UPDATE:
This is the last weekend before the deadline (Monday 13th December) for registering objections with Dublin City Council to the Hammerson demolition plan. We have posted instructions on how to have those objections registered and can send by a photo of the leaflet by Messenger from the FB page on request. There is also a template with suggestions on Troy’s Butcher’s Facebook page on 9th December (Troy’s are a family butchers of generations on Moore Street).
Hammerson have three applications before the DCC Planning Department and unfortunately to object requires a payment of €20 for each one. However, in the event of a decision going to appeal at An Bord Pleanála, only those who have registered objections will be permitted to participate in the appeal.
PEOPLE
The aftermath of the Barra storm gave us a damp but thankfully not raining day on the cobbles for our team – and also a lot less cold than it has been of late. Bróna, Mary, Órla and Diarmuid were our core team, joined for a while by Emily, visiting from the USA. And for a few minutes, Deirdre and her granddaughter visiting. Not exactly Nollaig na mBan (“Women’s Christmas”) which in English is called ‘Little Christmas’ and will be on 6th January – but pretty much with nearly an all-women team today.
As is usually the case, people from all over approached the table to sign the petition, not just Dubliners. Indeed, not just Irish people either and today we also had support from people with Zambian and Philippines background. An Italian here just for the weekend had been in Dublin about two years ago when he had signed the petition and knew some of the history but was interested in learning more.
A walking history tour went up the street and the guide used our display of flags to illustrate the variety that was flown during the 1916 Rising. He also gathered the group to hear a short resumé by Diarmuid. However all our team, Bróna, Órla and Mary too were kept busy today explaining things to people and hearing their own contributions.
There was a surprise for us when Bróna gave us lovely Christmas cards she had hand-made (see photo) and in the press of things Diarmuid forgot to hand out his own designed cards but of course there is still another Saturday to go before the holiday.
One of our supporters showed us a medal given to a veteran of the War of Independence (see photo) which had “Comhrach” (‘combatant’) inscribed upon it. Of course being a combatant — which few women were in the War of Independence or in the Civil War – is probably to risk life and limb more than the other kinds of revolutionary work but nevertheless unarmed work takes a lot of courage, i.e transport weapons, documents and messages and to gather intelligence, without being able to defend oneself against invaders and occupiers.
Beidh muid ar an tSráid arís next week and you can, as always, support the campaign by sharing our Facebook or website posts from time to time.
