Helping To Destroy Saint Stephen's Green

Paris has the Eiffel Tower, Rome the Colosseum and London Big Ben. But what does Dublin have to rival those big cities? Not the spire, not the GPO. My choice of landmark would be Saint Stephen's Green. An area of city park, perhaps the finest in Europe if not the world. There you can stroll around, ly with your girlfriend/boyfriend in a relaxed position. Or, if you're elderly, simply sit in one of the many benches provided. I have very fond memories from my childhood of being brought to 'the Green' and of the climbing frames - a source of endless joy to any child. Yet all that idyllic fun that Dubliners have enjoyed is set to change utterly (to misquote WB Yeats).

For in this week's edition of SOUTHSIDE PEOPLE there is a shocking story that has shaken me out of my comfort zone: "Planners intend to dig up the entire northwest corner of Saint Stephen's Green (SSG) in order to build a proposed underground train interconnector. Consequently, most of the lake will be destroyed and over 40 mature trees in the park uprooted to make room for construction" the article, written by MICHAEL MOLONEY, says. The pleasant strolls will become unpleasant tramping about, avoiding plenty of muck and dust no doubt and I haven't even mentioned the noise - the opposite of what should be a peaceful relaxing environment to all.

"It would have an irreversible effect on SSG. You cannot simply dig up a whole quarter of the park, then rebuild it", says NOEL ROCK, organiser of the SAVING OUR GREEN campaign group. Would the Egyptian authorities treat the Pyramids this way? JIM QUINLAN, Chief Architect, RPA (Railway Procurement Agency) even says: SSG can't go back to exactly how it was" It is man-made destruction we're talking about here. If the drilling and digging goes ahead tourists, never mind the locals, will be turned off going to what is surely one of the most tranquil public amenities we have to offer in the city. It would be a tragedy for everyone.

Not only will the park be effected but also the wonderfully imposing 'Fusilier's Arch' will have to go. Built as a tribute to dead servicemen who went into battle, I feel it's demise, however temporary, would be disrespecting Dubliners both living and dead. All in the name of better public transport. Money. Mr Rock is quoted in the article as saying: "There is so much potential for something to go wrong. Monuments like these cannot be rebuilt and SSG is a timeless monument in itself."

Hopefully the developers will see the folly of their ideas by not going ahead with this destruction of our heritage. NOEL PURCELL (famous Dubliner, actor and singer) would turn in his grave if he heard of the rape of the well loved city park. It would be a disgrace if it went the same way as Eyre Square in Galway which is now a shadow of what it once was due to developers literally mucking about and ripping the heart out of the City of the Tribes.

Mr Rock finally states at the end of the article: "Locating the (Metro) station underneath SSG is simply the easy answer for developers". I know what I'd like to put underneath those 'developers' and it wouldn't be painless. Everyone must be mobilised to stop this madness. I know how I feel. How about you?