Dame St to lose greenspace to officeblock

national | miscellaneous | news report

Monday July 15, 2002 14:00

by Jon Wilde

You all know the geenspace on Dame Street - across from The Olympia. Apparently "City council spokesmen said something had to be done to mask the unsightly gable- end of the 18th century Sick and Indigent Roomkeepers Society building which overlooked the public garden." So they decided to plant it full of climbing vines, ivy and trees. HEH HEH, gotcha; no really infact they're gonna build a lovely glass and granite office block.

If you walk up Dame Street on a nice (yeh right) sunny evening, just after all the majestic old buildings and banks, you come to a nice bit of greenspace with statues, flowers, grass, benches and even a fountain.
It's just across the road from The Olympia Theatre and beside the entrance to Dublin Castle.
This garden was created 15 years ago in 1988 to mark Dublins millennium.

It's overlooked by an 18th Century building which still bears the name "Sick and Indigent Roomkeepers Society". Not the prettiest of Dublins buildings true, but by far not the worst.

Anyway; say bye-bye. It's going.

Apparently "City council spokesmen said something had to be done to mask the unsightly gable- end of the 18th century Sick and Indigent Roomkeepers Society building which overlooked the public garden."

So what's being done? Well, they're going to take up one third of the space with a granite and glass office block with the remainder of the space being paved over with granite slabs. It's already passed all stages of planning.

There's a story in the Indo about it (you'll need to register for free)
http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=9&si=788863&issue_id=7712