Dear Sir,
Una Mullally’s fervent critique of the Temple Bar’s “modernisation” by the Dublin City Council, a piece titled “The redesigned Temple Bar is a failure of the imagination” published in the Opinion & Analysis section on March 18th, captured my attention. The “harsh unattractiveness” of the recent redevelopment efforts in Temple Bar has not escaped her keen eye. Her words bring back the sentiments of the distinguished Prof FX Martin, a strong advocate for the preservation of Viking Dublin’s historical remnants at Wood Quay, situated near Temple Bar. Prof Martin, while reflecting on the construction of the Dublin Civic Offices on Wood Quay, once said, “Every city, and Dublin is no exception, should host a lasting monument to unattractiveness to serve as a stark warning of what should be evaded”. It seems that history possesses a knack for repetition.
Yours faithfully,
Fr IGGY O’DONOVAN
Glen of Aherlow
Liam Cunningham: ‘I tell people I’m an emigrant. It unsettles them, triggers a reaction in them.’
Co Tipperary.