Dublin, jewel or junk-yard?

There is much self-satisfied talk about Dublin’s urban renewal. The Docklands development is worth a look and the scale, if not the form, of the expanding western suburbs is impressive. Dubliners, however, seem to be blind to the fact, quite striking to a visitor, that much of the city is semi-derelict and bears more than a passing resemblance to a third-world slum. This is particularly evident on the north-side. The old Georgian streets are cracked and decayed. Weeds grow on the pavements, on roofs and gutters. Look behind the crumbling facades and you will see real dereliction. Take a train from anywhere north of Clontarf southwards towards Lansdowne Road and you will see possibly the ugliest urban landscape on the planet. Some of the most decrepit sights are just a short distance from the bustling prosperity of the IFSC (on both sides of the river).
The heritage industry insists we must preserve Georgian Dublin but the fact is that the architecture of that period was all about keeping-up appearances. It was built like a film set, splendid from the front but a bedraggled and neglected eyesore from the rear. Travellers on the Dart get a devastatingly clear behind-the-scenes view as does anyone with the curiosity to leave the main streets and lave a look around. Georgian Dublin was never intended as a living city in the modern sense. It was built for the enjoyment of the 18th century imperial ruling class, keen to create a favourable impression among their peers but totally disinterested in the "warts-and-all" view available to the lower orders, out of sight, around the back. The Dukes and Lords and their hangers-on have long gone but the city is still scarred by their conceit. It must be possible to preserve what is worthwhile of Georgian Dublin's facades while clearing-up the appalling back-lot but it will take some courage and commitment in the face of the conservationist lobby. It’s long past time the task was taken in hand.