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The mall was to be located beneath the Anna Livia fountain on Dublin's O'Connell Street Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews.ie

Beneath the surface: the plan for a £15m underground shopping mall at the site of Nelson's Pillar

Details of the plan were released this week under the 30-year State Papers rule.

THE DESTRUCTION OF Nelson’s Pillar in 1966, it was said, had left Dublin without a centrepiece.

But a quarter of a century on, one company sought to fill that void with an even bigger one, this time below the surface of O’Connell Street.

The proposed underground mall would have employed 200 people, provided a meeting place for locals, a focus for tourists, and allowed for the regeneration of the “long-neglected” street to provide social and leisure activities.

It was intended to extend along the centre of O’Connell Street between the junctions of Henry Street and North Earl Street and nearby Prince’s Street, with entrances and exits via stairs, lifts and escalators.

“The development will enhance the role of O’Connell Street in terms of its stature as the principal street of the capital,” a 1989 application for European Commission structural funds by developer Clanwilliam House read.

Details of the plan, which were sent to both the Taoiseach and the Department of Environment that year, were released this week under the 30-year State Papers rule.

The £15m mall would have contained two levels of shops totaling 82,000 square feet, a food court and possible connections to the basement levels of Clerys, the GPO and other stores. 

Plans were even outlined for a replacement for Nelson’s Pillar, which would have required its own separate design.

“If indeed, the new design for a pillar to be incorporates the use of lifts and/or stairs to permit viewing from the top, a take-off point from the basement would enhance it as a feature,” Clanwilliam House’s application read.

O'Connell Plan1 An outline of the plans from 1989 National Archives National Archives

The company also said that the project would be carried out as a joint venture with Dublin Corporation, which agreed to provide the site in return for the mall’s infrastructural, planning and social gains.

The essence of the mall’s design, the company said, was to provide an easy pedestrian link between Henry Street and North Earl Street.

This was expected to reduce overground pedestrian activity and enhance traffic flow on O’Connell Street to such an extent, that it would have allowed for the widening of the street’s central plaza so it could be used for market and recreational activities.

“The project will have a significantly beneficial impact on the area, including facilitating the traffic flows, increasing shopping facilities, enhancing the stature of O’Connell Street and restoring the location as a major focal point in the city centre which it had lost with the destruction of Nelson’s Pillar,” the application read.

The mall was expected take 33 months to build, and its construction would have led to the closure of both sides of O’Connell Street for around a year, with traffic diverted to one side of the street while works were carried out beneath the opposite side.

Its planners even put forward a novel solution to heating and cooling the mall, storing the heat generated by electronics and people during the day to use for heating when the mall cooled, while outdoor air would be used to air condition the area underground.

Despite its £15m price tag, the company sought just £3.85m from the EC, including £10k budgeted to remove, store and re-erect a statue and flagpole on O’Connell Street, and £25k for possible alterations to the Anna Livia fountain which was then on the site.

In the end, they never saw the light of day. The Anna Livia fountain was later removed to Croppies Acre Memorial Park near Heuston Station, and the Millennium Spire now stands where Nelson’s Pillar used to.

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    Mute Garreth Byrne
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    Dec 29th 2019, 5:32 PM

    Underground shopping malls as envisaged in 1966 are quite common in big cities around the world. The planned mall would have added something underground to the O’Connell Street area. As things stand today, O’Connell Street is a kip in the quotable words of radio broadcaster Joe Duffy. The Spire was a missed opportunity.

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    Mute SC
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    Dec 29th 2019, 11:08 PM

    @Garreth Byrne: There is already an underground shopping centre on Moore st and I’d say you could get an abortion there it’s so dodgy. The Ilac isn’t doing that well either. We hardly need more shopping centres- do you ever feel like you have trouble buying the things you need? If not where would the demand for more shops come from?

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    Mute Dom Layzell
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    Dec 29th 2019, 5:10 PM

    1966, it was said, had left Dublin without a centrepiece.
    But a quarter of a century on? 1966 to now a quarter of a Century? Did the author ever think of getting an abacus for Christmas?

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    Mute Desmond Lyons
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    Dec 29th 2019, 5:21 PM

    @Dom Layzell: you obviously didn’t understand the article. The plans for the underground mall were presented a quarter of a century on from the year the Pillar was destroyed, that would be around 1991.

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    Mute Siobhan Breen Malone
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    Dec 29th 2019, 5:28 PM

    @Dom Layzell: hes referring to 30 years ago the papers – not this year. not exactly a quarter of a century after 1966 but close enough.

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    Mute Bilbo Baggins
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    Dec 29th 2019, 5:31 PM

    @Dom Layzell: Morto

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    Mute Ian Phillip Creaner
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    Dec 29th 2019, 5:41 PM

    @Dom Layzell: I am so bed at maths. Even I got this at first sight. Scarlatto!!!!!!

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    Mute Honeybee
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    Dec 29th 2019, 5:23 PM

    But there was talk of an underground railway so which is it to be, surely the better thing to do was to improve shopping on the street level and not allow the main street to dissolve into a tacky take away suburb,there is little of interest on the street, it is just a thoroughfare.

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    Mute Towger
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    Dec 29th 2019, 5:45 PM

    @Honeybee: And underground bus depot, at almost the same site.

