NEW YORK BOSTON |#Popular: Irish Celebrity Gossip Irish in US Politics Irish Festivals Irish Roots Irish Entertainment Offbeat Irish

Home Page > News > Call for 'Irish Alamo' 1916 Rising site to be preserved

Call for 'Irish Alamo' 1916 Rising site to be preserved

MOLLY MULDOON,

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Friday, October 15, 2010, 7:56 AM

Updated Friday, October 15, 2010, 9:18 AM

Larger Text

E-mail

16 Comments

Former protest to save the historic buildings on Moore Street, Dublin

Moore Street houses in Dublin city centre where 1916 rebels spent their final hours before surrendering were described as “The Irish Alamo” by the leader of those who are campaigning to preserve the site.

The comments were made by Matt Doyle, the secretary of the National Graves Association, during a public meeting of the ‘Save 16 Moore Street’ campaign last night in Dublin.

In 2007 the then Environment Minister Dick Roche designated houses 14 to 17 on Moore Street as national monuments. Irish history was shaped in number 16 Moore Street which is said to be the location where Irish Rebel leaders made the decision to surrender to British forces after the 1916 rising.

Despite their historical significance earlier this year An Bord Pleanála approved planning permission for the redevelopment of the site. Joe O'Reilly, an Irish property developer has been granted permission for the development which is to include retail and residential units, restaurants and car spaces.

Speaking during the meeting Mr Doyle said “We welcome the regeneration of the area but we’re concerned the development will be an infringement on the national monument site. Next year is the 95th anniversary of the Rising and politicians will be banging their chests. They’re not interested until it comes to an anniversary. . .

“This site is the Irish Alamo, there should be a national monument to it,” he added.

James Connolly Heron,a great grandson of James Connolly and a member of the “Save 16 Moore Street” committee said: “We’re calling for the terrace to be taken out of the development plan altogether and for the creation of a holistic cultural quarter.”

Nster.com

E-mail

16 Comments

See all comments

oct2447 | Mar 02, 2011, 01:11 PM EST

It should not be compared to the America. Alamo.....or anything else. It stands as it's own entity. However, if torn down, it will compare to the American propensity to tear down what should be loeft/preserved in the name of profit. I am an American. An Irish-American

Report abuse

Searlit | Oct 18, 2010, 11:39 PM EDT

There's so much upheaval going on right now, over in Ireland, and everywhere else for that matter. However, if you asked the population of the Republic of Ireland, if they were happy that the Republic of Ireland was established, I think most would say yes. So, why wouldn't they want to memorialize the place where it began?

Report abuse

Towngate | Oct 18, 2010, 02:14 PM EDT

Ye GODS! Now a monument to a location of a particularly pathetic and tragic shambles when a bunch of jumped-up fantasists tried to grab a country from its rightful owners without any mandate,authority or request from the population. By this,every location where they had their sorry arses so firmly kicked should have a red plaque marking it to denote the blood of the precious citizen workers they so callously slaughtered as they established these strongholds - long before a single shot was fired back by the British! 1916 did not lead to 'Irish Freedom' and when they got a whiff of it they tore each other apart and since the last UK ties were cut in 1948, successive cart-loads of TD's and such-like clowns have continued to destroy my beautiful birthplace with their criminal cowardice and stupidity. FORGET ANY MORE MONUMENTS TO FAILURE! You Fools! You Fools! You Fools! Can't you see? - Thanks to you, today the whole Country is a Monument to Failure!

Report abuse

GeorgeDillon | Oct 18, 2010, 12:50 PM EDT

Searlit: You're very kind. I am actually much nicer in real life than might appear from some of my posts. It's just that I am horrified by the way the current ruling class in Ireland is dismantling centuries of tradition and culture and turning Ireland into a multicult slum. Most Irish people oppose this, but there are some Fianna Fail government apologists who post here, the poster Clarkey32 for example.

Report abuse

Searlit | Oct 17, 2010, 10:07 AM EDT

GeorgeDillon, I'm glad to hear your family's story. It is understandable that you feel the way you do. I have learned much from reading your posts. Thank-you.

Report abuse

GeorgeDillon | Oct 17, 2010, 09:24 AM EDT

Sorry if I bother you, Clarkey, but as a person with strong Irish heritage on both maternal and paternal sides, including some who fought to defend the Irish Republic against the right-wing coup in 1922, and were forced into exile in revenge, I will always try to throw light on the actions of Irish traitors such as the ones who want to destroy the Moore Street houses and build a shopping mall for Arabs and Pakistanis. If you don't like what I write, maybe you should ask someone to teach you to use the cursor on your computer screen.

Report abuse

Clarkey32 | Oct 16, 2010, 08:31 AM EDT

Georgedillon, do you not have a life at all?

Report abuse

Searlit | Oct 15, 2010, 10:07 PM EDT

Oh, GeorgeDillon that is depressing, news. I agree with you about the Alamo, though.

Report abuse

TimWhitmore | Oct 15, 2010, 06:30 PM EDT

Please, in the name of all that is sacred, do not let avaricious developers, whose only concern is their own pockets, destroy sites that should forever stand as a memorial to what the heroes of 1916 brought to light: that men should be free to collectively determine their own destiny, free from foreign domination.

Report abuse

maloney | Oct 15, 2010, 05:58 PM EDT

So the Texas Alamo was about slavery, that's about the dumbest damn thing I've ever heard. The Irish Alamo is about heroes & the IRA are terrorists, interesting.

Report abuse

Nelsonbarry | Oct 15, 2010, 05:39 PM EDT

How ever you discribe it. The area should be preserved and a monument should be errected. These men were and still are Ireland and it's finest hour.

Report abuse

GeorgeDillon | Oct 15, 2010, 02:22 PM EDT

By the way, it's insulting nonsense to call this site the Irish Alamo. The men and women who retreated to Moore Street in 1916 were fighting for freedom and the rights of man. The Texicans and their allies from other states who holed up in the Alamo were fighting to preserve the shameful institution of slavery in Texas, abolished by the Mexican government some years earlier. Because the Anglos were successful in their racist coup against the lawful government of Mexico, the foul horror of slavery was given another three decades of life in Texas. This guy Matt Doyle probably means well, but he's an utter fool to insult Pearse and Conolly by his disgraceful comparison with The Alamo.

Report abuse

GeorgeDillon | Oct 15, 2010, 02:13 PM EDT

As an example of the degeneracy of the Mass Immigrationists in Ireland, it is instructive to cite the case of the Sunday Independent newspaper, which called recently for these buildings to be knocked down in order to permit the construction of Hallal butchers stores to cater to the Muslim settlers in Ireland. The Irish--they're a pretty despicable lot. No pride in their culture or history. They deserve all the calamities that are coming to them.

Report abuse

Searlit | Oct 15, 2010, 11:45 AM EDT

If they make 16 Moore street a national monument, it would be one more great reason to visit Ireland! This is what so fascinates me about Ireland. You have preserved the site for 95 years, and now it's grown into a desire to make it a monument. Go ahead, now and give us all something to admire.

Report abuse

brennanirish | Oct 15, 2010, 10:04 AM EDT

some irish finally have the courage to support irish nationalism. make it a memorial!!!

Report abuse