After a shockingly long period of neglect, research into Irish architectural history appears to be going through something of a vogue at present. A considerable number of publications in this field have come out over recent months, the latest being a quartet of works from the Dublin Civic Trust, each of which examines a different street in the capital.
The books - which vary in length between 80 and 130 pages - follow on from the first such document which looked at South William Street and was issued by the Civic Trust two years ago. The entire series was financed by a grant from the Department of the Environment but this money has now been used up; were further volumes to be commissioned, they would need to be supported by fresh funding. Given the importance of the research and the certain long-term benefits arising from the results, surely another grant from the same source would be justified?
All publications follow the same format. The opening chapter looks at the history and significance of the street in question, followed by a more thorough examination of individual buildings. Then, critically, comes a chapter offering a "vision for the future" with conservation proposals and advice on how to improve the appearance of the area. Finally, there is a gazetteer of the buildings accompanied by either a line drawing or a photograph, together with a list of the properties' occupiers based on last year's Thom's Street Directory. The only criticism which might be levelled at the publications is that they do not include an index or a map of the streets being studied.
Nevertheless, these are unquestionably worthwhile additions to the exploration of Dublin's history, not least because in future developers will be unable to claim ignorance of their own buildings' merits. That wanton destruction of important sites continues to be a problem is shown with dispiriting regularity by the authors.
Looking at Capel Street, for example. Olwyn James notes that in May last year number 88, one of the few smaller-sized mid-18th century houses to survive in Dublin "was illegally demolished, retaining the front wall, with the loss of all 18th century fabric". Close by, number 95, which possessed a panelled interior and was the first post-1700 building in the capital to be registered as a National Monument, had its front elevation demolished eight years ago on foot of a Dangerous Building Order from the local authority.
That Dublin Corporation must take considerable responsibility for much of the damage done to the historic fabric of the city can be neither denied nor excused. Katriona Byrne comments that on Pearse Street the refurbishment and extension of the Gilbert Library by the corporation has led to fundamental alteration to two adjoining late Georgian terraced houses. The same author is also correctly critical of the acquisition by Trinity College of all sites on the south side of Pearse Street from Westland Row to College Street, arguing that the educational institution has turned its back on the city even though it "has a responsibility here towards the urban and social context" of the area. On the north side of the same street, incidentally, the house in which Padraig Pearse was born has been completely restored, but three properties in the same terrace, numbers 23 to 25, are particularly vulnerable at present because they have been left to lie empty; their refurbishment would surely be as much a tribute to Pearse as was that of his old home.
There is, of course, always a risk that books of this kind can appear as nothing more than a sustained complaint against progress and economic betterment. In this respect, one of the advantages of the Civic Trust series is that each volume includes photographs from earlier periods which often show circumstances to have been worse, not better, than the present. Widespread dilapidation and neglect have been features of Irish urban life for centuries, as has been the seemingly gratuitous destruction of historic properties. The Wide Street Commissioners, after all, were responsible for clearing away much of the medieval fabric of the city centre but today that body would hardly be considered barbarous.
Furthermore, the chapter in each book offering a vision for the future takes a resolutely positive tone. Writing of Thomas Street, Emmeline Henderson insists that while much of the vicinity is in poor condition, any problems "are far from insoluble, and a concerted effort from both the public and private sector can bring about the necessary changes to reinvigorate Thomas Street".
Wisely, she adds that "it makes economic sense to recognise the enormous potential of the street". Thomas Street, like the others examined, is a thoroughfare which has seen more prosperous times and much of its finest building stock dates from such periods. The importance of the chapters on each street's future lies in the authors' arguments that conservation need not impede progress. Indeed, developers should take note that while pastiche facades and inappropriate alterations such as the insertion of aluminium-frame windows are invariably condemned, imaginative new structures are given enthusiastic support.
So, on Wexford Street, MβirΘad N∅ Chonghaile fulsomely praises Mono at number 26, a purpose-built music venue designed by Madigan Donald Architects and dating from the middle of the last decade. Declaring the place "unashamedly modern" with an innovative interior featuring multicoloured lights set into panelling and a top-lit upper floor, she nonetheless insists that "it nestles quite comfortably between two mid-nineteenth century redbrick buildings" and thereby "serves as an instruction on how modern development can flourish in a historic setting." The same author also approves of the new facade on the Modern Green Bar at 31 Wexford Street which "employs bold shapes and colours in its design, shying away from mawkish imitations of traditional types." Recommendations for the future therefore tend to encourage the development of well-designed new buildings as well as the restoration and proper maintenance of older structures. And the "vision for the future" chapters also address other, just as important, issues such as the nature of the immediate environment.
Katriona Byrne comments that on Pearse Street during the 1980s pollution levels in this area were the highest of any European city. She recommends the creation of local residents' associations and the planting of more trees as ways of giving the street a more personal character. The ongoing problems of traffic are also addressed here with a coherence and intelligence not apparent to date in the corporation's handling of the matter. Likewise, when looking at Capel Street, Olwyn James provides sound recommendations to improve what was once among the city's most desirable residential addresses, quite rightly denouncing the wave of new private apartment buildings in north inner Dublin for "the striking lack of imagination in their design qualities".
The hope must be not only that this series is continued but that it be made required reading by all those responsible for planning the future of the capital.
Thomas Street by Emmeline Henderson; Pearse Street by Katriona Byrne; Camden and Wexford Streets by MβirΘad N∅ Chonghaile; and Capel Street by Olwyn James, together with South William Street by Julie Craig, are all available from the Dublin Civic Trust, price £8 (€10.16) each. For further information, telephone 01 475 6911.
