines for the various speakers across the days of the hearing.
Media just keeps saying 'car ban'. I suppose they need clicks from the most simplistic in our society.
Not sure if anyone ever confirmed the date on the Metrolink Oral hearings, but Eamon Ryan said that it'll be in the next two weeks while he was on Miriam O'Callaghan yesterday.
Thanks for clarifying - I didn't actually think you were allowed in if you hadn't made a submission! Every day's a school day!
Just to clarify anyone is allowed to sit in and listen. In order to speak at the oral hearing you needed to have submitted an observation after the application was submitted and then responded to the letters ABP sent out to those people about 4 weeks back about the oral hearing.
It's only open to people who made a submission to ABP
Any comment for the above post?
Is the Oral Hearing open to anyone walking up to the Gresham Hotel or does one need to register somewhere?
Not true, the M8 motorway opened in May 2010, Aer Arann cancelled their Cork route in August 2010. The M7 fully opened in December 2010 and Ryanair ended their route in October 2011, so definitely after the Motorway opened.
Are Arann got out early as they were already facing strong competition from Ryanair and they saw what a challenge the motorway would be and Ryanair didn’t last long after the motorway fully opened.
While it certainly wasn’t as fast as it could be, it was faster then rail and VASTLY faster then the crappy old BE service prior to the motorway. Fares were also often much cheaper than rail due to aggressive pricing by Ryanair.
The motorway really put the nail in, when you consider the door to door time of driving versus getting to and from the airport and the waiting around at the airport time. Also the new non stop Aircoach service to the airport.
I do think there is room for some sort of service as Chris mentions above.
Kerry has not been PSO since Stobart went pop
Donegal is an absolutely essential service
In 2007 there were 2.1m internal passengers, I suspect 2023 will be under 100k
Just before Covid, Stobart were really thinking of reintroducing Cork - Dublin flights. Not for the direct flight, but to link into Aer Lingus' route network.
I reckon it would have worked. Check-in in Cork, up to Dublin on the flight, through pre-clearance and onto the US. Nice.
Dublin-Cork flights were long gone even before the motorway was completed. 20 minutes in the air, but with checkins, waiting on the runway and transport either side it was about 1h30+ and a lot of walking and standing, for three times the cost of the train. That train took an extra hour but was a lot less hassle. The bus was 4h+ in those days, but again, once you took your seat, you didn't have to move again until you arrived.
People often focus on travel times, and ignore the processes either side of that travel (another example: it's fast to drive to the city centre, but then you sit queueing for parking...)
