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BreakingNews.ie
4 days ago
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Dublin awash with colour as tens of thousands take part in Pride parade
Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets of Dublin to mark this year's Pride parade. Organisers said there were more than 12,000 people marching in the annual parade. Advertisement Labour leader Ivana Bacik (third right) takes part in the Dublin Pride parade (Damien Eagers/PA) This year's event also celebrated a milestone 10 years of marriage equality. The capital's streets were filled with an array of colour, music and dance as the parade made its way to Merrion Square's Pride Village for speeches and entertainment. Among those taking part was Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Tánaiste Simon Harris, Labour leader Ivana Bacik, People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy and Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers. Thousands took part in the parade (Damien Eagers/PA) Citing the previous work of the Government to address gay rights and equality, Mr Martin told the crowd at Merrion Square that he is aware 'our work is far from done'. Advertisement Mr Martin was forced to raise his voice as a small number of protesters shouted for better trans rights and health care access during his speech. The Fianna Fáil leader said: 'LGBTIQ+ people in Ireland today still face a myriad of challenges, and the Government is committed to bolstering our efforts to address these challenges and delivering for our LGBTIQ+ citizens. 'There are global trends of increased harassment and persecution of LGBTIQ+ people across the world, which make many of our LGBTIQ+ citizens feel deeply concerned and unsafe. 'This is not the vision for Ireland that we are striving to build.' Advertisement Taoiseach Micheál Martin waves at members of the public during the Dublin Pride parade through the city centre (Damien Eagers/PA) Mr Martin continued: 'Our goal is to build a society in which LGBTIQ+ people can live safe, inclusive, healthy and fulfilling lives in an accepting and compassionate Ireland. 'The new LGBTIQ+ Inclusion Strategy will promote and respect the right of LGBTIQ+ people to live their lives safely, free of harassment and violence. 'It will advance health and wellbeing outcomes through improved investment and access to a range of health services. 'It will build on initiatives already undertaken within the business community and by employers so that LGBTIQ+ people are enabled to participate fully within the workplace. Advertisement 'This new strategy will seek to deliver a fairer and more inclusive Ireland, and Government departments and state agencies are determined to work together to that end.' People take part in the Dublin Pride parade through the city centre (Damien Eagers/PA) The grand marshal of Dublin Pride, Ruadhan O Criodain, who has long advocated for LGBT+ rights, told the crowd in Merrion Square: 'We all want better futures for the next generation of queer people, but without education or health care, trans people can't see those futures for ourselves. 'I know you won't let our community die for the want of a future. I know that each of you will stand with trans people, I know that you will stand up and fight back. 'I know that you won't give in to the transphobe you've seen take hold in the UK, because we are stronger than that. Advertisement 'The far right and the TERF (Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminism) movement want to divide the LGBT community.' (Damien Eagers/PA) 'They want to isolate your trans siblings, because then it'll be easier to tear us all apart. 'If they come for us first, they will come for all of you next. But I won't let that happen to my community, and I know you'll promise me the same. 'There is no LGBT without the T.' (Damien Eagers/PA) Dublin Mayor Emma Blaine said: 'Today, we march through the heart of our capital, a city that celebrates diversity, embraces inclusion and champions equality. 'Pride is more than a parade. It's a powerful statement of love, of visibility and of resilience. 'It's a celebration of how far we have come and a reminder of the work still ahead. 'Dublin has a proud history of standing up for the rights of its citizens. 