AN AIMSIR
Bhí sé ina bháisteacht trom i gceathanna, ach sheasamar an fód. The weather was bad with heavy rain showers but we stuck it out.
DAOINE
The Foireann (team) was Bróna, Deirdre, Steve and Daniel, with Mary dropping in (and Diarmuid away visiting relatives), all kept busy discussing with people despite the weather.
Mary gave a man called Cian a short history tour after he had bought a badge.
A Romanian father enquired about the purpose of the petition and his son translated, then both signed. The father kissed Bróna’s hand which quite impressed her.
Bróna chatted to a Cork man she described as a “lovely man”. Another one of Bróna’s lovely men was telling her that Pearse Park GAA was named for Willie and not his brother Pádraig.
A woman talked about the impact of Summerhill Parade 5-storey apartments building developments behind her cottage.
TORIES
Claudia from South Africa recalled her great-grandparents Hannah and George Price who in 1916 had Price’s China Emporium in No.23 Moore Street.
Claudia’s Granny emigrated to South Africa but told grandchildren about feeding rebels but later claiming insurance for 1916 Rising damage. China is an example of the many non-edible goods once sold in the street. (see also HISTORY).
BADGES AND LEAFLETS
More of our campaign badges got sold again and at this rate we’ll soon run out of our stock. The badge image is of a ‘grotesque’ that sits on the apex of No.55 but, as we say, “it’s not as grotesque as what the property speculators and authorities are trying to do the Moore Street Battlefield Area.”
We DID run out of leaflets and have ordered more from our printers’, to be collected before the weekend. It’s donations from the public that keep us going on expenditure of that sort and others – like paying to register planning objections.
UASDÁTÚ
Destructive Metro Station Application
Campaigners have known for years of the plan to include a Metro station entrance/ exit in Moore Lane (the main entrance in O’Connell Street), part of the grand Hammerson plan (though they don’t run the Metro work). Along with the Hammerson application to demolish and build there, the combined impact will be to create a narrow canyon of Moore Lane impeding the proper visibility of and respect for the O’Rahilly monument there – which both Dublin City Council and the Office of Public Works have neglected to signpost for years. That application, if granted, would also help Hammerson to get their application to build on the site extended to 15, which their original application insisted was necessary but which was reduced to seven by DCC’s Planning Department.
Government, Council managers and big business certainly know how to work together!
And if we fail to stop it, will the State be paying Hammerson rent for using the site for the Metro exit? https://www.irishtimes.com/…/planning-application-for…/?
New Market Opened – and closed
As we reported last week, the much-publicised new market hit Moore Street on Thursday 22nd with some publicity events and on the 23rd with Culture Night but will NOT be there again until Hallowe’en, according to information received.
HISTORY
A Cumann na mBan volunteer called Leslie Price by the way was also in the GPO garrison, originally posted to the Hibernian Bank building at the corner of O’Connell Street and Lwr. Abbey Street. She was beside Vol. Captain Weafer when a bullet passed through the window and killed him and another male Volunteer was also shot. She was sent to find a priest for the dying fighters and also did dangerous courier work in the O’Connell Street area.
Later when the whole of O’Connell Street from the Liffey to where the Spire is now had been destroyed by British shelling and resulting flames, Vol. Weafer’s body had to be left in the building and was never recovered. The Hibernian Bank building (currently the Permanent TSB), like all the buildings in that part of the city centre and many others, was rebuilt but a plaque records the deeds.
On the Friday of Easter Week, Vol. Leslie Price was in the mainly female evacuation to Jervis St. Hospital but went on to the Four Courts garrison where she was arrested. Leslie later became President of Cumann na mBan, took the anti-Treaty side and married famed guerrilla leader Tom Barry.
Mar is gnáthach, you can help spread the word by the occasional sharing of our posts and ask your contacts to do the same.