Sinn Féin President and TD for Dublin Central Mary Lou McDonald has described a plan for the regeneration of Dublin City centre as ‘very exciting, with the potential to transform the north inner city.’

The plan – which has at its centrepiece the development of the Moore Street 1916 battlefield site as a historical cultural quarter – was commissioned by the Save 16 Moore Street Committee and the 1916 Relatives Group.

Following a presentation of the plan to members of the North Inner City community last night, Teachta McDonald hailed the plan as “a modern vision that will safeguard and elevate one of the most important sites in Irish history and act as a driving force for the future regeneration of Dublin’s northside.”

She continued;

“The Moore Street district is an incredibly important place in terms of our revolutionary history, our culture and our heritage as a nation. Number 16 Moore Street is where five leaders of the Easter Rising met for the last time. In the national consciousness, Moore Street is forever connected with the sacrifices of all those who sought to break the connection between Ireland and the British Empire.

“The Moore Street terrace and the laneways that make-up the battlefield site must be preserved as a National Monument and as a living museum in order to safeguard our history for future generations. 

“The development of a modern historical quarter – shaped around the Moore Street site – is about preserving our revolutionary history, but it is also about putting our heritage and culture at the very centre of the social and economic regeneration of the North Inner City.  

“Through the integrated use of housing, retail, heritage and small business incubators, this plan has the potential to transform the area, attract jobs and tourism, and turn the tide of decades of neglect by successive governments. 

“As we approach the 105th anniversary of the Easter Rising, the plan for the preservation and development of Moore Street is something that all the people of Ireland can get excited about and get behind.

“In the coming weeks, my Sinn Féin colleague Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD will bring a Bill before the Dáil to put the establishment of a Moore Street historical quarter on a legislative footing to ensure that the State has a responsibility to turn this exciting plan into reality.”