Sir, – In Christopher McKinley’s article (“Genealogy service angry at move to ‘dreadful’ former dole office”, Home News, July 20th), the OPW defends the General Register Office’s move by saying that “several alternative locations were examined but the Werburgh Street premises were deemed the most suitable. This is seen as a temporary move until more suitable accommodation is identified in the long term.”
This prompts the question of just how more unsuitable were these “other premises” given that those in Werburgh Street are completely and utterly unsuitable? And if the move is only to be temporary, then why bother at all?
Unfortunately, I have a sinking feeling that “temporary” will prove to be a very long time indeed. – Yours, etc,
STEVEN C SMYRL,
Harlech Crescent,
Clonskeagh,
Dublin 14.
Sir, – The threatened move of Dublin’s General Register Office (GRO) to the former labour exchange at Werburgh Street reflects poorly on the Government’s commitment to enhance the delivery of our heritage services. While online facilities such as the 1901 and 1911 censuses from the National Archives of Ireland, plus the digitisation of parish records via the Irish Genealogy website project, have rightly been praised and have been hugely popular, delivery on the ground to personal visitors has lagged far behind.
The GRO has notably lacked even one PC so that visitors consulting the record books there do not have the ability to cross-check their data with that on the Government’s own websites mentioned above. Even if a customer brings a personal computer, there is no Wi-Fi service. This compares very badly with the facilities available at the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland and the UK National Archives at Kew in London.
If the GRO must move, should not the Minister responsible direct OPW to provide a home more in keeping with the importance of this priceless heritage? One site comes immediately to mind: the Central Bank is to move in the short term from Dame Street to the former Anglo Irish Bank HQ building on Dublin’s quays. Not long ago ideas were being sought for a future use for the Dame Street building. Why not house GRO here and even the National Archives itself since it is so short of space? This could be a prestigious venue and a learning and resource centre for future generations, as well as a centralised “home” for the Irish diaspora researching its roots. – Yours, etc,
BERNARD KEOGH,
Dollymount Park,
Clontarf,
Dublin 3.