'We remember today, the trailblazers, the activists and the everyday people who fought and continue to fight for dignity, respect and justice.' People Before Profit-Solidarity TD and his child, Juniper, watch the Dublin Pride parade (Damien Eagers/PA) She added: 'To our LGBTQ+ young people, know that you are valued, you are seen, and you belong, this city stands with you. 'To all the allies here today, thank you for walking beside us, not just today, but every day.' The parade started at O'Connell Street at 12.30pm, and travelled along Eden Quay and Custom House Quay before crossing the Talbot Memorial Bridge, up Lombard Street and Westland Row before finishing at Merrion Square. The non-ticketed festival at the Pride Village included music, food stalls, acts and speeches on the main stage. In his last year as president, Michael D Higgins offered his warmest greetings ahead of the Pride parade. Dancers take part in the Dublin Pride parade (Damien Eagers/PA) He said: 'This annual celebration is a vital affirmation of the rights, dignity, and joy of our LGBT+ communities. 'It is a time, too, to remember with gratitude the courage of those who paved the way for progress when marching was not safe, who gave voice to truths that were long silenced, and who set the foundations for the inclusive Ireland that we continue to strive towards today. 'In recent years, great strides have been made in advancing the rights and recognition of LGBT+ people in Ireland. 'In celebrating Pride this year, we are also marking the 10th anniversary of the Marriage Equality referendum, a moment that spoke of the kind of Ireland we aspire to be: inclusive, generous, an Ireland that is unafraid to affirm the equal worth of all of our citizens. Crowds were able to watch the parade before heading into the Pride Village for music, food stalls, acts and speeches (Damien Eagers/PA) 'Yet, we must also acknowledge that the journey is not complete. 'A truly inclusive society is one where all can live authentically and creatively, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression, where all can participate fully, and where all voices are not only heard but valued, in all their richness and diversity. 'Pride remains a vital expression of that vision in challenging us to deepen our commitment to human rights, to solidarity, and to the kind of republic that cherishes all of its people equally. 'In a time when hard-won rights are being questioned in many parts of the world, such vigilance and unity are more vital than ever.' There were road closures in the city centre.
Irish Times
18-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Merrion Square Georgian with full vacant possession guiding at €4m
Developers, investors, and owner-occupiers may be interested in the opportunity presented by the sale of number 36 Merrion Square in Dublin city centre . The property, on the east side of the square, comprises a midterrace, four-storey over-basement Georgian building of 732sq m (7,879sq ft). While full vacant possession will be available from August, the property is being offered to the market now through agent Knight Frank at a guide price of €4 million. VAT is not applicable to the sale, according to the selling agent. Number 36, built in 1790 as part of the original development of the 18th-century square, is a traditional Georgian build comprising brick and masonry construction with brick facade, timber sash windows throughout and a pitched slate roof. Internally, the original period features have been retained to a high standard and include ceiling roses and ornate cornicing. Merrion Square remains one of the most sought-after locations in Dublin city centre, particularly for small to medium-sized firms engaged in the provision of professional services. While number 36 has been in office use for many years, it has clear potential for conversion back to its original use as a residential property subject to planning permission. The square is near St Stephen's Green, Grafton Street, Trinity College, Government Buildings, the National Gallery of Ireland, and the five-star Merrion Hotel. Nearby corporate occupiers include SMBC Aviation Capital, leading law firm Addleshaw Goddard, the ESB, and the Department of Health.
