A true public space for Dublin on College Green?

Consider the great world cities.  Consider how its people gather together.  London has Trafalgar where major public events are screened, and on which there are St Patrick’s festivities every March.  Time Square, New York; St Mark’s in Venice, Place de la Concorde in Paris and now Tahir Square in Cairo.  The list could go on; though Dublin would not be on it.

Dubliners lack a definitive meeting place.  Protests, concerts, welcome home parties or political rallies have no one gathering place, with the Garden of Remembrance or Merrion Square usually chosen though they are hardly appropriate.  Barack Obama’s visit in May gave us a clue though.

Environment Minister Phil Hogan wants to turn College Green into a pedestrianised plaza with the Bank of Ireland at its centre put to a cultural use.  Bank of Ireland still owns the former government building, but now that the government own Bank of Ireland they want it back. 

Historically the British are blamed (as ever) for the lack of public squares in Dublin as they sought to prevent public gatherings.  Temple Bar Square has been successful on a small scale.  While just south of it, the space in front of the Central Bank is often thronged with people.  It is the closest thing the city has to a decent urban space but it’s it feels like an afterthought.  The Grand Slam homecoming in 2009 was on Dawson Street.  O’Connell Street and the Phoenix Park were used for football though neither was appropriate.  Bill Clinton and Barrack Obama’s pep talks from College Green were different – though even then there was awkwardness with Obama not quite sure where to look.

Proposals drawn up recently suggest a version of Washington DC’s Smithsonian for the Bank of Ireland’s flagship building.  Proposals suggest a “cultural and iconic counterpoint” to the great city squares of the world and a “natural gravitational point”.  The document looks to redesign the space as cultural hub promisinglysaying that “effort should be made to re-imagine the entire quarter.”

Architects and urban designers agree that College Green is the best urban space in the city – and they all agree that its current layout is wrong.  Taking economics and traffic practicalities out of the equation, it ought to be realised that this should be the centre of Dublin – close to the historical city at Christchurch and not to far the shiny new one in the Docklands.  With the trees removed and statues reorganised, Dubliners would be allowed to reclaim the space, tour groups would gather before going to the museum, cafes and art sellers would sprawl from the fringes, crowds would gather to watch big sports matches, and waiting for a friend at the Front Arch would no longer find you clung to the railings of Trinity College as rush hour pushes indignantly by.

Noble visions and bureaucratic realities have a funny way of never coming together in this city however.  The hope remains for now though that Phil Hogan keeps badgering the Bank of Ireland to give the government their building back, and if they do he can then start worrying about the inconvenience of logistics and economics.

Families' fury at threat of untreated waste in the bay

PEOPLE in the picturesque seaside village of Skerries were appalled after a threat to pour raw sewage into the bay.

A last minute intervention reversed the move but residents are concerned it could happen again in the future.

In a move slammed by locals and environmentalists, the Electricity Supply Board planned to cut power to the town's water treatment plant raising fears that contaminated fluids would have to be released.

Worried locals who had worked tirelessly to secure a Green Coast award for environmental improvements on the South Beach in Skerries were fearful that all their good work would have been for nothing.

They are now criticising Fingal County Council for having no Plan B in the event of problems at the plant.

On Tuesday a notice went out warning swimmers not to go into the water.

They were told that planned works by the electricity company could cause the waste water treatment plant to shut down. If this were to happen it would result in sewage being pumped into the South Beach.

Skerries Community Association warned: "We have been informed by FCC, that due to ESB work tomorrow, June 21, the pumping station at the Rugby Club, which pumps untreated waste water to the treatment plant will not have power to operate.

"It is likely therefore that untreated waste water will be discharged to the South Beach.

lobbying

"As such it is not advisable to swim on the South Beach, Springers or Captains tomorrow as the water may be polluted."

After sustained lobbying by local groups the danger was averted when the ESB and Fingal County Council bowed to pressure and agreed to work around the sewage plant.

The power company offered assurances that it would maintain enough power supply to keep the plant operational.

In a statement on Tuesday afternoon, the ESB said it had "put a contingency arrangement in place with Fingal County Council which will enable ESB to carry out the necessary reinforcement work to the electricity infrastructure," and they would keep the facility operational "thereby preventing and discharge of untreated waste."

A local source said: "We got a result. Common sense has prevailed. The bigger question is that Fingal County Council need a plan B, why they don't they have a generator?

"The size of the generator they would need is huge, but from an engineering point of view, there should be a plan B."

Without electricity the treatment facility reverts to its failsafe and starts allowing untreated waste water flow out to sea. Many residents of the tourist town were completely unaware of the potential environmental risk associated with the ESB improvement works which have been going on in Skerries over recent weeks.

The source added: "All raw sewage from Skerries is pumped to the plant for treatment.

"If it loses power there is a mechanism to release the untreated waste into the sea.

"It is a safety mechanism so that sewage doesn't back up people's houses but obviously we want to keep the beach in good shape too."

(for the Evening Herald, 22nd June 2011)