FF Dublin City Cllrs reject plans for ‘unimaginative’ street names

Published on: 30 April 2015


Fianna Fáil members on Dublin City Council have led calls to reject a series of ‘unimaginative’ street names for new developments in the city.

Councillors David Costello and Paul McAuliffe secured unanimous agreement at the April meeting of Dublin City Council’s Northwest Area Committee to rejected the names proposed for a new housing development at Rathborne in Dublin 15.

The proposed names, which included Royal Canal Crescent, Lakewood Drive, Lakewood Avenue, Lakewood Square and Pelletstwon Avenue, were recommended by the Dublin City Council Heritage Officer.  But the Fianna Fáil Councillors called instead for the streets to be named after local heroes.

Cabra-Navan Road Councillor David Costello explained, “We have a great tradition on Dublin’s northside for naming our streets after historical figures or local heroes.  The names proposed by the Heritage Council lacked imagination and did not represent anything unique about local culture or history.

“The construction of new residential areas or public amenities gives us an opportunity to honour people who have played an important part in the area or in our history.  This would much more meaningful than empty made-up street names.

“It also gives us an opportunity to name areas after women that have played a hugely important role in the life of this city. There are very few public buildings, parks and roads named after women and women’s organisations. This is highlighted by the recent naming of a bridge over Liffey after Rosie Hackett. Rosie Hackett was a member of the Irish Citizen Army and served with Constance Markievicz in Cumann na mBan. She encouraged women workers to join in the 1913 Lockout struggle and was dismissed from Jacob’s. Of the 13 bridges in Dublin, it’s the first that is named after a woman.

“Particularly coming into the centenary of 1916, it is vital that we remember our history and the people that helped this city become what it is today. The naming of new streets provides us with an opportunity to remember the people who fought for our Republic, and especially the women of Cumann na mBan who have been forgotten by history.”

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