Irish Times
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Taste of Dublin at Merrion Square: the best things to do, see and eat
From tostadas to toasties, Pakistani cuisine to Po Boys, there's a cuisine or a dish at Taste of Dublin for even the pickiest of punters. Celebrating its 20th year, the event is one of Ireland's longest-running food festivals. It kicks off on Thursday, June 12th, in Merrion Square. The four-day event has two admission times per day: from 12pm to 4.30pm and 6pm to 10.30pm. Tickets were still available for all sessions at the time of writing, although VIP tickets for Thursday and Friday evenings had sold out. Ticket prices start at €20.50. However, a Häagen-Dazs VIP suite ticket, which includes unreserved seating with fast-track entry, a Häagen-Dazs ice cream, a glass of champagne, and a Glendalough Wild Rose Gin & Tonic, will cost up to €82.50 for the Saturday evening slot. And if you add two signature dishes, the price increases to €96.50. READ MORE What to eat? My first port of call will be The Salt Project for chicken & waffles with Feighcullen free-range Irish chicken tenders, Oak Forest flour and Carlow farmhouse cheese waffles (€7), or cheesy Macroom buffalo churros (€7). Next up will be a visit to sandwich makers extraordinaire, Little Gino's, for a Philly cheesesteak (€12), the ultimate soakage sandwich. Fanfavourite Bar Italia is back, serving up its renowned authentic cacio e pepe (€7) with fresh, handmade gnocchetti (small potato gnocchi). Braised beef cheeks in Montepulciano wine, herb, vegetable and tomato sauce (€12), will ward off any chill. Other dishes worth queueing for include Andhra Bhavan 's Hyderabadi chicken dum biryani (€12), Bites By Kwanghi's spice bag bao (€12), and Chimac's hella hot chicken tacos (€7). Don't skip the gunpowder masala dosa (€7) from Dosa Dosa. Andhra Bhavan's vegetarian thali platter If seafood is your jam, there are a few options to choose from. King Sitric will be shucking fresh oysters from the oyster bar daily, and Parilla has both crab tostadas (€7) and fish tacos (€12) on the menu every day. Bovinity will be serving up prawns pil pil (€7), and at Daata, prawn pakoras (€7) are the perfect vehicle for chutney dipping. Bovinity's prawns pil pil The award for the most indulgent dish of the festival must go to Big Fan for the Black Dragon, with typhoon shelter Irish lobster, in a toasted squid ink bun with lobster butter, Kewpie mayo, baby gem lettuce and a salted egg yolk (€12). [ Summer 2025: 100 great restaurants, cafes and places to eat around Ireland Opens in new window ] Where can I find the best value? If a guaranteed seat is important to you, the VIP ticketsare reasonable value, all things considered. Otherwise, pay €20.50 to get in and take your chances. Most dishes are priced at €7, although some are better value than others. The pasta and rice dishes are usually substantial, as are the sandwiches. If you happen to get thirsty, avoid the endless queues by buying a bottle of wine to share – which usually offers better value than buying individual glasses. What's new? SuperValu 's new Real Food Kitchen is set to become a must-visit destination for food lovers at this year's festival, with a line-up of interactive cooking demonstrations led by some of Ireland's best known culinary talents. Expect crowd-pleasing sessions from The Happy Pear, Sarah Butler, Daniel Davey, Gareth Mullins and more, offering inspiration and a host of insider tips. Also making its debut at the festival is an immersive Foraging Masterclass from Glendalough Distillery. Led by Geraldine Kavanagh, the brand's head forager, the experience will guide guests through the art of wild ingredient gathering. Participants will have the chance to create their own bespoke botanical tincture, perfect for adding a distinctly Irish twist to their summer soirées. [ From Famine to feast: the Irish seaweed revival Opens in new window ] This year's event also sees the launch of Taste of Dublin: The Recipes. The first cookbook from Taste of Dublin marks the milestone birthday with recipes from 20 Irish chefs who have taken part in the festival over the years. Contributors include Rachel Allen, Derry Clarke, Paul Flynn and Aisling Moore, to name but a few. The book is priced at €17.50, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Dublin Simon Community. What to do when you're finally full? The Food for Thought stage with Lovin Dublin is the perfect distraction when you exhaust your appetite. This year, the Lovin Dublin team will be hosting a range of tastings, panel discussions, masterclasses and producer showcases from an eclectic line-up of restaurateurs, chefs and artisan producers. [ Inside Ireland's thriving cocktail scene: 'We have some of the highest quality ingredients in the world' Opens in new window ] Must-see events include Talk & Taste (the bakery edition) with Sceal Bakery, Una , No Messin and Medaluna on Thursday at 3:30pm, while on Friday, JP McMahon will take to the stage for a cookery demo involving all things seaweed, kōji and fermentation. On Sunday evening, award-winning food and drinks writer Shamin de Brún will be curating a Polish wine tasting with Maja Ignaczewska of Polish Wine Fest. If you are in the mood to dance off the excess food, head to the Bulmers Live Music Stage and let loose with Spring Break, The Runaways and many more. If you plan to visit on Sunday, buy a ticket for the bingo party, Bingo Loco. And finally, it goes without saying, comfy shoes and a brolly are a must. It is Taste of Dublin after all ...
