Moore Street buildings saved

NEWS that the Government is to finally acquire the National Monument at 14-17 Moore Street a year ahead of the 1916 Rising centenary received a warm welcome last week.

The decision by the 1916 leaders to surrender was taken at No. 16 and the surrounding buildings were also used by the rebels in the final hours of the Rising.

The buildings were declared a National Monument in 2007 and last week’s announcement paves the way for a 1916 commemorative centre to be developed at the site.

Further proposals outlining plans to safeguard and fully restore the buildings and develop the commemorative centre will be put before the Government over the coming weeks.

It’s unlikely the centre will be completed before the centenary celebrations begin but it’s hoped it will be operational before the end of 2016.

“This puts an end to the uncertainty surrounding the future of these buildings and ensures that they will be accessible to all who are interested in the history of the 1916 Rising,

? said Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys.

“I hope that this project will be completed during the centenary year as a fitting tribute to the leaders of the Easter Rising.

?

Preserving the Moore Street site has been a long running saga.

The site was acquired by Dublin City Council back in 2003 and proposals to turn the building into a museum were twice included in the city development plan.

However, the buildings at 14-17 Moore Street came under threat of development during the Celtic Tiger boom years before the property crash left question marks over the their future.

An Taisce, which has long campaigned for the buildings to be saved and turned into a museum, welcomed the news that the site would be in State hands but called for an investigation into the saga.

“The announcement is to be welcomed and we look forward to the details and trust that its future treatment will now be worthy of such an important monument,

? a spokesperson said.

“We call for the events to be fully explained in order for public confidence to be restored and to ensure that such a mess never again occurs.

?

Lord Mayor Christy Burke said he was delighted with the announcement from Minister Humphreys.

“This decision is in accordance with the recommendation of Dublin City Council’s Moore Street Advisory Committee Report on the future of these National Monument buildings,

? he said.

“It will now secure their future as a National Monument by bringing them into public ownership.

?

While the decision has been broadly welcomed there has been some disappointment expressed by those who wanted the entire Moore Street terrace and surrounding 1916 battlefield area preserved.

North Inner City councillor Nial Ring (Ind), whose relatives fought in Moore Street during the Rising, expressed relief after the decision.

“Following the recent rejection by city councillors of the proposed land swap which would have ensured that Dublin City Council would have owned and operated a fully built commemorative centre in time for the 1916 centenary, many were fearful that there would be nothing there for 2016,

? he said.

“However, this announcement is most welcome and now there is every chance that this iconic site will be a centrepiece of the centenary celebrations.

“Obviously we would like the entire battlefield site preserved but this development is hugely important to ensure that the role of Moore Street in the final council of war and decision to surrender is acknowledged, understood and celebrated.”