Publicity Club Collections
The Lord Mayor Naoise Ó Muirí, accepted collections from The Publicity Club of Ireland which were donated to Dublin City Library and Archive. The collections contain a number of interesting items from the club, which was a public body set up in the 1920s and made up of advertisers, agencies, and publishers.
“I am delighted to accept the Publicity Club archival collections which will be a very valuable addition to Dublin City Library and Archive,” said Mr. Ó Muirí.
The vast collection also includes the Chain of Office of the Chairman and the Roll of Honour Board which, according to the Lord Mayor, went missing after a Christmas lunch and turned up in a piece of furniture. Most of the collection contains items concerning the Club’s later history and includes press cuttings, minutes, and correspondence. The club ended in 2009.
Docklands signs to get a makeover
Getting lost in the Docklands shouldn’t be an issue anymore after Dublin City Council, and the Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA), announced the upgrade and replacement of wayfinding signs in the Docklands area.
The new signs will help visitors navigate the area, without the need for map consultations or phone apps. The new signs include 7 map panels and 28 fingerpost structures which will be scattered throughout the area.
Docklands to be re-zoned
Some parts of the Dublin Docklands have been designated as Strategic Development Zones (SDZ) by the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government Phil Hogan.
John Tierney, Chairman of the Docklands Authority and Dublin City Manager, made a formal request to Mr. Hogan to grant the designation order which will “fast track” the planning and regeneration of the area that was hit pretty hard by the recession in late 2008. As NewsFour reported a few months back, the SDZ will replace the Docklands Authority’s existing planning schemes at Grand Canal Dock and the North Lotts before the end of 2013. According to the Council, some 22 hectares of development potential remain untouched.
Liberty Hall Redevelopment
Dublin City Council released a response to a ruling by An Bórd Pleanála refusing planning permission for the redevelopment of Liberty Hall.
The council said they had “deliberated” on the proposals produced by SIPTU to refurbish the site and considered the proposals to be acceptable. After the Council had granted permission, it then fell to An Bórd Pleanála to make a final decision. They refused planning permission due to the scale and size of the proposed building.
“Dublin City Council had a series of pre-application consultations with SIPTU and their Architects to ensure that a building of the highest architectural and design quality was proposed for this primary location. The high quality of the design was acknowledged by An Bórd Pleanála in their decision today,” said the Council.
The Council said they are “satisfied” that their planning approval of the site was in accordance with their Development Plan Policy and that they are disappointed with the decision taken by An Bórd Pleanála.
DCC discuss age friendly cities
The annual meeting of the South East Area Committee of Dublin City Council kicked off with a presentation on age friendly cities.
Mr. Bernard McDonald, who works at the Ageing Well Network and is the Programme Manager of the Dublin Age Friendly City Programme, held a presentation outlining a new Dublin City programme. McDonald specified the details of the programme, which plans to work with established local elderly groups, provide integrated local programmes and roll out local GAA social initiatives. Clearing up confusion surrounding the plan, McDonald said the programme wants to “set up these inter-agency groups, and focus on older people through consultation with them.”
Aungier Street Presentation
Just in case we forgot it was there, the City Architects also gave a presentation to the South East Area Committee meeting about Aungier Street. The report and presentation titled ‘The Aungier Street Project’ laid out a mapping of the street, in both logistical and historical terms. It also gave a brief history of the street from when it used to hold the Aungier Estate in 1724 to when it played a vital role in the English Civil War.
“I know this area very well indeed, I think it’s important to say that this has been completely neglected. The opportunity here is to take this street and bring it back to its former glory,” said Councillor Manix Flynn.
“Aungier Street is a poor relation to the adjoining area. It’s not a pedestrian friendly street, and I would like to see it brought back,” added Fine Gael Councillor Paddy McCartan.
The City Architects held historical walks of the street in 2012 as part of the National Heritage Week.
Ghoulish reading initiative
Dublin City Council announced the launch of the second city wide reading initiative organised by Dublin UNESCO City of Literature. ‘Nightmare Club- we dare you to read’ is aimed primarily at children, and offers a number of interesting literature to capture their imaginations.
“The books are those which children would choose themselves. They are short, spooky and fun with brilliant illustrations and will appeal to boys and girls,” said the Council. The six book series includes: Help! My Brother’s A Zombie, Guinea Pig Killer, Mirrored, A Dog’s Breakfast, The Wolfing’s Bite, and Frankenkids.
Each book features 12 year old Annie Graves, who invites boys and girls to join her sleepover club, where everyone who sleeps over has to tell a scary story.
The books are available to rent at any Dublin City Library or to buy in bookstores. Several other events are taking place around the city including author visits to public libraries, storytelling on the Ghost Bus and creative workshops in Smock Alley Theatre as part of the St. Patrick’s Festival.
Emerging Writer Programme
The City Council announced the launch of the National Emerging Writer Programme, a Dublin UNESCO City of Literature project, developed by the writers’ resource website www.writing.ie. The initiative comprises of three programmes on a single 40 minute DVD and focuses on writing techniques for new and experienced writers.
“The development of a National Emerging Writer Programme by Dublin City of Literature and writing.ie will continue to focus world attention on Irish writing and provide advice and support for writers across the country. We hope that the programme will have a significant and tangible impact on writing in Ireland,” said the Director of Dublin UNESCO City of Literature Jane Alger.
The initiative will open an avenue for new authors and will help find new Irish talent.
By Liam Cahill
