Moore St should not be part of a land swap deal

Minister for Heritage, Heather Humphreys is reported to be “deeply disappointed” with the decision of Dublin City councillors to vote against proposals for a 1916 interpretive centre on Moore Street.

Councillors did no such thing. What councilors did was to refuse to sanction a land swap deal to facilitate a developers planning application to demolish the last extant 1916 battlefield in its entirety. All councillors are already on record as supporting the protection and preservation of the National Monument and its surrounding area in line with the recommendations of the Dublin City Council Moore Street Advisory Committee. It is imperative that this historic area is made presentable for the 1916 centenary. NAMA funds have already been been set aside for that purpose. Since the developers demolition plan is now stalled and open to legal challenge, it is incumbent on the minister to now act as guardian of our history and heritage. The 1916 National Monument is not an item of commercial exchange. It is the key element in an area described by the National Museum as “the most important historic site in modern Irish history”.

James Connolly Heron