Moore Street 2016 – A Battlefield Again

 A green Light has been given for the destruction of one of the most historically significant and colourful streets in Dublin – Moore Street. Many travelers to Ireland will know it for it’s vibrant fruit & veg market.

In this centenary year of the 1916 Irish Rebellion the Incumbent Fine Gael/ Labour government has seen fit to order the demolition of all but three buildings on this street, (behind the GPO), where the rebels retreated and eventually surrendered on that fateful Easter which changed the course of Irish History. Essentially our ‘Gettysburg’.

The buildings were taken over by the National Assets Management Agency (NAMA) during the property crash and sold via Project Jewel to Hammerson Retail and Allianz.  Now allegedly developers Lissadell and Kendlebell Mid-West plan to turn the area into a shopping mall surmounted by ultra shoe box apartments that fit controversial new standards brought in by Minister Alan Kelly. It is believed that some of these will become budget accommodation.
As you can read in previous offerings, Mick Wallace TD has pointed up many many problems with deals being made by NAMA. After an ongoing campaign by relatives and descendants of the 1916 rebels to save the historic street in it’s entirety, Heather Humphries (Fine Gael Minister for Arts and Culture) gave the green light for it’s destruction. This happened during Christmas week.

Currently members of the Save Moore Street Campaign are occupying the site preventing builders from destroying Irish History. Court proceedings are underway today questioning the demolition. The Lord Mayor of Dublin has called an emergency meeting tonight of Dublin City Council who oppose the government’s plans. Currently Minister Heather Humphries is calling the occupiers extremists and no doubt by tomorrow she will be calling them terrorists. Thus she is calling the Lord Mayor, who will preside over all of the 1916 celebrations, an extremist.

As it stands a shoe box museum will be ensconced in the midst of the newly built slums. In my opinion what would make more sense is for the whole street to be restored and turned into a complete ‘1916 multi media experience’ with history, music, drama, writings etc. Like Kilmainham Jail it would become a perennial ‘must see’ for the diaspora and other tourists. Solid jobs based on tourism would be the result. But I guess careerist politicians only care who’ll probably pay for their next election campaign.

Most of the detail on this article is from primary sources.
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Following are some related materials.

‘I slept in 18 Moore Street in protest this weekend. Once these buildings are gone, they’re gone’

Moore Street – Dublin’s Oldest Food Market

Dublin City Council vote against Moore St ‘land swap deal’

Dublin City Council apologises for planner saying Alan Kelly had been ‘bamboozled

Poll: Do you support the Moore Street occupation?

Minister queries motives of ‘extremist’ protest

Probe of Nama’s Project Eagle sale stalled as inquiry snubbed
Key figure Cushnahan ‘disengages’ from co-operating with Stormont investigation, writes Simon Rowe

Mick Wallace alleges threat from Cerberus
Independent TD claims investment firm said he would be ‘sorted’ over allegations