REVIEW OF THE YEAR: FEBRUARY 2023

Supporters of the No High-rise Monkstown Campaign pictured outside County Hall in Dun Laoghaire after delivering the petition to CEO Frank Curran. Picture credit: No High-Rise Monkstown Campaign.

Monkstown housing protest

Over 1000 people had signed a petition opposing real estate giant Greystar’s plans for an LRD development in Monkstown Village.

Supporters of the No High-rise Monkstown Campaign gathered outside County Hall in Dun Laoghaire this month and delivered the petition to CEO Frank Curran.

GEDV Monkstown Owner Ltd, a subsidiary of American developer Greystar, has applied for permission to develop a build-to-rent scheme consisting of 11 blocks of apartments up to 9 stories high on the grounds of historic Dalguise House.

Among the signatorieswere Douglas Barry, Chair of the Monkstown Road Residents Association, musician Christy Moore, Flossie and the Beach Cleaners, Richard Boyd Barret TD, and Robin Mandel of the Dublin Democratic Planning Alliance.

In addition to the petition, seventy observations were submitted to the Local Authority.

Members of the Raheny Tidy Village group

Raheny wins Pride of Place Award

There was celebrations for all the representatives of Raheny community groups who contributed in winning the IPB Pride of Place Award.

Nominated by Dublin City Council, Raheny Village won top spot in the Category Urban Neighbourhood/ Villages over 3000.

Raheny Village is a volunteer organisation which works to protect and to improve the environment of Raheny for the benefit of the residents of Raheny and visitors to the village.

Minister meets with DAA to discuss illegal use of drones

Government ministers met with representatives from Dublin Airport Authority (daa), the Irish

Aviation Authority, the Department of Justice, and An Garda Síochána to discuss the illegal use of drones at Dublin Airport over the St Brigid’s Day bank holiday weekend.

Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan TD and Minister of State at the Department of Transport Jack Chambers TD met with the various authorities to examine how the drones can be stopped from flying in the vicinity of the airport.

Pic shows The North Dublin Community Gospel Choir as they sang ” Fix You” during the vigil. Pic Maxpix Dublin

Vigil for 42nd anniversary of Stardust fire

A vigil was held on Saturday, February 11, to commemorate the 42nd anniversary of the Stardust fire.

Families of the victims gathered at the site of the nightclub fire to remember those who lost their lives.

On February 14, 1981, 48 young people were killed and more than 200 injured, when a fire broke out inside the nightclub during a Valentine’s Day disco.

The new inquests were set to begin on April 19.

During the vigil a new memorial wall for the victims, the Stardust Victims Eternal Memorial, was unveiled by Charlie Bird (pictured above) and music was performed throughout the afternoon by the Dublin Fire Brigade Pipe Band and the North Dublin community Gospel Choir.

The Stardust Victims Committee lit 48 candles for those who died in the disaster.

Zero landlords prosecuted

DCC revealed this month that zero landlords have been prosecuted for violating basic rental property standards within the last three years.

Responding to a question tabled by Labour councillor Declan Meenagh, DCC said that while letters and prohibition notices were often issued, prosecutions

have not occurred since 2019.

“Everyone knows that we have a poorly regulated residential rental market in Ireland,”Councilor Meenagh said.

A stretch in the evening as experienced from Bayside at 5:09 pm on the 1st of the month as the MV W.B. Yeats sailed into Dublin Port. Picture credit: Paul Reardon