The eagerly anticipated refurbishment of Francis Street is here 

The revamp taking place in the heart of Dublin’s Liberties is part of the Francis Street Environmental Improvement scheme, funded by the Dublin City Council. 

The urban regeneration plan received a green light back in 2017. However, work in the street began in the middle of 2021. 

The street, known for its unique antique shops, will now see wider pavements and easier street crossings with stone-paved sidewalks.  

Other changes include providing new threshold spaces to the front of the Iveagh Market and St Nicholas de Myra Church, new accentuating street lighting to highlight gateways into the Liberties area, such Swifts Alley, and installations of sustainable urban drainage measures. 

The council intends to keep the street a single-lane one-way thoroughfare with a 30kph speed limit and changes to car park spaces and loading areas have also been made. 

The number of parking spaces on the street has fallen from 63 to 42. 

“Essentially the reason for the project is to reclaim unused areas, reduce traffic and create more pedestrian space,” Stephen Coyne, Dublin City Council urban renewal and development fund coordinator, told The Liberty.

The street recently welcomed 12 new trees, several planted areas, and the arrival of new benches providing places for pedestrians to sit and rest in regular intervals. 

The original plan for a segregated cycle lane in the area had however been rejected due to issues with space. 

Locals from the area have expressed their enthusiasm about the long-awaited revamp, Coyne said. 

“We had a lot of consultation with a lot of the independent street shops – everyone is excited about the revamp,” Coyne said.