Dublin Council sanctions partial demolition of 1916 buildings

Dublin City Council have sanctioned the demolition of parts of the buildings occupied by the leaders of the 1916 Rising on Moore Lane.

Number 17 and 18 Moore Lane, 19th century buildings, were declared unsafe by the council. They will be lowered in height in order to make the structures safe.

In 2007 four houses on Moore Street were designated as national monuments by the them minister for the environment Dick Roche. It is said that number 16 Moore Street is where the Irish rebel leaders decided to surrender to the British forces.

The two buildings on Moore Lane are not historical structures. However, the Save 16 Moore Street Committee say these buildings were also used by the leaders and should therefore be preserved.

These historical buildings back out on the Dublin north city center’s market street, Moore Street and are part of the Carlton site due to be developed by Dundrum Shopping Centre developer, Joe O’Reilly.

Patrick Cooney, spokesperson for the Save 16 Moore Street group spoke to the Irish Times. He said “We believe that this is the beginning of the death by a thousand cuts of Moore Street. The buildings demolished were the more decorative 19th century buildings attached to the historic 1916 terrace.”

Mr Cooney said that these building were occupied by those involved in the Rising including Michael Collins and Sean MacEntee.

He added “We have the frankly bizarre situation that entire chunks of the 1916 terrace, although physically attached to a national monument and of immense historical significance, are themselves not listed structures and are being demolished piecemeal at the behest of Dublin City Council.”