Not content with inflating rent prices across Dublin by selling off apartment complex after apartment complex to our new absentee landlords – Real Estate Investment Trusts – NAMA is now in frightening the bejaysus out of Cork’s artistic community. The people involved in the Camden Palace arts centre are urgently seeking public support and are fearful for the survival of their building. NAMA has recently become the new landlord of their … Read More
Trickling Up From The Basement.
You’re probably blue in the face hearing about the housing crisis, the increase in rent, the holy grail of owning the roof over your head. There are solutions to the problems though. Michael Taft details a few. This housing crisis is having a devastating impact on the households affected and the wider economy. In 2013, there were 90,000 households on the social housing waiting list – the majority waiting for … Read More
They Haven’t Gone Away You Know.
Just as it seemed things had gone quiet on the We’re Not Leaving front, they’re back in the meeja tag teaming with Peter McVerry and spinning common sense about rent controls in our unfair city. They’re launching a policy document based on the German rent control model and exhibition of photos submitted to them by young folks hunting out accomodation. It’s all taking place down at the Migrants Rights Centre … Read More
One Day A Rain Is Going To Come.
As more flash flooding caught the city unawares this morning, we took out our unsteadi-cam while walking the dog and captured some of the flood waters hurtling through Griffith Park. The Tolka river is usually as quiet as a mouse but when heavy rains come, it turns into something out of a white water rafting adventure brochure. Back in 2002 the Shelbourne Soccer Club saw extensive damage to its Tolka Park ground, … Read More
#LookUp: Raising The Standard.
Phibsboro Shopping Centre is one of Dublin’s most domineering buildings. Rashers Tierney writes about the fortress of pre-cast grey concrete that haunts the horizons of D7. One of the advantages of this towering behemoth of late 1960’s brutalist architecture is how it frames the old village of Phibsborough in partnership with the lights of Dalymount. So, it’s near impossible to get lost or misdirect eegits home. You see those … Read More
A Chancery Would Be A Fine Thing.
One of Dublin’s most iconic eyesores has come up for rent. The home of the former tax office at Chancery Place is actually called River House but for most of us its probably referred to with a string of far uglier names. Not everyone pours scorn on the dank looking concrete shell though – the wonderful Built Dublin architecture blog even goes as far to declare a strange grá for the spot. … Read More
Salmond Destroys The BBC.
In a crushing reply to a Nick Robinson question at a Yes campaign event, Alex Salmond highlights BBC bias, basic factual errors in reporting and a possible breach of financial regulations. Seven minutes that could have huge repercussions for the BBC as well as marking another crack in the No campaign’s crumbling edifice were played out yesterday during a heated press conference. BBC’s Nick Robinson asked two questions which … Read More
Colemanballs.
If you have to steal one book from the library this year make it this one. Julien Mercille’s definitive analysis of the Irish media’s propagandist publishing in favour of an increasingly wealthy and powerful elite. Yes, yes there’s a special section on Marc Coleman. Check the reviews before you fork over the €112 on Amazon: “One of the most important political economy books of the year… Set to become the … Read More
Canada’s Prince of Pot Is Out.
Cannabis seed distributor Marc Emery was greeted by friends and fans in Toronto yesterday after four years locked up in the States. Emery is an articulate proponent of cannabis reform and counter-cultural entrepreneur extraordinaire. Emery was a well known thorn in the side of the London Ontario political establishment, he ran a bookshop called City Lights named after the quintessential San Fransico beat store. He railed against Sunday closing, censorship and found himself in battles … Read More