GPO to be turned into Shopping Mall? (4 Viewers)

[Scientician 0.8]

they should turn it into a museum. not about the 1916 rising though, that's boring shit.
they should move the natural history museum there.

Now that's a great idea .|..| .

 

[Diddles]

they should turn it into a museum. not about the 1916 rising though, that's boring shit.

Boring? How very dare you. My grandda didn't fight the 1916 Rising single-handedly etc. etc.



They should turn it into a skate park for the kidz.

Or an urban beach.

 

[magicbastarder]

My grandda didn't fight the 1916 Rising

neither did mine. they were probably the only two in the country not to.

 

[Diddles]

neither did mine. they were probably the only two in the country not to.

Ah he did though. The Brits put him in Frongoch prison in Wales for it. He was a bollix though, according to me Da.

 

[jane]

This isn't surprising to anyone, is it?

There are two approaches to heritage in Ireland. "Saints and scholars" and "economic miracle". The former takes heritage and archaeological sites and commodifies them and then sells the same old nationalist narrative that's been peddled since the late 19th century, only now they've got multimedia monks. Just go see the McDonaldised Newgrange, or pretty much any heritage site in Ireland outside of Dublin. ETA: Actually, in Dublin, too. Bar a few really interesting places that are, unsurprisingly, not run directly by the state.

Then there's the 'economic miracle' approach, which takes buildings and places with enormous potential and turns them into mixed-use exclusive developments that occasionally open themselves up for corporate-sponsored arts events so they can pretend they give a fuck about community. They also feature inexplicably-priced 'artisan' foods and other 'local' products, in addition to the curious rent-a-market that makes a truly lame attempt to vary its gimmick, despite always being the exact same market stalls selling the exact same things at inflated prices (made to look like good deals because they use handwritten signage). See also: The Cocklands (esp the Gasworks and what will soon be what used to be Boland's Mills).

Gutting the GPO and putting in a bunch of high-end boutiques is a perfect metaphor for modern Ireland. I wouldn't expect anything more or anything less.

Sometimes I can't wait to get kicked out of this fucking country.

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

This isn't surprising to anyone, is it?

There are two approaches to heritage in Ireland. "Saints and scholars" and "economic miracle". The former takes heritage and archaeological sites and commodifies them and then sells the same old nationalist narrative that's been peddled since the late 19th century, only now they've got multimedia monks. Just go see the McDonaldised Newgrange, or pretty much any heritage site in Ireland outside of Dublin.

Then there's the 'economic miracle' approach, which takes buildings and places with enormous potential and turns them into mixed-use exclusive developments that occasionally open themselves up for corporate-sponsored arts events so they can pretend they give a fuck about community. They also feature inexplicably-priced 'artisan' foods and other 'local' products, in addition to the curious rent-a-market that makes a truly lame attempt to vary its gimmick, despite always being the exact same market stalls selling the exact same things at inflated prices (made to look like good deals because they use handwritten signage). See also: The Cocklands (esp the Gasworks and what will soon be what used to be Boland's Mills).

Gutting the GPO and putting in a bunch of high-end boutiques is a perfect metaphor for modern Ireland. I wouldn't expect anything more or anything less.

Sometimes I can't wait to get kicked out of this fucking country.

 

[magicbastarder]

Just go see the McDonaldised Newgrange

from what i can remember of the interpretative centre, i didn't find it too objectionable.
that said, i was in (privately run) crag cave at the weekend, and they've put far more energy into trying to sell you tat than actually give you a decent tour of the cave.

 

[jane]

Wha?

Don't get it.

I left out 'or let it fall to ruin' because by 'heritage site' I mean those sites that are part of Ireland's marketing strategy for foreign and domestic tourism. There are plenty of cool spots to go to that aren't 'heritage' commodities. But they won't last.

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

i thought the interpertive centre at newgrange was interesting enough in that it gives you a bit of background about the area and the history and the times etc, and in that sense theres nothing really wrong with it, i had never heard of the way of the illuminated cow before i went. however the fact that its a big modern thing (i know - what else would they do?) with plastic lighty uppy models and things makes for a slightly less "real" and more sanitised visit, especially since you have to go through it to actually visit newgrange itself and then when your inside newgrange its like your in a fake model of it. god be with the days when you could pull up outside newgrange and walk in.

putting an interpretive centre at the cliffs of moher is daft

 

[magicbastarder]

the environs of the GPO aren't amenable to the sort of plan they seem to have announced for it.
i haven't been in the place in years, but was in the GPO a lot about seven years ago. it was a shithole. awful place to work.

 

[magicbastarder]

god be with the days when you could pull up outside newgrange and walk in.

that was quite specifically one of the reasons they built the centre, wasn't it?

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

i'd say so, i realise you cant have people trampling all over the place and the centre is probably grand for bus loads of school kids. i dunno, its just like the banning of british bulldogs in the playground again

 

[Yurn!]

putting an interpretive centre at the cliffs of moher is daft

a nice big fence might help though.

 

[Wilbert]

Most people don't go into the GPO for years on end. It doesn't even cross their minds for years on end but then someone mentions that they're turning it into a shopping mall and its the worse thing they've ever heard. As long as they don't knock it down or change the facade, what's the problem?
Is it really important to people that it stays as a post office?

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

its a historical public building on the main street - many people feel its should be used for some public good not for poncey shops for wealthy people. i quite like the fact its a post office - i often go in for stamps. if its turned into a clothes shop i'll never go in again

 

[magicbastarder]

it was gas how often the number of times tara would come up in conversation, and i'd start giving out, and would get the "how many times have you actually been there?" reaction; with the full expectation i'd say i'd never been.

 

[classic seanc]

Most people don't go into the GPO for years on end. It doesn't even cross their minds for years on end but then someone mentions that they're turning it into a shopping mall and its the worse thing they've ever heard. As long as they don't knock it down or change the facade, what's the problem?
Is it really important to people that it stays as a post office?

That's not the point people are making. Screw An Post, They need to invest in a massive package of Cop On. But that's besides the point. The problem is turning it into some tacky bullshit and throwing rich folk in to live there, because that will automatically make it a classy place.

 

[Wilbert]

its a historical public building on the main street - many people feel its should be used for some public good not for poncey shops for wealthy people. i quite like the fact its a post office - i often go in for stamps. if its turned into a clothes shop i'll never go in again

Well, how often do you go in as it is? Most people have a post office that is closer to where they live than the GPO. It's kind of redundant as a post office in some ways.

Its just a building. Why does it matter what its being used for?

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

Well, how often do you go in as it is? Most people have a post office that is closer to where they live than the GPO. It's kind of redundant as a post office in some ways.

Its just a building. Why does it matter what its being used for?

well i might go in every two or three weeks, i dunno - i dont go to the post office that often. why not move the dail to a custom built site in city west then? gawd!

 

[Wilbert]

well i might go in every two or three weeks, i dunno - i dont go to the post office that often. why not move the dail to a custom built site in city west then? gawd!

Great idea!


I just think that as long as the facade of the building remains the same then I wouldn't have a problem with it. It's a post office at the end of the day. I don't ever go in there for anything other than stamps and to be honest, I hate being in it.

Of course it would be better if it wasn't just for shops but its not in the same league as Starbucks opening a branch in Newgrange.