A GROUP OF protesters who occupied a terrace of houses on Moore Street in Dublin last week have announced their action will end at midday today.
It follows a High Court ruling yesterday.
The court action, taken by the 1916 Relatives Association, was aimed at preventing the demolition of buildings 13 to 19 at the site.
The terrace was the site of the rebels’ surrender to British forces during the 1916 Rising.
The court action against heritage minister Heather Humphreys was yesterday adjourned for two weeks, and an undertaking was given that no buildings would be demolished in that period.
A small group of protesters began a protest in the terrace last Thursday after a rally organised by the ‘Save Moore Street from Demolition’ group.
More joined them the following day, and another protest was held at the site – with Mary Lou McDonald of Sinn Féin and other politicians addressing the crowd.
What’s going on?
Restoration work at the site on 14-17 Moore Street, which has been declared a National Monument, began last November after the government stepped in to buy the site.
The question of what to do with the terrace had been a subject of fierce debate for years, with plans to make progress on restoration suffering a number of setbacks.
Speaking about the occupation of the terrace last week, minister Humphreys, who is heading up the 1916 centenary commemorations, said she was concerned it could delay works and jeopardise the restoration project.
“Numbers 13 and 18 and 19 are not part of the National Monument, and are not historically significant,” a spokesperson for the minister said.
Minister Humphreys only has control over the National Monument. The development of the wider street is a matter for Dublin city council.
The spokesperson added that documentary evidence showed numbers 18 and 19 on the street were in ruins prior to 1916, and said number 13 had a new facade and an entirely modern interior.
The 1916 Relatives Association argues that protected status should be extended to these three buildings.
The case will be back before court on 2 February.
Protest ends
A statement on the Save Moore Street 2016 Facebook page this morning said the occupation would come to an end at midday.
“The decision to end the protest came after a High Court decision that will prevent all demolition works on the site for two weeks,” the message said.
“Protesters entered the buildings with the objective of halting all demolition works and advancing the campaign for the creation of a ’1916 Quarter’ incorporating the GPO / Moore Street battlefield site.
“These objectives have now been achieved.
“Any further occupation of the site would have been counter-productive, unessecarily (sic) delaying the desperately needed repair and restoration of No’s 14, 15, 16 and 17.
“In withdrawing from the Moore Street site the protesters are allowing space for the legal, political and planning processes to proceed.
Should these processes fail to adequately protect the buildings, roads and laneways of the GPO / Moore Street battlefield site the protesters reserve the right to again use non-violent direct action to defend the Nation’s heritage.
Individual protesters have also been tweeting that they’re leaving the terrace.
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