This report was released in January 2012, and it highlights the history, current state and possible future of Thomas Street.
It is intended to stress the importance of the street within the historic city centre, and the local Dublin 8 area itself. And it is also intended to show the interest that the Dublin Civic Trust has in this particular area. They produced the document for the Dublin City Council (DCC).
Whilst the report may not be new to many readers, I thought we should add a copy to FRG.ie, as we are trying to build a repository of local news and information here, and this should indeed be included.
You can download a PDF version of the report here>
Foreword by Dublin Civic Trust:
Thomas Street is the commercial heart of The Liberties; its most active and vibrant street, essential to its economic and cultural life. However, the slow but continual decline of the street during the late 20th century has left a fragile, and in parts, broken streetscape that remains to be resolved. In spite of this, the potential of the street and its environs is considerable, and this study seeks to illustrate the enormous importance of the street to the wider experience of Dublin, by citizens and visitors alike, and the scope to reinvent the thoroughfare through careful and considered attention and enlightened intervention.
Dublin Civic Trust has maintained a strong interest in Thomas Street since the establishment of the Trust in 1992. In 2001, it compiled and published Thomas Street: A Study of the Past – A Vision for the Future, vividly documenting the built heritage of the street and proposing practical solutions to the issues faced by the property owners and occupiers. The publication continues to be a valuable source of historical information for Thomas Street and is intended to be read in conjunction with this study. The book also forms part of a series of street studies undertaken by the Trust, which includes a study of adjoining Francis Street and Meath Street, published in 2008.
In 2008, Dublin Civic Trust compiled and prepared the written statement and supplementary inventory for the Thomas Street and Environs Architectural Conservation Area (ACA), which was adopted by Dublin City Council in 2009. The ACA statement further illustrates the rich history and architectural heritage of Thomas Street and its hinterland, and sets out a broad series of policy measures designed to protect and enhance this inheritance.
This study is intended to provide an objective analysis of the street in its current condition and to articulate a vision for the renewal of its historic fabric and the protection of its unique charm and character. The stimulus for the study is the increasing recognition of the importance of the street to the vitality of The Liberties and to a greater appreciation of the historic core of the city.
