Medieval Origins: Liffey Street traces its roots back to Dublin’s medieval period. It formed a significant route connecting the city centre to the River Liffey’s quays, a bustling hub of trade and commerce.
Commercial Importance: Over centuries, Liffey Street evolved into a major commercial thoroughfare. It was lined with shops, warehouses, and businesses catering to the city’s growing population.
Architectural Variety: The architecture along both sections of Liffey Street presents a mix of styles. You can find Georgian buildings, Victorian structures, and more modern additions, reflecting the street’s changing face through the ages.
Upper Liffey Street Redevelopment, which was announced in January 2023 and has now been, more-or-less, been completed.
Project Overview:
Objective: To enhance the pedestrian experience and create a more vibrant urban environment. Cost: Approximately €6.5 million. Timeline: Construction began in January 2023 and has recently been completed.
Key Features:
Pedestrian Plaza: A new pedestrian plaza was developed beside the iconic Ha’penny Bridge on Liffey Street. This is a bit misleading as it is Lower Liffey Street that is closet to the bridge. [I suspect that the source of the information did not realise that “lower” means closer to the river and “upper means further from the river]
Upgraded Environment:
Liffey Street Upper [the Plaza] : Closed to traffic, this section now features benches, bicycle stands, and trees. Liffey Street Lower: Upgraded to create a more “pedestrian-friendly” environment. Currently, Liffey Street Lower is open to southbound traffic from Abbey Street to the quays. According to some reports the final configuration will mean that traffic on Abbey Street, including cars exiting the Arnotts car park, will no longer be able to access the quays via Liffey Street Lower. Instead, vehicles will need to turn right onto Strand Street and continue to Capel Street to reach the quays at Grattan Bridge. [Getting accurate information that I can verify has been impossible]
Completion Date:
The project was to be completed by the end of the year following its commencement in January 2023. It would appear that is not yet fully complete and this is especially true for lower Liffey street.
Pedestrian access was maintained during the construction period.
Background:
The idea for a Northside plaza emerged after the refusal of the College Green plaza project by An Bord Pleanála in 2018. Unlike the College Green scheme, the Liffey Street project was progressed through Dublin City Council’s internal planning process. The plans underwent public consultation and were approved by city councillors in September 2019. Although initially scheduled for mid-2020 completion, work was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This revitalised space now offers Dubliners and visitors a pleasant area to stroll, rest, and enjoy the cityscape.
Someone asked the following question online on the same day as I visited Francis Street
[Question] I am an American and I plan to attend the Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin I am bringing four young children, and my husband. Some friends recommended that I stay at a hotel on Francis Street but others told me that it is not safe at night. What is your recommendation []
Here is the response: While Francis Street in Dublin has a rich history and is known for its antique shops, there are some valid concerns about staying in the area with young children, especially for St. Patrick’s Day. [Note: I am not sure about some of the alternatives that were suggested]
Concerns about Francis Street:
Reputation: Parts of Francis Street and the surrounding Liberties area have a historical reputation for social problems like drug use and petty crime. While the area has undergone changes, these elements can still be present.
Nighttime activity: The area can get lively at night, especially during events like St. Patrick’s Day, which may not be the most suitable atmosphere for young children.
Limited amenities: Depending on the specific hotel, you may find fewer child-friendly amenities and attractions in the immediate vicinity. Why you might consider staying elsewhere for St. Patrick’s Day
Crowds and noise: The parade route passes through the city centre, and areas surrounding it will be extremely crowded and noisy, which can be difficult to manage with young children.
Safety concerns: While direct risk may be low, large crowds and celebrations can increase the chance of minor issues like getting separated from children.
Alternative Areas to Consider:
Here are some more family-friendly areas of Dublin, still within a reasonable distance of the St. Patrick’s Day festivities:
Temple Bar: Lively, but with lots of family-friendly hotels and restaurants. A bit closer to the parade route. Ballsbridge: A more upscale area with parks and a calmer atmosphere. Good public transport connections to the city center. Smithfield/Stoneybatter: These neighborhoods on the north side of the River Liffey offer a mix of historic charm and trendy spots, with a bit more space than the city center.
About Francis Street:
Francis Street is a historic street in the Liberties area of Dublin. It’s known for its antique shops and its proximity to St. Patrick’s Cathedral. While it’s an interesting area to visit during the daytime, it may not be the most suitable for a family stay during a major festival.
Overall Recommendation
For a comfortable and safe family experience during St. Patrick’s Day, I’d recommend opting for a hotel in one of the alternative areas mentioned above. This gives you better access to the festivities while providing a more suitable environment for your young children.
The South Quays’ relatively open space offers an unobstructed view of the North Quays, making it an ideal vantage point for a street photographer like myself. Armed with my Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, I captured the contrasting architectural styles: the grandeur of the Four Courts and the old Church On Araan Quay which is discussed below.
History
Built between 1835 and 1837, shortly after Catholic Emancipation, a time where Catholics gained increased rights to build prominent places of worship. Designed by Patrick Byrne, a significant architect of Catholic churches in Ireland during this era. He also designed St. Audoen’s Catholic Church nearby.
Saint Paul’s forms a historic and visual focal point on Arran Quay. Designed by Patrick Byrne, it was built soon after Catholic Emancipation, when the Roman Catholic Church was beginning to build visible high-status buildings. Its tall Italianate bell and clock tower provides visual as well as contextual interest, with the inclusion of a clock, which was more common on Protestant Churches, implying a sense of public responsibility and thus increasing the status of the building.
The elegant detailing on the portico, as well as the later figures to the pediment (Joseph Robinson Kirk, c.1870), provide decorative and technical interest to the façade, and are testament to the skill and craftsmanship of stone workers and sculptors in the nineteenth century.
The very fine classical interior, with a wealth of quality materials and craftsmanship, adds to the overall architectural importance of this ecclesiastical site, despite the removal of some features such as the altar rails. Eamonn and Sinead De Valera were married here in 1910, adding a certain historical significance to the building.
Artistic interest is added by the altar, by Farrell (before 1863), and a copy of Rubens Conversion of St. Paul by F.S. Barff (1863), which replaced an earlier representation of the crucifixion. The church had fallen into disuse, although currently it is used for some Catholic services as well as Syrian Orthodox services and Taize prayer.
Note: St. Paul’s is no longer the parish church. However, it is still used by a Catholic youth group and the St. Gregrorios Jacobite Syrian Christian Church.
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.
I have not been inside this pub for about thirty years and to the best of my knowledge it has changed ownership at least once since then. The current owners purchased and refurbished it in 2018 and before that it had not been trading for at least 3 years.
The Kings Inn Pub in Dublin, Ireland, is a traditional Irish pub with a rich history dating back to the 18th century. While the exact date of its establishment is uncertain, it is believed to have been operating since at least the 1860s, with some sources suggesting it may have been even earlier.
The pub is located on Henrietta Street, just a short distance from the iconic King’s Inns complex, which is one of Ireland’s most important legal institutions.
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