Tir Eoghain and Máigh Eo supporters gathered in town today to cheer their respective teams in the match to decide which county takes home the Sam Maguire Cup. As they did so our own team met again on Moore Street in the long struggle against speculators and their friends, in defence of the oldest fresh food street market in Dublin and a 1916 Battleground. Only Bróna and Diarmuid were available today.
PEOPLE
Phylis, one of the street traders, was displaying a Mayo flag on her stall. She has nothing against Tyrone, she told us, just that her daughter-in-law is from Mayo and is living there with her son and grandchildren. “Tyrone, you’re on your own” is an oft-repeated phrase and certainly the red and white colours were comparatively rare today in a sea of red and green.
Business was slow at the table today and not all that many leaflets were distributed, which was a change from recent weeks. A sprinkle of rain was all that hit us while we were there and a few drops more as we were packing up.
UPDATES
We have no update, good or bad on the Moore Street area conservation struggle. We had hoped that by now the nominated buildings (apart from Nos.14-17) would be well on the way to becoming protected historical structures but despite two separate votes in favour of that over the years, we see no action as yet. The first battle, to get those motions agreed, has been won but the next one, actual action, is missing. Why not ask your local councillor to chase it up?
Again today, as many’s the time before, we directed some people towards the O’Rahilly Monument (of which they were unaware) in a lane just off Moore Street (in O’Rahilly Parade). Naturally unaware, since despite a number of promises over the years, Dublin City Council has consistently failed to erect signposts to indicate its presence.
Sadly, this week saw the disgraceful sale and dispersal of the contents of Howth Castle, one of the sites mentioned by Joyce in the opening lines of “Finnegan’s Wake”:
“Riverrun, past Eve and Adam’s, from swerve of shore to bend of bay, brings us by a commodius vicus of recirculation back to Howth Castle and Environs”.
And from us: “Anna Livid at City Managers mangling, speculator-speckled, specula, speculorum, amen.”
