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DUBLIN SHOULD HAVE an ‘Oriental Quarter’ at Parnell Street East, a new report by the Dublin Civic Trust has said.
The vision for the new quarter includes revamping shop fronts, improving the appearance of buildings and promoting the oriental cuisine brand.
A ‘promenade’ should also be developed from O’Connell Street to North Great George’s Street with outdoor cafés and dining, the report advises.
By 2020, Dublin Civic Trust envisages a Parnell Street East that is an “enclave for much of Dublin’s Asian community with a wealth of attractive and authentic oriental restaurants, offering everything from sushi bars to curry houses, interspersed with quality neighbourhood shops and services.”
Tom Coffey, chief executive of Dublin City Business Association, which commissioned the report, wants to harness what the area already has to allow it to improve its image and regenerate.
“Over the last couple of years, the Parnell Street East district has been brought alive and rescued by a mix of ethnic and Asian entrepreneurs with a variety of vibrant businesses – including oriental restaurants that have become destination spots – but further investment from property developers and landlords is required to help it reach its full potential,” he said.
A property investor in the street, Colm Carroll of Carroll’s Gifts & Souvenirs – who also commissioned the report – said that most major European capitals have a thriving Oriental Quarter and Dublin should not be without one.
“We have a tremendous opportunity here to emulate that success with an advantageous location off Dublin’s main thoroughfare and within a short walking distance of the main retail core of Henry Street,” said Carroll.
This area can become a major tourist attraction adding to the cultural diversity of our great city.”
The report suggests moving the proposed location for the Parnell Luas stop to the front of Marlborough House to ensure a healthy retail environment is maintained.
A diversity of shops should also be encouraged and small boutiques and craft shops should be considered.
However, Dublin Civic Trust believes that the historic streetscape should be carefully repaired and restored.
“The unique characteristics of the 18th and 19th century city are difficult to recreate and it is necessary to protect and value the heritage we hvae,” said Geraldine Walsh of Dublin Civic Trust.
The mix of Dublin’s North Georgian Core with its new Asian businesses has been depicted in the report’s vision for the area. See the before and after images:
The report, entitled Parnell Street East: A Vision for an Historic City Centre Street, will be launched at an event in Dublin this evening. An accompanying exhibition will be held at the DARC Space on North Great Georges Street from November 3 to 23.
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What a country Ireland is at last growing into to. Its starting to mature at last… Excellent idea
Its about time Irish heroes who fought in the great war, world war 2 and other wars for foreign armies, namely the British army are remembered. Credit has to be given to Myles Dungan and Kevin Myers for their continuous writing on this topic over the years and of course Mary McAleese for the fantastic work she did in her time as president.
There was great economic pressure at the time of this recruitment, jobs were scare and people thought that the war would be short, It was a bit of an adventure for a lot of them. Unfortunately it did not turn out like that and the Irish suffered the greatest proportion of fatalities per capita of any people in the allied forces. They were treated as cannon fodder, there was nothing noble or heroic about being ordered out in your thousands to climb up a sea cliff while thousands of Ottoman soldiers shoot at you or charging across a bare field at German artillery. I certainly feel pity for them and how they were used. Like Ireland at the time, most of the men from the south in uniform were pro independence and freedom. Some were not, several of the RIC men that opened up on Bloody Sunday had done their service at the front in WW1. Countless men in the IRA, like the great Tom Barry had fought for years in WW1. My own Grand Uncle fought in WW1 and brought back weapons and grenades for my Grand Father’s IRA unit.
There is nothing heroic in dying in mud at the hands of an enemy miles away in your thousands for a side that had no trouble with you going over first but nor do I despise them. Money was tight, jobs scare and the pressure to join up was massive. I’m just sad that they died the way they did, same as if they had fought for the Czar or the Kaiser.
cannon fodder is all the Irish were in the trenches!!
Indeed and a poignant point was that Unionist regiments and Nationalist regiments were both seen as Irish by the British colonels and used for first waves attacks.
A man from Galway or from East Belfast was viewed as just as useful as stopping a German bullet, whatever flag he doodled in letters home.
Bloody nonsense…
“how Irishmen were recruited into British Forces… ” I really get fed up with this lazy post independence language that suggests the irish were dragged into some foreign army. We, like the English, Welsh and Scots simply joined THE Army.
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