Sir, As one of the people responsible for the programming and management of Meeting House Square in Temple Bar, I am writing in response to the specific point raised by Frank McDonald in his article dealing with Temple Bar of April 21st, about the fact that Meeting House Square is closed each night at 1 am.
Far from being any "admission of failure on the part of Temple Bar Properties, the closing of public spaces is standard procedure. Public parks all over the city, including St Stephen's Green, are closed at dusk each night, for example.
Any new, relatively enclosed, public space in any part of any city in the world deserves and requires careful management. Meeting House Square is no exception. If we are, at the moment, erring on the side of caution, this is because we are conscious of our duty of care. Careful management of a new public space, as the pattern of use evolves, is policy in every progressive city in Europe.
Yours, etc.,
Cultural manager, Temple Bar Properties, Dublin 2.