TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO MAKE A SUBMISSION
Dublin City Council recently established a committee to review the plans and make recommendations for the National Monument site on Moore Street. I am the local Fianna Fail representative, leader of Fianna Fail on Dublin City Council and party representative on the Committee.
The national, historic, cultural, educational, commercial and tourist potential of Moore Street cannot be overstated and it must be developed and promoted by the state.
Houses 14-17 Moore Street were designated a National Monument in 2007. It is a matter of great shame that the site has not been properly restored and developed into an appropriate commemoration of the heroic acts of the men and women of 1916. The three houses are privately owned by Chartered Lands. Their plan for the site is currently being considered by the Minister whose consent is required for works to commence on the National Monument. Their plan includes the creation of a museum incorporating 14-17 Moore Street that proposes to authentically recreate the interior lay-out of the buildings as they were in 1916 and requires funding of approximately €10m.
The story of Moore Street and 1916 is not confined to just three houses and for the whole story to be told the scope of any commemoration will have to be broader.
The neglect of this National Monument has gone on for far too long. The centenary of the rising is fast approaching and the Government must take action to ensure that the National Monument is preserved and restored; it should provide funding for the creation of an appropriate commemoration on the site and creation of a museum. The Government should immediately act to ensure that the National Monument site is taken into State ownership.
The Committee has invited members of the public to express their views on how the National Monument should be developed. I encourage anyone with any interest in the site to please send their submissions by e-mail to msac@dublincity.ie or by post to: The Chairman, Moore Street Advisory Committee, City Managers Department, Civic Offices, Wood Quay, Dublin 8.
The closing date for submissions is the 31st of January 2013. Mary
