1916 Rising museum plans postponed

Proposals for a "land swap" to allow the construction of a 1916 museum on Dublin's Moore Street ahead of the Easter Rising centenary have been postponed by Dublin City Council.

The 1916 commemorative centre would be at 14-17 Moore Street, buildings believed to have been used by the leaders of the Rising.

The buildings, which have National Monument status, are owned by Chartered Land, which has planning permission to build a shopping centre on a 2.7 hectare site stretching from the former Carlton cinema on O’Connell Street to Moore Street.

Councillors were asked to approve a land swap to transfer 14-17 Moore Street into council ownership in exchange for 24 -25 Moore Street, council-owned buildings currently used as a waste depot, which Chartered Land wants for its shopping centre.

A condition of the swap was that Chartered Land would restore 14-17 Moore Street, currently in a dilapidated state, and complete the museum ahead of Easter 2016.

Councillors indicated an intention to block the land swap, but last night deferred their decision after an offer by Chartered Land to include its property at 10 Moore Street in the deal. This is believed to be the first building the rebels entered and occupied after the evacuation of the GPO.