Dublin Underground

As the first budding independent politician to mention the phrase Dublin Underground in election literature I was very interested in Frank McDonald's piece in The Irish Times on 26th April. Very informative, and despite the strong peppering of bias I was able to complete the read. But sorry Frank 100k of Luas line is not a practical proposition. Reading stuff like this I always wonder at the author's credentials, looked up wiki, degree in in history and politics from UCD. Pity he didn't go to Trinity and take the geography freshman course on the history of Dublin, there he would have learnt about the evolution of parks in Dublin and that they are in a continous state of change. Saint Stephens Green had a ridgid formal layout in Gerogean times. Forty years ago local kids from York Street used to play football there. It is only recently that is has taken its parkland type layout. After the initial works, the subway footprint will be no bigger than the Tone instalation.

There is no real benefit in preserving everything exactly as it was 50, 100 or 150 years ago, things have to be adapted so we can live with them. New things can also have a certain beauty or attraction otherwise Frank wouldn't be living in Temple Bar ( wiki again). I love how beautiful old buildings in Italy contain shops and eateries and are incorporated into daily lives, the Irish tendancy to keep monuments aloof and separate is regretable.