DEMOLITION WORK has begun on a building, distinctive for its isolation as the only commercial building to have survived demolition carried out on Dublin’s High Street in the late 1970s.
The building, which once housed Murphy’s Pram Shop, is a long-time feature on the Dublin 8 street, located as it was between two churches, both by the name of St Audoen’s – one of which is Church of Ireland, the other Roman Catholic.
The building was the only commercial façade to have escaped demolition during the widening of High Street for a dual carriageway.
However, the premises has lain vacant for many years; the roof had collapsed causing external walls to bulge, leaving the building in a dangerous state to pedestrian traffic, according to a notice on Hegarty Demolition’s website.
The decision to demolish the building was reached after Dublin City Council issued a dangerous buildings notice in relation to the premises located at 17 High Street, Dublin 2, according to the company’s site.
The site also features a picture of the now half-demolished building as per the company’s initial contract to demolish the building to first-floor level to allow for a more detailed examination of the premises to determine if the remaining fabric of the structure can be preserved.
According to the company’s website, the project requires “extreme sensitivity” due to its location beside the medieval church of St Audoen, which is a national monument.
Murphy’s Pram and Nursery Store was first established in 1942 at the High Street location by Joe Murphy and is still in operation almost 70 years later in Rathcoole, Co Dublin.