1916 battlefield site needs to be preserved

The recent announcement that Dublin is to have an Independence Trail is most welcome to those still campaigning to save the GPO/ Moore Street 1916 battleground — the only extant battleground in 20th century British and Irish history.

Under the current planning application by Chartered Land this historic area is to be obliterated to make way for a shopping centre development that has no public support other than the continuing financial backing of NAMA on behalf of the insolvent developer. Under that proposal the planned freedom trail would have to be routed through, of all things, a ‘Celtic Tiger’ shopping mall.

The inclusion of this historic area in the proposed Independence Trail is official recognition, at long last, that the campaign to preserve and restore the area and its ‘laneways of history’ as An Taoiseach describes them is now accepted as the way forward. The Save 16 Moore Street Campaign Committee deserve great credit for their tireless efforts over a decade to save this historic area from the wrecking ball.