Telegraph
01-06-2025
- General
- Telegraph
Forget Bath and Bloomsbury – the greatest Georgian architecture is found in Dublin
The clearest memory of my first visit to Dublin, nearly 40 years ago, is my initial sight of Merrion Square. It is – whatever the claims of Bloomsbury, Bath, or the New Town in Edinburgh – the finest Georgian architectural spectacle in the British Isles. For those who do not know it, Merrion Square is a vast rectangle of terraced houses in the centre of the Irish capital, surrounding a superb park – originally a private space for residents, now open to the public. The original landlord was the 6th Viscount Fitzwilliam, whose family had been in Ireland since the 13th century and was then the biggest landowner in the Dublin area. Both he and his son, the 7th Viscount, undertook extensive property development, of which Merrion Square is the foremost jewel. The 7th Viscount served for a time as an MP in Wiltshire, and left the bequest that founded the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge. The decision to lay out the square was taken in 1762 and began with the west side: the original plan was devised by two local architects, John Smyth and Jonathan Barker, and in 1780 the plan for the east side was drawn up by a third, Samuel Sproule. Benjamin Simpson won a competition to design the gardens in 1792, and by the early 19th century almost all the houses had been built. It quickly became a fashionable address, sought after by the 'quality' of Dublin. When I first walked around the square in the 1980s, many of the properties were still residential; now, it is dominated by offices and embassies, though some private houses remain. In the past, some of Ireland's most glittering names lived there: Oscar Wilde's father, William, had a house where Wilde (a statue of whom reclines in the park) lived until he was 22. Later, W B Yeats was a resident of the square; as were, in earlier times, Daniel O'Connell, the nationalist leader, and Sheridan Le Fanu, the gothic novelist. The original conception remains mostly intact – one sizeable property on the North Terrace was, however, demolished almost a century ago and the National Maternity Hospital was built on the site. Everything else on the east, south and north sides is conventional late-Georgian townhouses of three storeys, an attic and a basement, built in red brick, with the traditionally fenestrated sash windows and solid front doors with varieties of semi-circular fanlights above them. The west side contains two museums and the gardens of Leinster House. Looking up the south side there is in the distance at the end of Mount Street (which carries on from the square) a fine Georgian church, St Stephen's, designed by John Bowden, and known as the Pepper Canister after the distinctive shape of its spire. The view from the bottom of Merrion Square along the terraces of the square and of Mount Street, with this gem at the end, is one of the finest townscapes one could wish to see. It is something of a marvel that the square looks as good as it does. The uniformity is remarkable, given the length of time over which the houses were built, by a variety of labourers and craftsmen. Some of the 92 houses are narrower than others; and one of the great joys of walking round is to compare the different designs of fanlight and the colours of the handsome front doors. In some, the fenestration of 12 small panes (six in the top frame and six in the bottom) has been replaced by one large single pane in each frame, which detracts from the uniformity, but luckily is rare; and most houses are of three bays but some are of two bays. Nor are the heights of the houses always uniform, but the line of the terraces and the effect of the patina of the brick is what captures the eye. The growing wealth of 19th-century Dublin after the 1801 Act of Union led to the embellishment of some of the houses, notably with wrought-iron balconies on the first floor. The square is also blessed with tall and ornate lamp standards that complement the houses. Architectural guides – including the excellent Buildings of Ireland volume on Dublin – speak rapturously of the interiors of many of the houses, such as their ceilings, cornices, mantelpieces and staircases. But the great joy about Merrion Square is that even from the outside it is astonishingly special.
