Time to move on, says Taoiseach as towers come down

"It is not the end, it's just the end of the beginning there's years of work left and we will be living on a building site for years" said Ballymun resident Ms Mary Kelly as she waited for the demolition of Patrick Pearse Tower to begin on Saturday morning.

After a quiet evening of storytelling, poetry and music on Friday many residents were in a philosophical mood as the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, arrived to signal - along with local woman Ms Ann Keating - the start of the demolition work.

It was "a symbolic day" the Taoiseach told waiting reporters. Part of the population was born, educated and raised in the towers but it was time to move on.

"It is a good day," he added reassuringly as some local residents looked doubtful.

There were tears from many of the former residents as the long-reach crane which had never been used in Ireland before reached out and took the first "bite" of Pearse Tower - a small chunk of concrete balcony.

Another resident Ms Ester Byrne said it was "sad, but they need to be pulled down".

Some 480 flats in three types of buildings are being demolished in phase one of the Ballymun regeneration programme over the next six months, at a cost of €4.5 million.

Pearse, McDonagh and Ceannt Towers three 15-storey blocks along with four, four-storey blocks and one eight-storey block will be demolished in this phase. Concrete from the former flats is to be recycled in a concrete-crushing facility on St Margaret's Road.

The windows will be recycled and the aluminium will be smelted.

The demolition is expected to take five years and the flats will be replaced with at least 5,000 new homes.

Ms Christine Healy formerly of Ballymun Neighbourhood Council and now with a voluntary housing association Habitat for Humanity Ireland (HFH) said the voluntary sector would be working alongside the statutory house providers, offering low cost housing to residents.

HFH Ireland plans to build homes "with rather than for" up to 50 families using international volunteers and interest free loans on a "not for profit" basis said Ms Healy.

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