I usually try to complete my Christmas shopping before the 8th of December the day that old Dubliners once referred to as ‘Culchie Shopping Day’. It was, and may still be, the day when country cousins came to Dublin to shop for Christmas. When, as a student, I worked in retail back in the 1960s it was crucial to Dublin retailers, as the traditional shopping day for people from outside the capital to journey to the city. It is also the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and a holiday very much observed by farmers.
The boom in online shopping and Black Friday means special December 8th deals are a thing of the past but there is still an influx of visitors into the city centre.
Note: Culchie is a pejorative term in Hiberno-English for someone from rural Ireland. The term usually has a pejorative meaning directed by urban Irish against rural Irish, but since the late 20th century, the term has also been reclaimed by some who are proud of their rural or small town origin. In Dublin, the term culchie is often used to describe someone from outside County Dublin, including commuter towns such as Maynooth. In Belfast, Northern Ireland, the term is used to refer to persons from outside of the city proper but not necessarily outside the Greater Belfast area.
River House was a 5-storey office block on Greek Street – Chancery Street it was described as a “brutalist eyesore” by the Sunday Times. Permission to build River House was granted in 1972, and the building was completed in 1973. It had curtain walling at ground and 1st floor levels, with 4 additional storeys above with pre-cast cladding. The architect of the building has been disputed. Frank McDonald attributed it to John Thompson and Partners, but this led to a libel suit during which it was stated that “neither John or David Thompson of the firm John Thompson and Partners had anything to do with the design or erection of River House”. It appears to have been the work of Patrick J. Sheahan and Partners.
After a dispute between the Department of Justice and the Dublin Corporation as to who would occupy the building, the Corporation established its motor tax office in the office block, and for many years it was Dublin’s only motor tax office. The building stood vacant from the late 2000s, and attracted anti-social behaviour.
River House was described as “scourge” to the area, and “is considered to be of little or no architectural merit”. It was recorded by the Dublin City Council as a dangerous building in February 2016.
River House was initially purchased by Joe and Patrick Linders, who were involved in the redevelopment of parts of the Smithfield area. The building was purchased by Melonmount Ltd in 2017 for €8 million, and permission was sought to demolish it and replace it with a hotel … the Hampton by Hilton.
Dublinbikes is a self-service bike rental system open to everyone from fourteen years of age.
Stations are distributed throughout the city centre to enable easy access and optimal use for subscribers. Located in close proximity to one another, each station has a minimum of fifteen stands, making it easy to avail of this service.
The service is accessible twelve months a year, seven days a week between the hours of 5am and 12.30am.
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