BECAUSE OF EXTREME DRUGS RELATED ANTI-SOCIAL ACTIVITY
About a week before Christmas I met my next door neighbour and he asked me if I knew why the building beside the Luas Tram Stop was being boarded up .. . that is discussed below. Anyway, the following day I went to Trim, County Meath, for Christmas but on my return to Dublin I discovered that my neighbour had sold his apartment and had moved to Athy. Despite the fact that he had lived in his apartment for about thirty years no one appears to have known of his plan to move however I was aware that he was very upset by the riot that took place nearby a few weeks ago.
In the 1960s, Dublin City Council cleared Dominick Street of a number of the terraced houses that were in use as tenements and replaced them with eight blocks of five-storey flats, containing 198 units. With a renewed commitment to regeneration and the creation of sustainable communities, the decision was made to demolish these flat complexes and replace them with a mixed-use, mixed tenure scheme, within the 1.26 ha site.
The Dominick Street Regeneration Project has seen a small number of new homes built directly across the road from the old flats which are now derelict. The redevelopment project took at least two decades to complete and resulted in the replacement of about 200 sub-standard homes with about seventy two new units. The complex now includes 72 new homes, a community centre, a residential courtyard, ground floor commercial space, car parking and street improvement works on Dominick Street and Dominick Place. The design of the building aimed to separate the private world of the residents from the public nature of the city centre
Public access to the vacant Dominick Streets flats and an associated car park are now being boarded up to prevent constant and extreme drug-dealing and anti-social behaviour. Dublin City Council will secure the walkway and car park along the flat complex on Dominick street Lower following requests from local residents and gardaí (police).
The site will eventually be secured by hoarding at the front of the complex facing onto the Luas stop and the back of the complex will be secured by steel fencing.
Connolly Station, also known as Dublin Connolly, is the busiest railway station in Ireland, serving as a vital hub for both domestic and international travel [is a train every two hours to Belfast international travel?]. Situated in the heart of Dublin city centre, the station is a bustling gateway to Ireland’s rich history, culture, and natural beauty.
Towards the end of last year it was reported that Dublin Bus, Go-Ahead and the Luas Tram operator had been fined a total of €5m by Ireland’s National Transport Authority for late and cancelled journeys. My experience of Go-Ahead is limited to the 17 bus service which has been discontinued recently as the bus routes have been reorganised. I had to visit an old relative twice every week and she was located on Roebuck Road. I travelled there by getting the Tram to Windy Arbour and then the 17 to the Fosters Avenue end of Roebuck Road. However, the 17 service was so unreliable that I often gave up and walked to/from the tram stop. There was supposed to be a bus every twenty minutes but I frequently had to wait for close to sixty minutes (especially on Saturdays).
Towards the end of 2022 the Luas service received a penalty of €2.67m for the number of journeys not operated or which didn’t run to time. However, I have not found the tram service to be unreliable but I have noticed that many trams are too crowded for my liking and it is getting worse especially on the Red Line.
Today I decided to visit the Golden Bridge cemetery I was really surprised to discover that the tram was packed and it was only 2PM. When I got to the Drimnagh stop I was surprised by the frequency of the trams as there was one about every minute. It should be mentioned that if you wish to visit the Goldenbridge Cemetery you should get off the tram at the Drimnagh Stop rather than the Goldenbridge Stop.
When I was photographing this area someone asked me for directions to Jervis Street railway station … I assumed that they were looking for the nearby tram stop.
I think that the official name is Wolfe Tone Park but it’s more commonly referred to as Wolfe Tone Square. It’s a public space bounded by Mary Street to the north, Jervis Street to the east, and Wolfe Tone Street to the west. It’s a popular spot for outdoor events, street performers, and buskers.
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Today Sunday 8th October 2023 I decided to investigate the new 99 bus route servicing Phoenix Park. I arrived at the Parkgate bus stop [8208] at 15:25 expecting a bus to arrive at 15:30 but the bus did not arrive until 15:45. It would appear that the timetable only shows the times that the buses depart from the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre rther than from Patkgate Street and this is confusing to say the least.
Initially, the new shuttle bus service will run between Parkgate Street and the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre, via Chesterfield Avenue. Stops include Parkgate Street entrance and popular visitor attractions like Dublin Zoo and the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre. Visitors to Áras an Uachtaráin will be also facilitated with stops close to the Phoenix Monument. The Phoenix Park Transport and Mobility Options Study, developed by the Office of Public Works, the NTA, Dublin County Council and Fingal County Council, identified the need for a bus service to the park as part of its ambition to reduce private car usage, enhance sustainable transportation modes for visitors and commuters, and minimize the impact of vehicles on the park and its surroundings.
The study found that public transport accounts for an 18% share of all trips with a destination in Phoenix Park. As the largest park in Dublin, with numerous significant attractions and thousands of annual visitors, the new shuttle service will help to increase the numbers accessing the park via public transport.
The new bus route has been designed to allow a greater number of trips to be facilitated by public transport to and from the Phoenix Park, taking into consideration the sensitive environment of the Phoenix Park. Once the service is operational, The NTA will assess customer feedback and demand, adjusting the hours of operation where required.