Papers of James Meenan – Move of UCD to Belfield

8 U.C.D. and the Future

Indeed, quite close to the College, the whole area south of Harcourt Road stretching to the Canal and extending from Peter's Place to Charlemont Street is essentially an area in poor condition which will have to be cleared and the inhabitants rehoused either elsewhere or in flats on the same site.

Further, the shopping streets within this general area, Merrion Row, Lr. Leeson Street, Charlemont Street, are of relatively low value as compared with principal shopping streets in a capital city -- a consideration, if any such streets had to be acquired for university expansion.

It is not of course suggested that the public squares named above should be built on, but that buildings in their vicinity should gradually be acquired for university and other cultural and educational requirements.

Misleading Comparisons

In its Report (p.34) the Commission says -- 'in the English and Danish universities we visited we found that the authorities were dealing with problems similar to that of Dublin.' The universities visited were Birmingham, Manchester, Nottingham, Reading, and in Denmark, Copenhagen and Aarhus. The commission also made use of information supplied by the universities in Wales, Edinburgh, Exeter, Liverpool, Sheffield and Southampton. We believe that it is misleading to assert that the problem in Dublin is similar to that in these cities. Only one capital city was visited -- Copenhagen -- where the old university was situated in the densely built-up old part of the city. In this case we are told also (Report p. 34) that 'details of the area of the sites of the University of Copenhagen are not yet available to the Commission.' Aarhus is a provincial University of 1800 students.

The conditions in the British industrial cities bear no comparison with those in Dublin. A description written about those very universities mentioned by the Commission -- 'buildings frequently dingy and cramped and sometimes sordid, set in an environment of smoke and slums' -- could never be applied to Dublin. Overcrowding of incompleted buildings we have -- and that can be relieved on the present sites -- but sordidness and smoke and slums we most decidedly have not in our general university area.

In none of the cities mentioned by the Commission is there a cultural and educational complex such as we have in the university area of Dublin. Those few British universities which are moving out to a campus site in the suburbs are in no case leaving an area which houses a second university with a worldfamous copyright library, a National Library, Gallery and Museum and the headquarters of so many professional institutes.

Dublin's great good fortune in the matter of its centrally situated university area has frequently been the subject of envious comment. We have quoted two such recent comments in our Appendix J.

Further, as the authorities of U.C.D. have frequently pointed out, the College may be regarded as the direct successor of Newman's Catholic University. The present site is associated both with Newman's effort and other Irish aspirations after university education.

Taking the above facts together, a university in any other capital Dublin|city would

Dublin's University Area 9

consider itself very fortunate in having such opportunities for development, nor would powers of compulsory purchase be denied to it, if required.

The Cultural and Educational Complex

The existence of the many institutions in this area must be taken into account:

1. The principal museums, galleries, and the National Library. 2. Trinity College, Dublin. 3. Various other cultural, professional and educational bodies (e.g. Institute for Advanced Studies, Catholic Central Library, Royal Irish Academy, Royal College of Physicians, Royal College of Surgeons, Royal Institute of Architects, Royal Society of Antiquries). 4. Several university hostels, under Catholic ecclesiastical control (see Appendix D for a list). 5. A great deal of other property under esslesiastical and/or educational control. Much of this consists of schools inadequately housed in converted dwelling houses and falling below modern standards and requirements for such schools (See Appendix D.) 6. The Houses of the Oireachtas, which are inadequately provided for, and Government offices which are expanding.

This whole complex of Government, university, cultural and educational establishments should be considered as a whole and no one aspect of it (such as the needs of U.C.D.) can be properly studied without taking into consideration all the factors involved in the planning of this area. One can, however, say straight away that to dismember this complex, by removing U.C.D. from it, is the least happy of solutions.

