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Can O’Connell Street be fixed?

A manifesto to revitalise Dublin, how to tackle hoarding banks and a farewell to Sinéad O’Connor

O'Connell Street in Dublin. What is the future of the capital's main thoroughfare?

Sun Aug 13 2023 - 08:17

Welcome to this week’s IT Sunday, a selection of the best Irish Times journalism for our subscribers.

It was once the premier street on which generations of Dubliners and visitors to the capital shopped and socialised, and where the brightest stars of stage and screen such as Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton stayed while filming. O’Connell Street is these days more readily associated with antisocial behaviour, from the unpleasantness of illegal drug trading and drug abuse to the ugliness of random acts of violence.

In this Saturday’s Weekend Review, we assess the lay of the land on Dublin’s main street and address what can be done to improve the situation. Ronald Quinlan and Jessica Doyle speak to various representatives about the problems with crime, but also the considerable number of large new developments including shops and hotels in the pipeline which may offer hope of a revival.

Author Nicola Pierce looks back at the history of the street, from its beginnings as Drogheda Street in 1728 to the infamous bombing of Nelson’s Pillar in 1966. One man who did as much as any to document the street’s history was photographer Arthur Fields, who stationed himself on O’Connell Bridge and O’Connell Street from the 1930s to the 1980s. “Over about 50 years, Fields used his lens to capture everyday Dublin and everyday Dubliners,” writes Ciarán Deeney. Finally, Sarah Jane Halpin and John Beattie outline some of the striking architectural features of the street.

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Meanwhile, Trevor White, from the Little Museum of Dublin, outlines his manifesto for enhancing the quality of life in the capital city. From giving Dublin a political party to charging motorists for driving through the city and making public transport free, White argues that “with a little imagination and some of the tenacity that our forebears showed, we can get over this hump.” One of his suggestions is that St Stephen’s Green needs a new centrepiece, which has been missing since republicans blew up the statue of King George II in 1937. “It could be a photo-friendly abstract sculpture, or a plinth topped by something new every year. It could even be a tower with views to die for. Deciding what to put there has the makings of a great Dublin debate.” Email callout@irishtimes.com and let us know what you think.

Sinéad O’Connor funeral

This week, Bray waved goodbye to Sinéad O’Connor. Thousands turned out in the seaside town to pay their respects to the singer as the funeral cortege passed on its way to a private family ceremony. Miriam Lord was there on Tuesday:

“People came for many reasons. There were the activists and campaigners who drew strength from Sinéad’s support and wanted to show their appreciation. There were the ones who identified with her well-documented mental health struggles – because they struggle too.

“There were the proud and protective locals, who cherished her as a down-to-earth neighbour and one of their own, along with the outsiders who knew her because they followed the twists and turns and soundtrack of her life.

“And those who loved her for the music.

“In celebration and in sorrow.”

Interest rates

In her weekly column from Brussels Europe Correspondent Naomi O’Leary writes about the Italian government’s introduction of a windfall tax on banks in response to rising interest rates and compares the political reaction there with the relatively muted situation in Ireland. This weekend, David McWilliams argues that Ireland should try something similar as Irish savers are being cheated by the banks.

He writes: “When the ECB raises interest rates, it is increasing the return on savings. This income is supposed to go to the people who save, not the institution that is holding those savings in trust. If the institution breaks that trust by taking that money for itself and its shareholders, it is cheating its customers out of income. It is taking money that isn’t theirs. It is a form of robbery, in any language.”

PSNI data breach

The other big story of the week was the “colossal” data breach in the PSNI, which saw details of 10,000 serving officers and civilian employees mistakenly published online. Northern Editor Freya McClements explained the context which makes such a release so problematic in Northern Ireland. “Twenty-five years on from the signing of the Belfast Agreement, police officers still check under their cars before leaving home every morning.

“Some, particularly Catholic recruits, cannot live in their home areas. They have to change their habits when visiting parents, or socialising; they may have to leave sports teams, or avoid attending the same church every week, or simply keep their job a secret, even from their families.”

In sport, Denis Walsh looks ahead to this afternoon’s women’s football finals at Croke Park where a crowd of more than 50,000 is anticipated for the senior decider between Kerry and Dublin. Ken Early sets the scene for the Premier League season, which began with a bang this weekend.

In her personal finance feature, Joanne Hunt looks at how you can make upgrades to retrofit your home and cut your energy bills without breaking the bank in the process. In this week’s On the Money newsletter, Dominic Coyle looks at ways you can ease the back-to-school costs. Sign up here to receive the newsletter straight to your inbox every Friday.

Finally, in her column, Roe McDermott responds to a woman who says she has been betrayed by her boyfriend and isn’t sure how to move forward.

As always, there is much more on irishtimes.com, including rundowns of all the latest movies in our film reviews, tips for the best restaurants in our food section (including Corinna Hardgrave’s latest review) and all the latest in sport. There are plenty more articles exclusively available for Irish Times subscribers here.

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