Bus depot departs historic square

Cormac Murphy

ONE of Dublin's most historic addresses has won a major victory.

Dublin City Council has bowed to pressure with a plan to remove a coach depot from Mountjoy Square.

The proposal comes after years of campaigning from the Irish Georgian Society.

However, the local authority may have another battle on its hands as the plan involves relocating the parking bays to nearby Sean McDermott Street, which is a mainly residential area.

The council said, having examined all options, relocating the bays to Sean McDermott Street was "the preferred option".

The road "can accommodate all eight coach parking bays, which is preferable to relocating the bays to more than one site," it added.

The local authority said it had looked for an area "where there was low demand for the carriageway and it was being under-utilised". Other zones examined but rejected as options were Cumberland Street and Charles Street Great.

Donough Cahill, chief executive of the IGS, said the society has been calling for the removal of the parking bays from Mountjoy Square for a long time.

"It's an ongoing issue -- the location of coach depots and bus stops in Dublin's Georgian squares," he told the Herald.

"The principal issue in this regard is that the massing of these buses on Dublin's Georgian streets significantly compromises their character and their integrity," Mr Cahill said.

CLUTTER

There are two issues about having a coach depot at Mountjoy Square, he said.

"One of course is the visual issue. You have this clutter of coaches on one of Dublin's most distinguished Georgian squares but also there is a noise issue too with the rumbling of these coaches," Mr Cahill said.

"Both Mountjoy Square and Merrion Square are architectural conservation areas. They are recognised within the Dublin City Development Plan as being areas of exceptional architectural interest.

"The property owners on these squares are required to maintain them to certain standards. In spite of this, the location of coaches on the squares will work to compromise the character and interest of the areas," Mr Cahill said.

The council's central area committee debated the relocation recommendation this week.

comurphy@herald.ie