Madam, - All four proposals for the landmark redevelopment of Carlisle Pier in Dun Laoghaire have interesting and attractive features. But they have two dominant features in common: they would all be as tall as Liberty Hall; and they all devote the majority of their space to offices and/or apartments.
When I think of major seafront visitor attractions in other cities - such as Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, or even Brighton Pier - I find it hard to imagine that they could have been as successful had they to share the space with several floors of offices or apartments.
I acknowledge that the Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company is doing its best to ensure a development of value to the community. But the nub of the issue is that the whole development of a major public space must be 100 per cent financed by private capital, with no subsidy from either public or philanthropic sources.
Back in the desperate circumstances of 1920s, the new State nonetheless stretched itself to rebuild O'Connell Street to a high standard of design and finish. Why, now that we are one of the most prosperous countries in Europe, are there no resources - other than purely commercially driven money - available to develop this public space in Dun Laoghaire - an area which is certainly not short of money? Have our sense of civic pride and the vitality of our local democracy been weakened to this extent - or is there an alternative? I believe there must be. - Yours, etc.,
Cllr CHRIS O'MALLEY, Upper Albert Road, Glenageary, Co Dublin.