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Ireland's political and cultural magazine
1 2 July 2016
T
he foundations of the historic St
Mary’s church on Dublin’s City Quay
are in danger of being undermined by
the construction of a giant office
block on its neighbouring site, accord-
ing to local residents. The site is being
developed by Targeted Investment Opportuni-
ties (TIO), a consortium of Bennett Construction,
Oaktree Capital and NAMA (a public agency).
On 5 July parishioners claim that they were
“shocked”, during devotions, by vibrations in
the church. During a visit by local people and
Village that same day significant vibrations
from pile-driving on the site could be clearly felt
in the central aisle. Lawyers for the developers
deny this. The work was stopped later that day
to allow for consultations between solicitors for
the church and the developers.
The development also threatens to block light
that now comes through the diamond-glazed
windows on the side of the church closest to it.
Light on one side of the church will be entirely
blocked.
While permission for site clearance has been
given, work has started – led by two large pile-
drivers – on foundations for the offices. It is
unclear if this has been authorised.The devel-
oper denies that its work has or will damage
church property and claims that the works car-
ried out so far have not triggered the need for a
commencement notice under buildings regula-
tions. In May An Taisce complained that work
had started in breach of conditions under plan-
ning regulations, requiring submission of a
construction management plan and landscap-
ing plan before the work started.
According to St Mary’s Parish Association
Chairman, John Nolan, the work has already
seen interference with the door to a long estab-
lished right of way improperly blocked by the
contractors, though the developer’s lawyers
claim it is in fact a cul de sac. He claims that
cracks on the internal walls and ceiling of the
church have only appeared since the work
started in recent weeks.
Nolan, who runs the Dublin Stevedores com-
pany and is a native of the area said that the
Parish Committee was not aware of the scale of
the development intended on the neighbouring
site and that the works have already had a seri-
ous impact both on the church property and on
the children of the primary school on Gloucester
Street.
“We do not object to an office development
on the site. In fact, we welcome it as it has lain
derelict for a long time. However, we are con-
cerned about possible damage to the church
property, the blocking of a doorway and a right
of way on the side of the church and the manner
in which the construction work has affected
churchgoers, residents and children in the
school”, Nolan said.
The St Mary’s primary school which adjoins
the Church had to be evacuated during exami-
nations in late June due to the construction
work, while a child was hospitalised after it was
alleged that he fell into a hole dug by the build-
ers on the site.
An Taisce originally objected to the planning
application to Dublin City Council, based on the
scale of the nine-storey office and its impact on
the church, a protected structure located in a
conservation area.
“St Mary’s is a protected structure and in con-
sidering a planning application the council is
supposed to look at its special character and
the impact on its setting of any such develop-
ment”, Ian Lumley of An Taisce told Village.
Following an appeal by An Taisce of the coun-
cil’s May 2015 decision to grant planning, a Bord
Pleanála inspector recommended that the
scheme should be cut back by three storeys on
its western side adjoining the church so protect-
ing light access to the building.
However, the recommendation was rejected
by the Bord and permission for the full develop-
ment was upheld later last year. An Bord
Pleanála contended that it could not adjudicate
on the blocking of light into the church as that
is not a planning matter.
Following the visit to the site on 5th July, the
developers agreed to suspend pile-driving for
six days. In a letter written in response to a
detailed complaint from church solicitors,
Mason Hayes and Curran, on the same day, A&L
Goodbody, solicitors for TIO, claimed that its
client had complied with all planning conditions
and building regulations but conceded:
“However, as a gesture of goodwill and at a
significant cost and inconvenience our client
agrees to postpone these works until Monday
11th July 2016 to allow your client to take tech-
nical advice…..subject to you, your client, its
architects and engineer agreeing to meet with
our client, its architect, its engineer and us on
or prior to Friday 8th July, 2016”. It is not clear if
it is now applying for a commencement notice.
Aesthetics and history are now in the hands
of the law.
NEWS
Church in the Lurch
Developer TIO, including Nama, denies damaging
church foundations and fabric and An Taisce’s
allegation it jumped the gun on commencement notice
and works on St Mary’s Church in Dublin’s docklands
by Frank Connolly
Parish Association
Chairman, John Nolan,
claims that cracks on the
internal walls and ceiling
of the church have only
appeared since the work
started recently
Photo montage of new development on City Quay
