TheCity

Tag: O’Connell Street

  • O’Connell Street’s Decline: Iconic Dublin Landmark Faces Neglect and Urban Decay 

    O’Connell Street’s Decline: Iconic Dublin Landmark Faces Neglect and Urban Decay 

    By Jason Quigley  

    O’Connell Street, once the heart of Dublin’s city centre and a vibrant hub of activity, has seen noticeable neglect and signs of urban decay in recent years. 

    This iconic thoroughfare, known for its historic monuments and central location, is now marred by a range of issues including vacant and derelict buildings, deteriorating facades, and an increase in anti-social behaviour.  

    The lack of consistent investment and urban management has allowed the street’s architecture and infrastructure to fall into disrepair, which has contributed to a feeling of abandonment and insecurity among visitors and locals alike. 

    The following images capture the true extent of this decline. From damaged facades and boarded-up windows to graffiti-covered walls and poorly maintained shop fronts, these photographs reveal the scale of neglect that has impacted O’Connell Street. 

    They highlight the deteriorated state of once-vibrant buildings, showing how years of minimal upkeep and insufficient investment have led to visible decay. These images serve as a stark reminder of how urban neglect can transform even the most historically significant areas into spaces that feel unwelcoming.  

    The following images give a compelling case for an urgent need to restore and revitalise this once-proud avenue in Dublin’s city centre. 

    The Bachelor Inn Pub failed to reopen after closing during the Covid-19 pandemic. The building remains empty with visible exterior damage.  
    An empty shop at O’Connell Street lower with extremely damaged windows and façade in a grave condition.  
    Facing The GPO, the roof top of this large empty retail unit shows no visible signs of care, with roof titles damaged and rotting away. Weeds can be seen growing from the roof titles.  

    The previous 3 images show 3 empty and derelict buildings all within 300 metres of each other, with cracked and damaged concrete on the facades. 

    The final 4 images are at O’Connell Street upper and show the true dark colours of this capital’s Main Street. Major neglect with no proper treatment of structural integrity.  

  • Clerys re-opens on O’Connell Street

    Clerys re-opens on O’Connell Street

    Hundreds of happy customers turned out in the freezing cold this morning to see the re-opening of Clerys on Dublin’s O’Connell Street.

    The department store, which is one of the oldest of its kind in Europe, closed suddenly last July when flash flooding caused millions of euro in damage.

    Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Jimmy Deenihan re-opened the 160-year old retail emporium to a large crowd, who had waited in anticipation all morning to catch a glimpse of the renovations.

    The red carpet was out for the re-opening.
    The red carpet was out for the re-opening. Photo credit: Stephanie Quilligan

    Anne O’Grady, 74 from Coolock in Dublin said “I am delighted to see it re-opening. Myself and my friends used to come into Clerys every Friday and do a bit of shopping, I really missed it while it was closed”.

    Shelly Casey, 63 from Dublin City said “I really love the new look. I am a big fan of Clerys and always have been. I really would have been lost doing my Christmas shopping without it”.

    The store re-opened just in time for the Christmas season, which will come as a delight to its 86 staff who were temporarily laid off while the shop was closed.

    Together with the 86 returning staff there has also been further employment with new brands like Fuse Fashion which offers a range of different dresses, being welcomed to the new store.

    Clerys is offering up to 50% on many of its brands for this weekend only, which is sure to gather a large crowd to the department store over the coming days.