Late last year, a general meeting was held in Ringsend Library to discuss a nagging local concern. The meeting was held on November 6th, chaired by city councillor Mannix Flynn and the topic at hand was the dysfunctional and unattractive condition of the plaza area surrounding the library itself.
Fellow councillor Dermot Lacey had brought the matter before Dublin City Council following on from his liaising with residents and business owners in the area.
The issues raised concerning the plaza were a checklist of irritations and legitimate grievances. Key issues that arose over the course of the hour or so of the November meeting concerned the lack of overall value of the plaza for the community.
Complaints centred on practicality: the lack of wheelchair access, the inconvenience for mothers with prams, potential slipperiness in wet weather, and general ugliness.
Local vendors recalling the original condition of the plaza lamented its once-accessible nature. Similarly, Councillor Flynn elaborated his own personal opinion: that the plaza design was an example of what has been dubbed “architorture”, presenting as hostile, confusing and uninviting. At the conclusion of the meeting, he proposed to table an emergency motion to the DCC to the effect that a complete redesign of the area be proposed as a long-term project.
Curious to see if any further movement had been made, NewsFour contacted Councillor Flynn in early March of this year.
“Currently, the area is due to be assessed and a full report submitted to Dublin City Council,” he explained to us by phone conversation, “so we are still waiting on that. In the meantime, I have tabled a further motion – today, in fact – for proper signage in the area, to increase awareness of some of the local businesses.” There is little more to report at the moment but keep a keen eye on NewsFour for more as we get it.
By Rúairí Conneely
