Crucial stage in campaign to save Moore Street

The campaign to save the Moore Street 1916 battlefield site has reached a crucial stage. At the time of writing, we await the decision of An Bórd Pleanála on whether to confirm permission for plans that would see much of historic Moore Street and the surrounding streetscape demolished to make way for a shopping precinct to be developed by British-based property company Hammerson. 

The Moore Street Preservation Trust, the relatives of participants in the 1916 Rising, and other campaigners have lodged appeals to An Bórd Pleanála against the Hammerson plans. Dublin City Councillors have added some key buildings on the battlefield site to the Record of Protected Structures – thus affording them special protection under planning laws – but Hammerson are now challenging this in the courts. Management in Dublin City Council have signalled their intention to defend the Council decision when the Hammerson challenge comes to court later in the autumn. 

• The New Robert Ballagh limited edition prints are now sold out 

And there may well be a second and bigger courtroom battle. If An Bórd Pleanála upholds planning permissions for Hammerson, there is the possibility of a challenge to this decision by applying to the High Court for leave to seek judicial review. 

In May, it was announced that the Office of Public Works was commencing conservation work and the development of the long-promised 1916 centre at 14-17 Moore Street, an officially designated National Monument in State ownership after its purchase from Hammerson by the Government some years ago. The development of the museum and visitor centre was originally promised for the 1916 centenary in 2016. In response, James Connolly Heron said on behalf of the Moore Street Preservation Trust: 

 “News that work is finally to begin on 14-17 Moore Street is welcome, if very long overdue. This could be the first phase of a 1916 Cultural Quarter but for that to happen the destructive Hammerson plan for the Moore Street area, described by the National Museum as ‘a theatre of conflict and the most important historic site in modern Irish history’, must be rejected.

“However, we must await full details of what is planned and this should be published immediately by Minister of State for Heritage Malcolm Noonan.”

Further details of the plans for 14-17 Moore Street have still not been revealed. What is clear is that the Fianna Fáil-Fine Gael-Green government up to now has wanted to do nothing to jeopardise the Hammerson plans. Former Taoiseach, now Tánaiste, Mícheál Martin went even further. 

• Damien Dempsey was among an all-star line-up at a Liberty Hall concert for Moore Street

Back in June 2001 when Hammerson unveiled their plans for Moore Street, then Taoiseach Mícheál Martin supplied them with a glowing endorsement which they included in their press release, an astonishing direct intervention in the planning process by a serving Taoiseach. The same Taoiseach refused to meet Relatives of the Signatories of the Proclamation on the grounds that a Ministerial Moore Street Advisory Group was still deliberating – though this did not stop him endorsing the Hammerson plan. 

The Moore Street Preservation Trust has continued to campaign steadily in opposition to the Hammerson plan and for the Trust’s own innovative and exciting masterplan for the area, an alternative vision for the 1916 battlefield site. It has held exhibitions, public meetings, walking tours and concerts, as well as lobbying public representatives. 

The latest initiative of the campaign to raise awareness and funds for its efforts has been the commissioning of a striking new work by renowned Irish artist Robert Ballagh, depicting the 1916 leaders in 16 Moore Street around the bed of the wounded James Connolly at the end of the Easter Week. It is viewed through one of the breaches in the walls made by the insurgents as they moved between the houses 10-25 Moore Street. In the Hammerson plan, much of this terrace would be destroyed, including its centre at 18 to facilitate a new route between Hammerson’s proposed developments in O’Connell Street and the Ilac Centre on the west side of Moore Street which it also owns.   

• Mícheál Mac Donncha is a Dublin City Sinn Féin councillor