High hopes that James Weir Home for Nurses can serve the community
Hopes remain high that the James Weir Home for Nurses building in the Liberties can serve the community.
At one point, Dublin City Council had intended to repurpose the site, which they were acquiring from the HSE, for use as social housing. But last January it was announced that the developmental costs were too high to deliver long-term social housing while maintaining the “heritage integrity” of the building.
As a protected structure, the building, located adjacent to a burial ground, only allows for minimal structural intervention, and cannot meet standards of accessibility and energy efficiency without major works. Sinn Fein Councillor Ciaran O Meachair said at the time that the news came as a major shock to the community, but he continued campaigning for it to be reutilised to serve the community.
Today, Cllr O Meachair announced that he attended a “pretty productive” meeting with the HSE over the future of the James Weir Home for Nurses . He delivered a petition with 147 signatures calling for the building to be repurposed and not allowed to fall into disrepair.
“Crucially, the HSE have said that they have no opposition to the building being used for community use in the future. But they have said that the decision on that will rest with Dublin City Council . So we’ll go back to DCC and tell them what the HSE has said and see if we can get some movement on that side,” he said.
“Going door to door in the area recently around Cork Street it’s been pretty clear people want to see this building preserved, remain in public hands, and serve the community of Dublin 8.”
Cllr O Meachair previously spoke Dublin Live about the many youth projects in the Liberties that don’t have enough access to appropriate spaces and are forced to rent off the private market. Cllr O Meachair suggested this as one potential use of the space, but said whatever happens should be “done in consultation with the local community.”
As an area already in danger of losing its unique cultural heritage , Cllr O Meachair explained that the planned social housing was a major project in providing for locals who have been consistently priced out of the Liberties through the proliferation of hotels and student accommodation. “It was something that had been expected for several years. And for the council to say that now it's not happening is quite disappointing,” he said.
“We need more housing in the area, but as the population increases over the next few years that also has to be matched with facilities for people. There needs to be proper community facilities, there's an issue around lack of sports facilities and pitches, so it can still complement the need for more housing to get a space up that serves the needs of the local community.”
“There’s already a lot of dereliction in the Liberties,” Cllr O Meachair said, stating he’d hate to see the council “turn around in five or 10 years” and say they are selling it “to develop a hotel.” “It has happened right across Dublin 8 over the last few years where places are allowed to fall into dereliction and to decay to the point that they're just kind of sold off to the lowest bidder,” he said.
“The building is under public ownership and it should stay under public ownership for the benefit of the public and the community. Now is the time to keep the ball rolling on it and make sure that it doesn't slip off the radar and slip off of the agenda because otherwise nothing will ever happen.”
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