Irish Times
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
I call out a chat'n'cut, Larry David style. I will never live down what happens next
I blame Larry David for what happened to me recently in Merrion Square. I can draw a direct line from him to a queue for the bar in that beautiful Dublin park on a recent sunny evening. If it weren't for Larry David and his show Curb Your Enthusiasm, this excruciating happening would never have happened. If it weren't for David, I'd have handled the situation differently. If it weren't for David, everything would have been fine. It wasn't fine. And I will tell you just how not fine it was in a moment, but first, for the few who aren't familiar with Larry David or Curb Your Enthusiasm, a brief explanation: In Curb, Seinfeld creator and writer Larry David plays an exaggerated version of himself, a comedy writer who likes golf, going to restaurants, hanging out with friends and complaining about attending various social engagements. His schtick is that he is a neurotic, socially awkward, brutally honest man incapable of meeting society's expectations who loves giving other people grief for not sticking to his made-up, random-seeming rules for life. He has no shame. He does not care about social norms or niceties. He does and says the things we all wish we could do and say. In short, Larry David is a legend. The specific scene in the specific episode that led to my mortification in Merrion Square happens in Vow of Silence, episode five of series eight. Larry is at his friend and manager Jeff's going-away party, in the queue for the hot buffet. The queue is moving slowly, and they are hungry. Next thing, a woman approaches the man who is standing in front of Larry and Jeff in the queue. She starts a conversation with the man, reminding him of some party they were both at years ago. It looks to most of us like an innocuous conversation. But not to Larry. 'It's a classic chat'n'cut,' he explains to Jeff. 'She's feigning familiarity with someone she vaguely knows for the sole purpose of cutting in line. She'll be picking up a plate any second.' Sure enough, the woman picks up a plate ready to get some food. Of course, Larry can't leave it there. He congratulates the woman for an amazing attempt at a chat'n'cut, one that '99 times out of 100 would have worked' except for the fact that he, Larry David, an astute observer, is behind her in the queue. Her chat'n'cut is exposed. READ MORE And now here I am standing near the top of a long queue for the bar on a sunny evening in Merrion Square. I am queuing to buy drinks for a woman I am catching up with, a world-renowned writer and thinker who is in Ireland on a speaking engagement at the International Literary Festival Dublin, and her friend a respected Irish academic. I am standing in the queue when a smiling, bespectacled man sidles up to me, feigning familiarity, asking to join me there. I have two choices. I can let the guy skip the queue, I mean who cares and sure what harm? Or, I can call out this blatant chat'n'cut for what it is. Invoking the spirit of David, I choose the latter and I tell the guy it was a nice try, but that he should go to the back of the queue. If Larry were here, he'd lean in. He'd tell everyone about his misdiagnosed chat'n'cut and own the situation The woman behind me in the queue thinks I am amazing. 'The way he came up to you, I thought he knew you,' she says. 'No,' I explain. 'In fact, what you witnessed there was a classic chat'n'cut, he just wasn't expecting me to call him out on it'. 'Wow,' she says admiringly. 'So un-Irish of you. Look at him there at the back of the queue, all sheepish in his glasses.' I look down, and smile at the chat'n'cutter. No hard feelings. He just didn't know who he was up against. Delighted with myself, I buy the drinks and return to where the Thinker and the Academic are sitting with another woman. We're chatting away when several minutes later, a man appears holding a drink for the other woman, his girlfriend. The man looks vaguely familiar. My stomach lurches. The man is the bespectacled chat'n'cutter. Except, now I realise he wasn't chatting'n'cutting in the classic sense. This man knew that I was also in the company of the Thinker and the Academic and he thought I'd be decent enough to let him buy his drink with me. We both know what happened earlier but neither of us mentions it. Then from a bag he takes out little Tupperware boxes of beautiful food he has made for the Thinker, a thoughtful gift from her home country. I die a little more inside. Of course if Larry were here, he'd lean in. He'd tell everyone about his misdiagnosed chat'n'cut and own the situation. As previously mentioned he has no shame. But I am Irish and I cannot own this situation. I can only sit there, covered in shame, munching on delicious rice wrapped in pickled vine leaves trying to convince a nice, bespectacled Turkish man that I am not the rudest person in this country of a thousand welcomes. I'm not sure he's convinced. And, to reiterate, I blame Larry David.
