Liberties locals protest Vicar Street redevelopment

Dublin 8 residents gathered outside Vicar Street recently to protest plans that will add a high-rise hotel to the music venue.

Vicar Street owner Harry Crosbie has been given the green light by Dublin City Council to build adjacent to the 21-year-old music venue with an eight-storey hotel.

This has been made possible due to the removal of height restrictions on city buildings by Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy back in December.

Locals are unhappy with the proposed change, believing that the 8-storey building will disturb the Liberties skyline. They are hoping that the planned building can be reduced by two floors to retain the area’s identity.

Several dozen protesters attended, with many of them bearing signs such as “Community Need, Not Profit Greed” and “Repeal the 8^th Storey”.

The protest was spearheaded by People Before Profit councillor Tina MacVeigh and TD Bríd Smith, who urged locals to return on Saturday 2^nd March at 1pm for further protests.

“It’s going to ruin the view of Thomas Street from the surrounding areas,” said local resident Kenneth Murphy.

Murphy said the planned hotel represents the negative changes in the area in recent years. “This is part of a bigger problem which is the gentrification of Dublin 8.”

“Changes like this will ruin the character of the Liberties – which is one of the most historic parts of Dublin,” he added.

Locals are also upset with the lack of input they have with the changes being made in Dublin 8.

“The community is not happy because we are not consulted when something like this happens,” says protester Amelie Linot. “We are trying to discuss whether he [Harry Crosbie] is able to reduce it to six storeys, but he says that it won’t be profitable if it’s reduced.”

The lack of local consultation is also echoed by Councillor Tina MacVeigh. MacVeigh points out that with every planned development in the Dublin 8 area, locals are being “forced to lodge objections and open up appeals in order to have their voices heard.”

MacVeigh says that “consultation with residents should be central to the planning process.”

Locals have stated a desire to see more green spaces in the area to combat the growing gentrification of the Liberties. The lack of such spaces in the area is a worrying issue, with Dublin 8 having the least amount of green space per person in the city.