Stephen’s Green to be dug-up for new metro system

A QUARTER of Dublin’s iconic St Stephen’s Green will close to the public in 2009 to allow construction work on a new metro system for Dublin.

Under plans being drawn up by government agencies overseeing the project, access to the western side of the green between Grafton Street and Harcourt Street will be sealed off.

The plan also envisages that the section being used to build a large underground rail station will remain closed until at least 2013 with half of the existing lake being drained to make way for excavation work on the underground rail system.