Save Moore Street From Demolition are appealing to members of the public to support their campaign against the proposed Hammerson development which would see the old Carlton Cinema and the area at the back of Moore Street redeveloped into a cosmopolitan shopping centre destination.
Founded in 2014, Save Moore Street From Demolition is one of the many groups tackling the three-decade-long struggle to protect the area’s history. Outdating O’Connell Street, its history stretches back to the 1850s, most famous for its independently run local grocery markets, which have now diminished in numbers while its infrastructure has slowly fallen into disrepair.
The site played a significant role as a battlefield in the last hours of Ireland’s most important political movement, the 1916 Easter Rising. Save Moore Street From Demolition’s leaflet details, “Up to 350 men and women of the GPO garrison fought in this area, many tunnelling from house to house along the terrace, some civilians were killed in the street… and so were some of the volunteers. Five of the Seven Signatories of the Proclamation of Independence… spent their last hours of freedom here before the painful decision to surrender, followed by court martial and death by British firing squads.”
The first initiative to preserve the street, and the laneways surrounding it, arose in 2002 following the removal of a plaque commemorating the Rising. A local took charge of establishing an activist group to gain recognition of the street and to grant it protective status. Proposals to transform the site into a shopping centre emerged when it was in the hands of the Carlton Group back in the 1990s, but these talks were hidden from the public until TG4’s groundbreaking documentary Iniúchadh. Anger grew and with this several activist groups were established such as The Moore Street Trust and Save 16 Moore Street.
The area was sold to Hammerson Development group which wished to inherit the shopping centre redevelopment proposal announced early last year. Despite some of the buildings being granted protected status by Dublin City Council, the developer is pushing ahead with the plan with news that construction is due to commence this year.
The movement groups, along with relatives of the Easter Rising’s key figures such as James Connolly, who have backed the campaign, devised an alternative development plan that would see the area recovered and restored to its original state in 1916 which would be linked to the GPO 1916 Museum. The plan also offers services for stall holders in the market such as running water and toilet facilities. Their aim is to regenerate Moore Street into a cultural quarter that will gain revenue through the attraction of both locals and tourists alike. Their bill, Ceathrú Chultúir 1916 Bill 2021, is currently in its third stage in the Dáil and can be found here.
The Moore Street Trust are calling out for attendees at their public meeting at 7 pm tonight in the Liberties to discuss the issue. For more information, you can visit their Facebook pages here and here. Additionally, they have regular stalls on Moore Street on Saturdays from 11.30 am to 1 pm. You can offer your support by signing their petition, sharing their posts, and contacting trade unions and organisations to back their campaign.
