THE HEADLESS PHOTO BLOG
OPENS EARLY IN THE MORNING
I live close to Mary’s Lane and even though Brendan’s Café has operated here since 1985 I was unaware of it until I noticed it being used by a film crew a few weeks ago. According to a friend of mine who worked in the area Brendan’s opened as early as 5pm when the markets were fully operational but it now opens every day, except Sunday, at 6am and at 7am on Saturdays.
SO THE LIFFEY STREET PUBLIC REALM WORKS SCHEME IS SLIGHTLY DELAYED
In May 2919 I wrote the following: “Construction of a 310-room hotel at this location is underway. When completed in mid-2020, the hotel will be operated by the budget hotel brand Motel One. It is claimed that the development will transform the area, encouraging tourist footfall and general retail activity in the surrounding area.”
It is now January and for various reasons the hotel is still a work in progress.
Dublin City Council, through its’ Public Works Contractor, Cairn Construction, now propose to commence work on the LIFFEY STREET PUBLIC REALM WORKS Scheme in the fourth (4th) week of January 2023 (Monday, 23rd). This brief postponement of commencement (from the previously advertised 9th January Starting Date) is consequent on unexpected delay(s) to the completion of Motel One on Liffey Street Upper (previously due to open at the end of December). Unfortunately, there is not enough space on the street to accommodate both the Motel’s Contractor and the Roadworks Contractor at the same time.
Liffey Street (both Upper and Lower) provides an important link between the north and south city centre shopping and tourist precincts. Liffey Street can experience some 30,000 pedestrians and some 2,500 vehicles per day, and accommodation of same will present the Contractor no small challenge during the Works.
This scheme is being progressed as part of the Public Realm Strategy, the City Centre Masterplan and the Reimagining Dublin One Study, which was developed to meet the objectives of the overarching Dublin City Council Public Realm Strategy ‘Your City Your Space’ document.
A high quality design is being utilised to improve the ambiance of the street, with increased greening and wider footpaths creating a quality space to be enjoyed by all.
The proposed Works will involve a full upgrade of the footpaths and carriageway at this location. The footpaths will be widened and repaved in granite, and notable new planting will be included to match those already introduced in other recently completed city centre streets.
The above Works include, but are not limited to:-
The proposed works extend the full length of Liffey Street Upper and Lower from its junction with Henry Street running south to its junction with Ormond Quay and Bachelor’s Walk along the Liffey Quays. The Scheme’s Works endeavours to minimise disruption to local businesses and the general public.
The Liffey Street Public Realm project involves the excavation, reconstruction, milling and reconstruction of the asphalt carriageway and the repaving of the footpaths with new granite slabs and setts laid on a new high strength bedding mortar, replacing the existing pavement materials, and as shown on the scheme design drawings.
The existing pedestrian area on Liffey Street Upper is extended to the intersection with Abbey Street. A new pedestrian plaza will be created on Liffey Street Lower between Strand Street and the Quays.
The Works involve the replacement of an existing gas main, the provision and installation of new water mains, the provision of new surface water sewers, public lighting and communications ducts, street furniture in the form of bollards, benches, bicycle stands, and bins and the replacement of some utility covers and frames within the site extents.
The Works also involve the provision of planted areas throughout the scheme.
Liffey Street lower is currently open to one-way southbound traffic along its entire length from Abbey Street to the Quays.
There are pedestrian footways on both sides of the road. Insofar as is reasonably possible, through-traffic will be maintained for the duration of the works between Abbey Street and Strand Street. However, it is acknowledged in advance, that Temporary Road Closures (affecting vehicular traffic) will have to be an integral part of these Pubic Roadworks.
Temporary Traffic Management will be a major part of the proposed Works, with the safety of pedestrians and other road users remaining paramount throughout the construction period.
The Contractor will do its’ utmost to preserve vehicular passage along the street insofar as is reasonably possible, during the course of the Works.
Dublin City Council, and its’ Public Works Contractor, Cairn Construction, apologise in advance for any inconvenience or disruption these Works may cause.
PAINT-A-BOX STREET ART ON CAPEL STREET
I really liked Ring My Bell but I could never remember the name of the singer and when I asked anyone (with one exception … @ronanleonard) they would always say Gloria Gaynor and that always annoyed me because I was not a fan of “I Will Survive” after hearing it too many times.
“Ring My Bell” is a 1979 disco song written by Frederick Knight. The song was originally written for then eleven-year-old Stacy Lattisaw, as a teenybopper song about kids talking on the telephone. When Lattisaw signed with a different label, American singer and musician Anita Ward was asked to sing it instead, and it became her only major hit.
“Ring My Bell” went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, the Disco Top 80 chart and the Soul Singles chart. It also reached number one on the UK Singles Chart. It also garnered Ward a nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the 1980 Grammy Awards.
DUN LAOGHAIRE 8 JANUARY 2023
After an almost twenty year local campaign Dún Laoghaire baths reopened as a public amenity in December 2022 but without a pool. Apparently a rectangular concrete void has been left below the surface of the amphitheatre and will allow for the inclusion of a tidal pool in future works.
My birthday was on New Years day and my brother had organised a party for me at his home not far from Scotsman’s Bay and I had planned to photograph the recently refurbished baths while I was in the area. Unfortunately, on the last day of 2022, my brother and his wife discovered that they had contracted Covid so my visit to Dun Laoghaire as well as my birthday party was cancelled and I did not get an opportunity to visit until today.
When I arrived the first thing that caught my attention was the number of dogs and I mention this because three dogs jumped over a wall into the water without knowing what was on the other side. One owner was very distressed but the dog survived and did not appear to be in any way distressed. The other two dogs were on leads and did not hit the rocks and were easily recovered.
Two separate bathing areas existed in, what is now, Dun Laoghaire in the 1790s. Baths were built by the Royal Hotel in 1828 but were removed to make way for the construction of the railway in 1836.
In 1843, John Croswaithe built baths on the corner of Scotsman’s Bay. Originally known as the Royal Victorian Baths, they were only used by those who had the means to afford them. This is the site of today’s Dun Laoghaire baths.
Victoria Baths were public baths on Queens Road. Over the years, they had a number of different configurations. They provided salt-water or fresh water baths, baths for swimming or baths for washing or “turkish” baths for cleansing the pores, hot, cold, or tepid baths, individual or shared baths. In their last configuration as Rainbow Rapids in the 1980s, they provided water slides and other ways of enjoying the water.
Restoration Works at the Dun Laoghaire Baths were substantially completed on 2nd December 2022. Works included the retention and securing of the existing Baths Pavilion and the removal of dilapidated structures to the rear of the Pavilion to create a new route between Newtownsmith and the East Pier. This walkway is at a level that provides a safe and secure walk offering panoramic views over Scotsman’s Bay.
The walkway features sitting and viewing points and the land adjoining this walk has been be regraded to create sloping grassed areas.
The long derelict Baths Pavilion together with a smaller outbuilding was retained, weathered and secured while the remaining dilapidated outbuildings to the rear and side of the Pavilion were removed.
The original Baths entrance along Windsor Terrace was restored to provide access. An outdoor ‘café terrace’ linked to the new café will provide an attractive sitting area for viewing eating and relaxing.
