Name of new Stoneybatter site blasted as 'lazy work' and 'generic'
The proposed naming of a new development on Prussia Street has been described as “really lazy work” that fails to capture the rich heritage of Stoneybatter.
At Tuesday’s Central Area Committee meeting, Cllr Nial Ring blasted the proposed name for the student accommodation project at 29b-31 Prussia Street . While a council report claimed the name ‘Lumya – Great Orchard’ complied with the Dublin City Development Plan, Cllr Ring argued it constitutes "non-essential advertising” and was based on a flimsy historical connection.
“Do some research for God’s sake,” Cllr Ring said, noting that the committee had already rejected a previous iteration, ‘Lumis Living Prussia Street,’ for non-compliance. Jokingly referencing the Lumis name, which is the international brand name for the operators of the student housing scheme, he added: “Somebody hasn’t seen the light here.”
Cllr Ring voiced strong opposition to the inclusion of ‘Lumya,’ which believes this goes against Appendix 17 of the City Development Plan, which says non-essential advertising should be “restricted.” “The corporate asset is taking over from the cultural aspect,” he said. “It beggars belief.”
Beyond the branding, Cllr Ring dismissed the addition of Orchard as generic, stating that many areas across Dublin share the name. “There used to be orchards, big deal, there’s nothing special about Prussia Street having an Orchard,” he said.
A heritage officer’s report justified the name by stating: “The land to the east of Stoneybatter, appears to have been used mainly for grazing, and a large part was occupied by the ‘Great Orchard’ or (as it would become) the ‘Dean’s Orchard’, which was partly wooded and was still so in 1811.”
However, Cllr Ring insisted there are far more significant historical factors to draw from, pointing out that Prussia Street previously hosted “a market that was the largest in Europe at the time.” “In our constituency there’s lots of Orchards. Orchard Terrace, Orchard Road, Cherry Orchard. There’s Orchards all over the city.”
Cllr Ring went as far to suggest that the City Development Plan should be amended to give local representatives more power in this regard. He argued that councillors should be allowed a more active role in place naming across the city to ensure local history is properly honoured.
"We can put something in the plan that we don’t have international branding, that it has to reflect heritage. It’s happening all over the city, we are one of the most vigilant areas because you see other areas going around with horrendous names being allowed through. I’m sure we’d get a lot of support," he said.
Green Party Cllr Janet Horner agreed that an alternative name should be considered. While she said she was "not quite as offended by the name Orchard" as Cllr Ring, she said international branding does not represent the people of Dublin.
She cited recent conversations in the media surrounding the debate around the merits of colonial street names , but stressed: “I don’t think there is any appetite to commemorate our street names with the international property developers who are providing student housing and driving up the prices of accommodation across Dublin .”
This content is funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme