Hello everyone
Hello everyone. I'm at Harold's Cross today and just going to show you how this area has changed over the past number of years and share a little bit of local history as well. Now, I'm at Junction of Kenilworth, as you can see. This is one of the ancient roads of Ireland, see. Cool on. One of the roads that radiated from the Hill of Tara that headed south eastwards towards Wicklow and across the uh mountains as well.
But, this was an urban village about a couple of miles GPO in Dublin City. And it's changed dramatically over the past number of years, as I'll demonstrate in the next few minutes as you join me around this area. Now, first of all, I want to show you a development there. That's a build-to-rent development where rents stretch the back of about 2,400 euro per month for a one-bedroom apartment.
As you can see, this was a famous site in Harold's Cross called the Classic Cinema for many years. People will remember that. Previously, it was called the Kenilworth Cinema as well and it was owned by a local man with the name of Albert Kelly who passed away in the early 2000s. It provided a lot of local employment and a lot of local joy for so many people who spent time at pictures here at the Classic Cinema.
It's actually the Rocky Horror Picture Show was shown here for many, many years. But, this site laid empty for a number of years before it was flipped a number of times and there we have it now. Investors making massive windfalls, all build-to-rent. No build-to-buy and not affordable for so many people in the local community as well. It's a case of complex as well which flies in the face of Dublin City Council's development plan in terms of.
Permeability and accessibility to people. Of course, this is the way society has gone, isn't it? In terms of more gated communities and people are shoved away from each other. Across the street, we see vacancy where an old chemist used to be and you can see Starfish Barber and up the laneway, it's actually one of the longest standing businesses still in Harold's Cross, a garage that has been there since 1946. Now, I think it's in the fourth or fifth owner since then.
But up the laneway, one of the last standing
But up the laneway, one of the last standing long standing businesses here in Harold's Cross. This was a vibrant village provided employment homes for people. Many people lived over the shop. And also, they spent their money locally and this got recycled in the local and wider economy. But all the systemic government policies have run down and destroyed a lot of small local businesses and left us with a complete um Well, make up your own mind what you.
Think of this as well. Here we are, another nail bar has opened up here. It's quite a number of these nail and boutiques along Harold's Cross Road as well. And more apartments just above it. Oh, what's fascinating here is that I said this is one of the main arteries from the Hill of Tara. It was also tram routes coming through here for many years. It's just right across the street.
It's just right across this where you can see those other apartment blocks. That was a pub that was there at one stage for many years actually. Rosie O'Grady's Pub. That's uh again provided employment in the local area. And a great venue for so many people in and around the local house for our area. But anyway, over you can see this apartments. 2,900 euro for one for two-bed apartments.
That's owned by a company called Orbeo. 67 apartments there. There's nothing too huge on the street here as you can see. It's changed the complete street cityscape. And it's owned by next director of the National Asset Management Agency. He set up a real estate investment trust. And are funded by a American private equity company called Star Wood Capital. So, completely unaffordable for people to rent and even buy.
This is part of the agenda set by successive political governments here in Ireland, political establishment. As we just stroll down a little further, you can see an old building that's still there. The barber shop underneath it. And if I just cross over the way there, you can clearly make out the yellow sign. It's the Hoover Centre. That was the location actually for the Oscar winning song from the film Once by Glen Hansard.
It was it was father's shop in the uh
It was it was father's shop in the uh film. And it's just pointing in this direction as well as we come down. And towards the Holy Rosary Church there in Hazel Grove. It was built in 1936. Right on the stretch of Hazel Grove Road. If they go that way they'll be back out towards Terenure.
But as I said, so many local businesses have gone out of business. And so many family businesses have uh gone also from this area. Uh which was a wonderful community. My own grandfather had a shop here for many years also. And uh raised his family there as well. So let's just keep walking down and I'll show you a little more in this area. Just across there is O'Brien's famously. People may remember potato crisps and Civic Avenue is where Joe.
“So let's just keep walking down and I'll show you a little more in this area”
Joseph Spud Murphy first started his factory up there in Civic Avenue. You can just see the top of it now. He then moved further up the road towards uh Talbot Avenue. It was now sweet factory called Caramico Murray. And then opened up as Tayto and Euro Snacks at one point as well. Now it's again housing developments. And the houses up there are probably worth about €1 million plus. Then we'll look across the street again. Credit Union. That's where the original.
Post office was in Hazel Grove. And you can look across at more nail spas or nail bars. Two of them. Now over the last few years we've seen the mass immigration agenda. We've seen also in terms of what's happened with many of these businesses in terms of across the water there's been other investigations around human trafficking, exploitation of workers, poor wages, poor conditions. And but of course many of these so-called opposition parties saying nothing about what's taking place.
In our country. Nothing to see here. But this village is a snapshot of what's happened right across our country. Which benefits a big corporation at the expense of ordinary workers. Let's just head across the lights here. The tea parlor there as well. That's Liffey Street which is The owners now have have recently applied for permission for more apartments. Here we go again. What's rent?
Then across the street you can see Gael's pub,
Then across the street you can see Gael's pub, row boutique. And just go back into a little bit of historical context around here as well because there was so many family businesses, butchers, drapers, flower shops, bicycle shops, grocery stores that were here for many many years and famous shoe martins, bookmakers as well.
There was They I think at one stage we had well over probably up to 200 book makers around Dublin city. And here's a business here that closed down the last couple of years. Washboard which was a laundrette in the local area. Couldn't stay open for all the big increases over the last few years we've seen and the the impacts of lockdowns as well. Of course there's another bit hair stylist, hair salon that was there a long time and nurse Sadie who passed.
