Madam, - Once again we have a major article from Frank McDonald, attempting to undermine confidence in the Metro proposals ("The tearing of the Green", April 26th). Can we please have some balance in this debate?
For myself, I am glad that years of campaigning for a Metro at last seem to be paying off. However, I think it would be lamentable if we were left with a kind of rough, exposed concrete presentation of these stations in an attempt to save money.
For the sake of a couple of hundred thousand euro, Dublin Port Tunnel - which, despite its defects, has had a major impact in siphoning off articulated trucks from the Dublin quays - presents an unlovely appearance to the passer-by and the user.
Instead of decent landscaping and a proper formal approach celebrating the city of Dublin, we are left with what looks like a corrugated iron surface on something that resembles a giant hoover flying in from outer space and embedding itself in the Dublin soil.
Can we please have a bit of imagination with the proposed Metro stations? Let us take a leaf out of the book of Paris and Moscow, spend a few bob in giving them a human face and show our pride in our culture by having recessed display cabinets exhibiting reproductions of some of the treasures of our culture, such as the gold torcs in the National Museum, the Ardagh Chalice, Tara Brooch, The Books of Kells, etc.
When we are going to spend so much money, why not present such a
project appropriately? - Yours, etc,
Senator DAVID NORRIS,
Seanad Éireann,
Dublin 2.