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    Mute John Considine
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    Dec 29th 2019, 5:58 PM

    Seems like it was quite a good idea, the article doesn’t really give a reason why it didn’t go ahead. Taking the pedestrian crossings underground would help traffic movement and be safer for the pedestrians, something like Oxford Circus in London. I’ve seen underground malls in New York and Frankfurt, they work well.

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    Mute Ger
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    Dec 29th 2019, 10:17 PM

    @John Considine: would you fancy walking through an underground pedestrian crossing on O’Connell St late at night? Crossing above ground after midnight is dodgy enough. The price tag for the underground mall would have been a steal at 15m. Pity it didnt happen. I’ve seen some very exciting plans for the regeneration of the street over the years, including a rooftop Park along Clearys and adjoining buildings. At the moment I’d just be happy with better policing at night.

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    Mute SC
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    Dec 29th 2019, 11:11 PM

    @John Considine: they should have put in pedestrian underpasses when they were digging up the street to put in the Luas. The bridge could especially do with underpasses, the traffic is very slow there to allow for pedestrians.

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    Mute TamuMassif2019
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    Dec 29th 2019, 5:20 PM

    I think Dublin should be more worried about Climate change and sea level rising but they could wait until Dublin is underwater before doing anything then???

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    Mute Glenser Hall
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    Dec 29th 2019, 5:49 PM

    @TamuMassif2019: it’s form 30 years ago , climote change wouldn’t have been a thing back then really.

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    Mute Conoroconnor
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    Dec 29th 2019, 6:38 PM

    @TamuMassif2019: hint: read the article before commenting

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    Mute Peter donnelly
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    Dec 29th 2019, 10:48 PM

    @Glenser Hall: back then it would of been more likely discussion about another ice age which was a popular point of discusion at about that time….

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    Mute Oonaghx
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    Dec 29th 2019, 11:35 PM

    How about improving the shopping on the ground level, imagine Clery’s Department Store open again, clean up O’ Connell Street, get rid of the fast food joints, gaudy advertising etc. High end restaurants & stores that will enhance the buildings facades!

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    Mute John H Graham
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    Dec 29th 2019, 10:02 PM

    Why can you not preface these articles with the fact that these are documents from 30 years ago? A lot of comments seem to think that this is a current plan…

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    Mute Claire Voigt
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    Dec 30th 2019, 2:57 AM

    Why are people unable to grasp that the information is from 30 years ago? It’s not the journal’s fault!

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    Mute Roverandout
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    Dec 29th 2019, 6:06 PM

    Oh great a load of indian phone shops..what a joke!!

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    Mute Desmond Lyons
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    Dec 29th 2019, 6:09 PM

    @Roverandout: and a sex shop and an Abrakebabra!

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    Mute Conoroconnor
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    Dec 29th 2019, 6:42 PM

    @Roverandout: did we have indian phone shops in 1991? When this plan was rejected?

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    Mute Towger
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    Dec 29th 2019, 7:55 PM

    @Conoroconnor: Apollo 1 Discount Store.

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    Mute Eddie O'Neill
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    Dec 29th 2019, 9:33 PM

    “. . . a 1989 application for European Commission structural funds by developer Clanwilliam House read.

    Details of the plan, which were sent to both the Taoiseach and the Department of Environment that year, were released this week under the 30-year State Papers rule.”

    Who in Clanwilliam House Developers was on good terms with Charlie Haughey at the time and who was also aware of Euro Commission money for building folly’s?

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    Mute Aidan Conway
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    Dec 29th 2019, 5:49 PM

    Parking… Don’t forgett to add underground parking…. Enough to make up for the underestimated requirement of the children’s hospital..
    Graat idea need more attractions in city centres

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    Mute Conoroconnor
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    Dec 29th 2019, 6:40 PM

    @Aidan Conway: erm..its a rejected plan from 30 years ago

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    Mute silentbob2012
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    Dec 29th 2019, 8:03 PM

    Jesus H Christ…what next? Have this lot gone to the Dell Boy and Rodney School of Business? Lubby jubbly! Craziest concept since the Taoiseach floated the National Children’s Hospital coming in on budgeted target.

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    Mute Marie Louise Ryan
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    Dec 30th 2019, 11:27 AM

    @silentbob2012: re read article

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    Mute Marie Louise Ryan
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    Dec 30th 2019, 11:28 AM

    @silentbob2012: reas article then comment

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    Mute John Mack
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    Dec 29th 2019, 11:55 PM

    I shudder to think of the. O’Connell St underground walkway being instantly taken over by the drug addicts and Street layabouts currently destroying our lovely city on the Liffey boardwalk and Abbey St back lanes. How to prevent that?

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    Mute mot leave
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    Dec 30th 2019, 12:56 AM

    I can remember an underground toilet just down the street from the spire back in 50s &60s. What happened to that? Underground city, no thanks small country plenty room

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    Mute Mark Gaffney
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    Dec 29th 2019, 10:33 PM

    How about a decent transport system that maybe like most other cities the world over travels “under ground”

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    Mute SC
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    Dec 29th 2019, 11:13 PM

    @Mark Gaffney: they also have dense enough populations living in apartments to make underground networks cheaper to build per person.

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