Away many years since they can passed away all businesses vacant and empty. And as you can see here with the uh so-called green agenda This is seen as a key urban village and you can see lack of parking for people and businesses that are still here. There was famous bakery that was there called Allens for many years. And now it's next to possible for anybody to come and shop in local businesses. So much for supporting them. And it's interesting.
That those other businesses are opening up for yet. But our local businesses are struggling. And that's classic with all of this. And as you can see house behind me here is is the home of Richard Allen. Now, Richard Allen was an anti-slavery campaigner. He was a Quaker and he was from lived here from the mid-1700s. It became an orphanage for afterwards. So uh you can see he had a huge shop which is still empty.
And uh the center here now which was a souvenir shop. That's still a store but the small independent family-owned businesses are a thing of the past, certainly. And uh the agenda around Ireland is the globalist agenda in terms of supporting the big corporations, big businesses. And uh ordinary people are the ones who lose out in terms of communities.
Across the street there was famous Paddy Walsh more
Across the street there was famous Paddy Walsh more apartments are over it. But I think they're owned by on record purse. Famous cycling shop that was there for many, many years. But what's happening in this area uh also as well is a issues around the developments because there's so many built to rent apartments have gone up. And it's all about making as much as they can. And many professional workers are living in those apartments as well.
Because they're completely unaffordable for people in the local area to live in. And the development plans have all been fast-tracked through the Dublin City Council. They have no regard essentially for any sort of history, heritage, culture in the local area. There should be community-led planning. And about 10 12 years ago, a lot of people in the community were looking for a local area plan. But see how that went. They've rezoned so many properties around here all for making a quick buck.
And this famous pub here in Harcourt Street, McGowans, used to be owned by Harkins Kennys at one point. And this hotel is up for development, also. More built to rent apartments, no doubt. So somebody are getting in on the act, aren't they? Culture funds, Irish rich investors, it just exacerbates more inequality for people who can't afford to live in their communities.
But yet who cares about community? That's the whole Margaret Thatcher idea, isn't it? There's no such thing as community. And they don't want us in touch with our history and our culture and our so important history in this area is particularly around Harcourt Street Cross where you consider you know, an Irishman and John Keogh would have met many occasions here who lived up just up there in Mount Jerome House, now Mount Jerome Cemetery which was opened in.
1836. Very famous cemetery here in Dublin. As so many of them there such as Thomas Davis, William Wilds, and many, many more. That's the old Protestant church and Flinn's Fairies that was there for generations also. And behind it was the Horse Close Laundry at one point. And here across the street we can see development going up again. That was where the original National School was just behind there. Now since gone. And beside it was where the old.
Military barracks were also
Military barracks were also. Which is still being retained as part of a protected structure. But around it it's all apartments. Apartments, apartments, apartments. This is the type of supply that we have market loads of them. Two and a half 3,000 euro a month for the privilege of living in the apartments. And where is the extra facilities? The park is here obviously House Close Park. Which was opened in 1884. And there's so much to say, so much history.
In this area. You have Mount Argus up the road, famous church, famous for Saint Charles. And fourth battalion of the journey to Horizon. They trained up the road in Kimage just at the military garrison. And it's very cheap. Joseph Plunkett lived also. You can see more apartments in behind here. Just recently finished. That was a company called DD O'Brien which were a foreign company.
Which again sold the land and development is up again. So here you go. Isn't really a globalist heaven really what's taking place in Horse Close. It's just a snapshot what's taking place right across Ireland. But it's important because at many of these areas were villages. And villages that were interconnected. and have fantastic history, fantastic local businesses, people in the community they brought people together on many occasions. Now, there's no such thing as community as you can see the whole idea of the.
Gated communities. And uh people fenced off from each other, shunted off into big apartments so they don't see their neighbors, don't know anybody, don't say hello. And open up many bigger corporations and bigger businesses along the way as I've seen move towards all these nail bars. You've seen the video of all areas, you see pharmacies, all this stuff opening everywhere, which has become um really only my idea of uh local communities, wouldn't or smaller businesses as I said and.
Smaller indigenous Irish businesses are going out of business, not being supported. So, I'm going to make them all look essentially everywhere the same. That's what the idea is of this globe, but at the end of the day, it makes no difference anywhere you go. And making no connection to your place, your history, your identity, your communities, your sense of heritage is so important as well. So, there you go as well. That's the place that where this uh.
Leo Broe, famous architect and sir as well, a
Leo Broe, famous architect and sir as well, a sculptor rather, sorry, who was there for many, many years. That's since gone now to property consultants. Fancy name for an estate agent, but from the hills of misery. You have St. Clare's across the way. And we'll just finish here at the end of Harold's Cross Park. Hope you enjoyed the short walk around this sacred place this morning to get yourself there as well.
As you look, you just can feel it here with the history of the Harold's Cross where the park was hiding in the olden days. And I'll those who served in 1916. This was This was unveiled on the middle of April in 1954 by Seán T. O'Kelly, president. To remember all those who struggled and died for Irish freedom. Well, I wonder what they make of Parnell Square now. Parnell Square and the Dublin and the Ireland that they struggled and gave.
Their lives for. But, thanks for joining me in the video today. I really appreciate it. Thanks so much for the support. Please keep sharing my videos. That's all for today. Parnell Square and St. Stephen's Green. I'll see you soon.
