AIMSIR
The cold was bitter, even for the fingers inside fingerless gloves, the only ones we can wear and still be able to distribute leaflets (in particular that Saturday, Orla and Diarmuid’s jobs).
Handling things while packing up afterwards was difficult as fingers were reluctant to respond to instructions.
Weather is very much part of the scene for street markets, in particular open ones such as Moore Street. The Council provides no heating for the stallholders who have to stand there all day, nor toilets either.
The intermittent drizzle soaked our Cumann na mBan table flag and each time flags get wet, they have to be washed, dried and returned because rain is not clean, even in a de-industrialised city.
DAOINE
Bróna, Orla, Emily and Diarmuid were our foireann for the day. The icy periodic drizzle was discouraging and soaking some of our leaflets but nevertheless many came to sign our petition and to enquire as to progress with the campaign.
A great many were in town to attend the national demonstration in solidarity with Palestine and we had conversations with groups from many parts of the country, in particular Cos. Cork, Tyrone and Waterford, along with Belfast (Co. Antrim). We were glad to converse in Irish with some of the people from Tyrone who also had a Palestine solidarity placard in the language.
A group of women from Cork told us with regret of a campaign in their home town to save Coal Quay which was, they recounted, sadly lost. Another group of women, these from Waterford, assured us that the Moore Street market featured in the rural calendar for trips to Dublin for GAA semi-finals and finals and also late-night shopping in the run up to Christmas.
Bróna had to leave early to ensure she was able to get a bus out of the city centre; Emily, who took over at the table, had to leave near the end our our shift to get to the demonstration, being in turn relieved by Orla. However we packed up ok in good time.
UASDHÁTÚ
We got in our observation objections to part of the Hammerson Plan, listing relevant aspects of the Dublin Development Plan, by the deadline of the 11th January.
We are informed that 29th January is the date set to hear Hammerson’s objection to elected Councillors identifying buildings in the Moore Street area for historical preservation status. DCC’s Legal Dept. refused to answer nearly all our questions seeking information, even under Freedom of Information requests.
Apparently they are saying that they can’t reveal their defence because that would help Hammerson. On the other hand, we are being told that Hammerson have not responded to DCC’s defence, which indicates that a) DCC have already revealed their defence to Hammerson without the latter having even outlined their own objections and b) on the other hand, they won’t tell the campaigners or the electorate in general their defence which they’ve revealed to the speculator! You’d wonder which side they were on, sometimes …