William Murphy | THE HEADLESS PHOTO BLOG

8 DECEMBER 8 2022

Today is 8 December. When I was much younger it was what was known as a holy day of obligation, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, a day off school.It was the day that the country people came up to Dublin to do their Christmas shopping. Local Dubliners referred to it as Culchie Shopping Day. If you were a girl and you were born on the 8th of December it was almost guaranteed that you would be named Concepta but known as Connie.

Annamoe appears to be a complex of roads rather than one road which is a bit confusing if one is trying to find a specific address.

Annamoe means ‘ford of the cows’. I assume that this road is named after the village located on the Avonmore river in County Wicklow, Ireland about 32 km (20 mi) south of Dublin. It is on the R755 road (at the junction with the R763) between Roundwood and Laragh on the road to Glendalough.

When I first photographed a section of this road in 2016 I though that it was named Annamore Road later I corrected the spelling but still got it wrong as it is Annamoe Road rather than Annmoe Road. I hope that I do not need to make another correction.

ANNAMOE ROAD AND ANNAMOE TERRACE IN CABRA 013

ANNAMOE ROAD AND ANNAMOE TERRACE IN CABRA 012

HAVE THE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS STALLED?

I am not sure if the Jameson Gate and the Prussia Street Gate are the same entity. However I do know that the Prussia Street Gate is an intended gateway onto the Grangegorman site on its western side to provide easier access from the Prussia Street and Stoneybatter areas. It will connect onto St. Brendan’s Way which will be one of the main thoroughfares through the DIT Campus.

It would appear that there were plans for at least three student accommodation complexes along both sides of Prussia Street but I have noticed little progress over the last twelve months. It should be mentioned that a number of North inner city councillors have stated that they are opposed to plans for 162 build-to-rent apartments on Prussia Street, Stoneybatter, which involves a 13 storey tower.

In 2021 An Bord Pleanála has approved the demolition of the Park Shopping Centre to provide for a major residential development including almost 600 student bed spaces as well as a new district shopping centre. Permission was granted to the owners of the shopping centre to develop two large apartment blocks up to eight storeys in height which will provide 578 student bed spaces and 29 build-to-rent apartments as well as a supermarket, two restaurants or cafes plus eleven retail units.

It was expected that there would be a new pedestrian and cycle path connecting Prussia Street with the Technical University Dublin campus at Grangegorman meaning that I could walk from my apartment to the Stoneybatter area in about ten minutes.

Prussia Street is named in the late 18th century after Frederick II, King of Prussia. Prior to this is had been called Cabaragh Lane. Manor Street derives its name from medieval Grangorman Manor. The name Stoneybatter, derived from ‘Bothar na gloch’ (road of stones) dates from at least 1603. The road follows an ancient route from Wicklow to Tara which crossed the Liffey at the ford of the hurdles.

The name Grangegorman is derived from the territory of the Ui Vairrche, whose main families were the Ui Treasaigh and the Ui MacGorman, displaced following the Norman invasion in the 12th century (Tracy 2011). The ‘Grange’ refers to the grange, or homefarm of Holy Trinity (Christ Church) at Grangegorman Manor.

Note: Randelswood have applied to An Bord Pleanála for permission for the development of apartment blocks ranging from 3 to 13 storeys at 23-28 Prussia Street which will include a pedestrian and cycle access to the TU Campus at Grangegorman. Beside this site at 29b, 30 and 31 Prussia Street, another development entity – Viridis Real Estate Services and Prussia Properties – have applied to build 236 student bedspaces in three blocks ranging from 5 to 7 storeys.

Note: Since early this year the Park Shopping Centre development is being offered for sale as an investment and redevelopment opportunity by agent Cushman & Wakefield at a guide price of €11 million.