30 Manor Street

PHOTOGRAPHED 13 OCTOBER 2025

THE LONG STORY – DISCUSSING THE ISSUE

For over a decade, the terraced house at 30 Manor Street was one of Stoneybatter’s most peculiar and divisive landmarks. Known to everyone as ‘the pigeon house’, it earned its name for a simple reason: it was the centre of a daily feeding ritual that attracted a vast and overwhelming flock of feral pigeons. This activity, kept up for years by a resident, Mr William Garnermann, turned an ordinary house into a local phenomenon, a source of community strife, and a symbol of the clash between individual habits and neighbourly wellbeing.

The story of the pigeon house is a compelling case study of modern city life. It captures the tensions that arise when personal eccentricity meets community standards and shows the limits of city councils in tackling public nuisances. The building’s journey from a notorious nuisance to a canvas for public art, and finally to a prime redevelopment site, mirrors the wider story of urban regeneration sweeping through Stoneybatter, one of Dublin’s most historic districts.

As my photographs show, even with the house now gone, the pigeon problem hasn’t been fully resolved.

The Flock and the Feeder

The identity of 30 Manor Street is tied to one person: William Garnermann. For years, Mr Garnermann would emerge from the house with a bucket of feed, scattering it across the footpath and his front garden. The result was an extraordinary scene of what eyewitnesses called “absolute mayhem”, as hundreds of pigeons swooped down to feed. A 2017 report in the Dublin Inquirer vividly described a man “engulfed by dozens of pigeons”.

This daily feast had consequences. The abundance of food attracted rats, leading some to call it the “rat house”. Residents also noted that food was deliberately left for stray cats. The house itself, described in a property listing as “in need of full refurbishment”, was derelict. This combination of a dilapidated structure and a constant food supply created the perfect storm, allowing the pigeon population to explode.

The issue wasn’t just feeding birds; it was the sheer scale and method. Scattering huge amounts of seed on the ground was indiscriminate and directly supported the local rat population, turning a seeming act of kindness into a public health concern. Mr Garnermann’s persistence, even in the face of community opposition and legal action, suggests a deeply held conviction. While his motives remain private, some locals speculated it was for “religious reasons”, while others thought he was simply a “nature lover”. Whatever the reason, his actions put him profoundly at odds with his community.