If the removal of U.C.D. from the area presented a final solution to the other conflicting problems that exist within it, then there would be that much extra to recommend the move. But it does not present such a solution. Now is the time to ask what is the final solution to be aimed at in providing adequately for the needs of:

The Houses of the Oireachtas The Government departments The National Museums and Gallery The National Library The National College of Art The Institute for Advanced Studies The many schools in the area Trinity College

Government Offices

One possible solution to many of these problems would be a Government decision to remove the Houses of the Oireachtas and at least some of the Government offices to another site. Kilmainham has often been mentioned, and the site there is large enough to provide for a single solution. The difficulty

64 U.C.D. and the Future

Appendix D

A LIST OF CULTURAL, EDUCATIONAL, AND PROFESSIONAL BODIES, SCHOOLS AND HOSTELS IN THE GENERAL UNIVERSITY AREA*

1. Cultural, Educational and Professional Bodies

The National University of Ireland University College, Dublin Trinity College, Dublin The National Gallery The National Library The National Museum Arts Council Building Centre Central Catholic Library An Comchaidreamh Dental Board Foras Eireann Gael-Linn Institute for Advanced Studies School of Celtic Studies School of Cosmic Physics School of Theoretical Physics Institute of Chemistry of Ireland Institute of Chartered Accountants Institute of Professional Civil Servants Institute of Public Administration Institute of Civil Engineers of Ireland Insurance Institute of Ireland Irish Acadamy of Dramatic Art Irish Central Library for Students Irish Conference of Professional and Service Associations Irish Dental Association Irish Folklore Commission Irish Institute of Secretaries Irish Manuscripts Commission Irish Medical Association Medical Research Council Medical Research Council Laboratories National College of Art National Film Institute of Ireland Opticians' Board Royal College of Physicians Royal College of Surgeons Royal Hibernian Academy of Arts Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors Royal Irish Academy Royal Irish Academy of Music Royal Sociuety of Antiquaries

2. Schools

Alexandra College Catholic University School Diocesan Secondary School Kildare Place Schools and Church of Ireland Training College Loreto College Sacred Heart Convent Scoil Brigid The High School Wesley College

3. U.C.D. University Hostels

De La Salle Hall Dominican Hall Loreto Hall University Hall

Also within the area, or immediately outside it, lie several important teaching hospitals, and many leading booksellers and commercial firms which provide for the needs of the universities and professions in medical and scientific equipment, optical and surveying instruments, drawing-office supplies, etc.

*Neither this list, nor that in Appendix E, is exhaustive. For example, there are several well-attended private galleries in this area. Many other cultural and educational bodies also meet in the area.

Appendices 65

Appendix E

A LIST OF GOVERNMENT AND SEMI-STATE PROPERTIES IN THE AREA

St. Stephen's Green, E. 45 An Bord Uchtala 46 Dept. of Education Secondary Branch 50-51 Office of Public Works

St. Stephen's Green, S. 78-79 Passport Office 80-81 Dept. of Ext. Affairs

St. Stephen's Green, N. 14 Industrial Development Authority

Earlsfort Terrace 13-14 Office of Public Works A/Cs. Department 25-26 Roinn na Gaeltachta 30 Coras Tractala Teo. Civil Service Dining Club Special Employment Schemes Office

Harcourt Terrace 11a Garda Barracks 12-16 Film Censor's Office 21 Dept. of Agriculture Butter Testing Station

Harcourt Street 6 Dept. of Posts & Telegraphs

Hatch Street, Lower 26 Bord na Mona

Pembroke St., Upr. 28-32 Bord na Mona

Hume Street 1 Dept. of Education 10 Office of Public Works 14 Geological Survey

Ely Place, Lower 5-6 General Valuation & Boundary Survey of Ireland Office 5 Censorship of Publications Board

Merrion St., Upper 1-5 Depts. of the Taoiseach and of Finance 7-13 Dept. of Agriculture 14-16 Land Commission 21-24 Land Commission 25-29 Land Commission 31-38 Office of Comptroller and Auditor General

Merrion Square, N. 2-3 Dept. of Finance 13 Bord Failte 26 Industrial Credit Company

Merrion Square, E. 37 E.S.B. 40-43 E.S.B. 44-45 Dept. of Industry and Commerce 45 Indust. & Commercial Property Regis. Office Patent & Trade Marks Library

Merrion Square, S. 61 Land Commission 70 An Comairle Ealaion 73 Irish Manuscript Commission Department of Lands Ceimici Teo. Statute Law Revision and Consolidation Office 83 Dept. of Lands

Merrion Square, W. 88-89 Dept. of Lands (Forestry) 93 Land Commission