'Reclaim the Site' festival

by anarchaeologist - PRA Thu Sep 27, 2007 10:07

There has been a fair bit of agitation over the development in this part of Belfast and Sunday's taking it in the right direction.

The site faces you as you come up the Falls, just past Milltown Cemetery on the left and the Falls Park on the right. It forms a triangle with the Andytown and Glen Roads, the apex pointing back at you, down the Falls.

The site of the former RUC/British army barracks is surprisingly small and you'd wonder what the standard of comfort was like for those within. You don't have to think much though of what it must have been like to have had this huge structure right in the middle of your community.

Prior to its clearance, it was surveyed and recorded by archaeologists attached to the DoE. You could until recently still see some graffiti from the site's military occupation on the wall behind.

I don't quite know the full background to the campaign though and would like to know more.

I wonder if there's any further info on the campaign available on the web?

by Ciarán Ó Brolcháin Thu Sep 27, 2007 16:44

The website's still under construction. It should hopefully be ready before long.

by aine archaigh - Druidutti Colm (M-L) Thu Sep 27, 2007 22:57

This piece got me thinking about other prime plots of land in Belfast which are surely up for grabs. I see however the heritage industry appears to have claimed the Crum and part of the Kesh.

Something similar has happened in Dublin over the past few years which has hardly received any attention here or in the corporates. Down here, several large military installations have been sold off to developers to create new neighbourhoods and the like, with good retail and health spas and the obligatory coffee shop/Spar.

Clancy Barracks in Islandbridge is a case in point. As is the old Isolation Infirmary on Infirmary Road. This of course is just across the road from the former Military of Defence lands which are now being developed as Dublin's new Central Criminal Courts. Griffith Barracks on the SCR, a private university with strong connections to the present regime, is also something of a misuse of the property of the Irish people (however, the national school within the curtilage is the tops).

As far as I can see, none of the profits from these sell-offs ('cause more are to come) will acrue to the Irish people. Ok, the army seems to be getting most of it for new equipment, transport and nice new combats, however, unless you're directly connected to the army, you're not getting much out of the deal.

Hats off to the community in Andytown/Upper Falls/Glen Road.

It would be good to post a pdf of a leaflet on Indy if you can...

Relax, city culture

by Anto - TPO Tue Oct 16, 2007 08:49

As reported on the BBC the Carvell Group have since withdrawn their planning application for the apartment block citing the likelihood of delays in the planning process making the project unviable.

A resounding victory for local community action! In fact it didn't take much for these guys to back down, just a decent demonstration that the community was willing to act.

At the forefront of community proposals for the site is a memorial garden dedicated to both Harry Holland and to the hundreds of victims of the troubles who passed the site to be be buried, directly opposite the entrance to Milltown cemetary.