APEX OF THE TRIANGLE BOUNDED BY CAPEL STREET – RYDERS ROW – PARNELL STREET
New landscaping and tree planting at the north end of Capel Street/Ryder’s Row by @DCCParksBiodiv, bounded by new Leinster granite kerbs. It marks the beginning of the Capel Street interim public realm enhancement, to be delivered along the entire street by the start of summer.
In 2022 the City Council had announced that they are going ahead with their plan to pedestrianise Capel Street promising many changes but at the time I could not determine their plan for Ryders Row however I suspected that the sudden demolition of sections of the Bike Yard might be of some importance to the future of the area. At the time it was stressed that the pedestrian and cycle-only zone will stretch for most of the length of the street from Parnell Street and Ryder’s Row at its northern end, to Strand Street in the south.
My interest in Ryders Row [actually the triangle consisting of Ryders Row, a section of Capel Street and a section of Parnell Street] began with the following story 26 May 2004, mainly as I live a short distance from what I have always considered to be a eyesore:
A city centre Dublin street has been closed to allow for the emergency demolition of three unsafe buildings. Dublin City Coucil said Parnell Street is closed from the junction of Ryders Row to the junction of Capel Street “as a matter of public safety”. Numbers 218, 219 and 220 on the street are being torn down after a fire last week left them in “eminent danger of collapse”. “The buildings concerned are a national monument and considerable care has to be exercised in undertaking any demolition with full regard for sound conservation principles,” the council said in a statement.
In 2019 Dublin City Council issues a Compulsory Purchase (Residential/Commercial Development), Order for the following :
Public footpath & roadway (part of), Ryder’s Row from its junction with Parnell Street in a North Westerly direction for a distance of approximately 70 metres to its junction with Capel Street, Dublin 1.
Public footpath & roadway (part of), Parnell Street from its junction with Ryder’s row in a South Westerly direction for a distance of approximately 38 metres to the western boundary of No. 222 Parnell Street, Dublin 1.
Public footpath & roadway (part of), Ryder’s Row from the northern boundary of No. 66 Capel Street in a North Westerly direction for a distance of approximately 14 metres towards the junction with Ryder’s Row, Dublin 1
In 2021 I publish the following comments along with a selection of photographs:
A street named Ryder’s Row is without doubt an appropriate address for a Bike Yard business.
The area is question is a triangle of properties formed by Ryder’s Row, one end of Capel Street and one short section of Capel Street.
There was a derelict site to the right of the bicycle yard which was converted into a mini public-park which immediately became a magnet for rough sleepers at night and students during the day. Daytime users were not a problem but from about 7pm it became a place to be avoided.
Sadly a person believed to be sleeping rough was found dead in the park. This was the second homeless person to die in the immediate area in recent times. One, who died, was a well known local character who wandered the city together with his little dog in a shopping trolley.
The mini-park is currently fenced off and unavailable as a public space.
This semi-derelict complex is behind a house of note on Capel Street. Described as a Dutch Billy it is one of a small number of extant examples of Dublin’s rich pre-Georgian architectural heritage, many of which have now been demolished or unrecognisably altered. In fact, it is one of only a few surviving intact on Capel Street, a thoroughfare once dominated by these structures.
Grand Canal Square, an exciting urban space in Dublin’s Docklands, was opened in June 2007. The square is located at Grand Canal Dock on the south side of the river Liffey between Sir John Rogerson’s Quay and Pearse Street.
Designed by American Landscape Architect, Martha Schwartz and developed by the former Dublin Docklands Development Authority, the 10,000 sq metre square is one of the largest paved public spaces in Dublin city. The €8 million project is among the most innovative landscape design projects ever undertaken in Ireland and Grand Canal Square has become a key cultural destination for Docklands and the city.
The Square features a striking composition of a red “carpet” extending from the theatre into and over the dock. This is crossed by a green “carpet” of paving with lawns and vegetation. The red “carpet” is made of bright red resin-glass paving covered with red glowing angled light sticks. The green “carpet” of polygon-shaped planters filled with marsh like vegetation provides seating and will connect the new hotel to the office development across the square.
Grand Canal Square is also criss-crossed by granite-paved paths that allow movement across it in any possible direction, while still allowing for the Square to host major public events such as festivals and performances. The layout can accommodate a diverse range of activities throughout the day and night.
I PHOTOGRAPHED GRAND CANAL SQUARE USING AN iPHONE 12 PRO MAX 004