"Moore Street 1916 Battlefield Site Must Be Protected From Cultural Vandalism" - Gareth Murray
Éirígí’s representative for Dublin’s North Inner City, Gareth Murray, has reaffirmed the party’s support for the campaign to save the 1916 Moore Street Battlefield Site. He was speaking in response to the revelation that unauthorised works had recently been carried out on the site by the English corporation, Hammerson. Speaking from East Wall, Murray said,
“The Moore Street Battlefield Site is of unique historical value. It is a rare survival as an entire streetscape which has changed little since Easter week 1916. It is particularly important because it includes the buildings which served as the final headquarters of the Republican forces during Easter week.
When you walk along the lanes linking the GPO to Moore Street, you follow in the footsteps of Connolly, Pearse and the estimated 300 volunteers as they retreated from the burning GPO. When the group advanced through Henry Place, onto Moore Lane, and eventually reached No. 10 Moore Street, they gained access to the terrace of buildings which still stands today.
Murray outside No. 14 Moore Street
Tunnelling between these buildings, they established the final headquarters of the Rising in No. 16. Also under threat from development is the location where the O'Rahilly fell, leading a heroic charge up Moore Street.
This is an area of such historical significance that it beggars belief that it should be under threat. Numbers 14, 15, 16 and 17 Moore Street have been designated a National Monument, but it is not enough. The remainder of the terrace and the surrounding lanes remain unprotected, despite Dublin City Council recommending that it should also be assigned National Monument status.
The entire terrace, and its surrounding streetscape, is integral to the historical value of the four buildings that are currently protected. If the planned developments are allowed to proceed, not only will the majority of the battlefield site be completely destroyed, the National Monument area itself shall be dwarfed and lost amongst the new development.
The English corporation Hammerson is clearly not to be trusted when it comes to protecting Ireland’s revolutionary heritage. On 30th August we got further evidence of this fact when Dublin City Council were forced to issue an Enforcement Notice to stop unauthorised works by Hammerson on No.10 Moore Street. While the details remain unclear, it is a definite indication that the developer holds little respect for the historical integrity of the area.
2014 Éirígí protest outside of Dublin’s City Hall calling for the preservation of entire Moore Street Battlefield Site
The Moore Street 1916 Battlefield Site must be protected from cultural vandalism. Today, Éirígí is again calling on the Dublin government to intervene to preserve the entire Moore Street Battlefield Site. It is a cliché, but nonetheless true, that once a historical site has been lost, it has been lost forever.
Éirígí has a long track record in relation to the Moore Street Battlefield Site. If the Dublin government fails to act, Éirígí stands ready to work with like-minded citizens to once again physically prevent the destruction of the Moore Street Battlefield Site if that becomes necessary.”
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