DAOINE
Bróna, Orla, Eileen and Diarmuid were the foireann inniu and the street was lively with the new stalls as our campaign group reached the 456 numerical sequence: four hundred and fifty-six Saturdays with a stall on Moore Street.
Many came to sign the petition as usual, particularly people with children, family groups and couples. Signers originated from different parts of Dublin and further afield, such as Monaghan, India and England.
Garry Baylon from the Irish diaspora in Birmingham but ‘returned’ to Ireland was happy to sign, pose for a solidarity portrait and chatted awhile. People from Birmingham call themselves ‘Brummies’ and Garry was amused when Diarmuid told him that the Irish word for Birmingham is ‘Brom’. The Irish word for Manchester is ‘Manchuin’ and people there call themselves ‘Mancunians’.
We had two idiots approach our table this week, one polite conspiracy theorist who accepted that we didn’t want to engage with his theory and signed the petition and another who mumbled some kind of racist rubbish and then became abusive when we wouldn’t entertain it. We were obliged to move him on.
There was discussion with some others about the 1916 Experience in the General Post Office building (which had been the HQ of the 1916 Rising from Easter Monday to Friday), which the garrison had to evacuate due to being set on fire from British shelling. People viewed the GPO display as positive but were bewildered or annoyed that it did not include the evacuation to Moore Street and continue the story to the surrender in the street on Saturday afternoon.
AIMSIR
Bhí cuma báistigh air/ it looked like there would be rain (literally: ‘The shape of rain was on it’) but it held off nicely, growing sunny later and warm enough to have us peeling off layers of clothing.
UASDHÁTA
No change as we await the High Court hearing for the Hammerson appeal against Dublin City Councillors naming five buildings for listing as of historical importance.
No change also with An Bord Pleanála’s long-postponed decision on our appeal against the Hammerson plan. It’s still outstanding but let’s face it, ABP decisions have a tendency to favour the property speculator over the conservationist, even overruling their own officers’ recommendations at times (as has occurred at least once before in Moore Street).
NÍ NEART GO CUR LE CHÉILE (there is no strength without united action).
What people can mostly do to help is to spread the word which can be done by sharing our posts on FB or website smsfd.ie on your social media from time to time. All your contacts potentially would then be reached and all together that’s thousands and hundreds of thousands of people.
