STRUCTURES FROM 1916 on Moore St won’t be demolished – and works on a commemorative centre on the historic street are set to begin.
Jimmy Deenihan TD, Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, has today signed an order of consent for works at the Moore Street National Monument in Dublin 1.
Commemorative centre
It approves the creation of a commemorative centre at the national monument at nos 14-17 Moore Street, involving the full repair and conservation of these buildings. It also allows for the full repair and conservation of these buildings and the demolition of non-original additions and partitions (post-1916) at this location.
Also, buildings numbered 13, 18 and 19 Moore St which contain no pre-1916 elements will be demolished.
Buildings 14 – 17 were the headquarters of the Provisional Government, which was set up during the 1916 Rising, and it is also believed that some of the figureheads surrendered at the same site.
A preservation order was placed on the site in 2007 so that changes could not be made on the site without ministerial consent.
A Moore St Advisory Committee was set up so that people could make recommendations to Dublin City Council on the future development of the area.
The order of consent does not approve the demolition of any structures at the national monument, or removal of material from the national monument, which date from or before 1916.
As well as this, it does not approve works for the provision of an underground car park within the boundary of the national monument site, or the demolition of the Moore Lane facades of Nos. 15 and 16.
Minister Deenihan said:
The Moore Street National Monument is of huge significance and importance. It is highly appropriate that the monument would be preserved and that an appropriate commemorative centre would be put in place to mark the momentous events which took place here.
He said that the order “is the best way to ensure that work can take place at the national monument to develop an appropriate commemorative centre, and return these buildings to what they would have looked like at the time of the Rising, whilst also ensuing that the monument is fully protected for future generations”.
He said that he hope that the applicant can now revise the plans for the Moore Street National Monument so that a commemorative centre can be planned for 2016.
The Moore Street national monument is owned by Chartered Land Limited, which made the application for works to the monument.
Pic: National Monuments Service of the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht
The consent of Minister Deenihan is conditional on a revised project design being submitted to him within nine months that takes full account of the elements of the proposal for which consent has been refused and the conditions attached to the approved works.
Substantive works should commence on site within three months of the Minister’s approval of the revised proposals. Stringent conditions with regard to the conduct of the works have also been applied.
According to a Department spokesperson, the approach of the Minister is to "preserve and protect the monument so that it reflects - as closely as possible - how numbers 14 to 17 Moore Street would have appeared in 1916".
Regarding progressing the work and the costs, it is now up to Chartered Land and Dublin City Council to get together as quickly as possible to agree a way forward for the site.
The decision was welcomed by Dublin City Councillor Dermot Lacey, leader of the Labour Group on the council. He said it was "long overdue" and:
It is highly appropriate that the monument would be preserved and that an appropriate commemorative centre would be put in place to mark the momentous events which took place here.
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