Ethnic Community

Historically, the Liberties had a vibrant Jewish quarter around Upper Clarebrosnan St. Unfortunately, this quarter gradually disappeared in the mid 1960s.

Instead, this vicinity now demonstrates a large Muslim population. However, the Jewish museum on Martin St stands as evidence of the Liberties' past.

According to the Carmelite Community Centre, the predominant ethnic minority today in the Liberties is Asian (mostly those of Chinese origin).

Polish, Eastern European and Nigerian also form prominent communities in the district.

Environmental Issues

Recycling in Ireland
Important Bodies

Repak
Funding, packaging, recycling aim is to facilitate and grow packaging recycling.
info@repak.ie
eoin.kennedy@scomms.ie

WEEE Ireland
The Irish compliance scheme for electrical and battery recycling
info@weeeireland.ie


Dublin City Council
City Centre Litter Complaints

Tel: (01) 222 2222
8.00am to 6.00pm, Monday to Friday.
customerservices@dublincity.ie


Department of the Environment, Heritage & Local Government

Eamon Ryan TD
Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government

minister@environ.ie
press-officer@environ.ie
01 6183097


Alternative Forms of Transport (Environmentally Friendly)

Dublin Bike Scheme
1850 777 070

Dublin Cycling Campaign
Mike McMillan
0872314613

Enquiries about Animals and Wildlife in City Centre

National Parks & Wildlife Service:
01-8882000
natureconservation@environ.ie

''Documenting Ireland's Wildlife''
Biodiversity@dublincity.ie

Renewable Energy Services

info@seai.ie

History

The Liberties is the well-known district in the south-west inner city of Dublin. Today The Liberties generally corresponds to the postal district Dublin 8. The Liberties are jurisdictions that existed since

the arrival of the Anglo Normans in the 12th century. They were town lands united to the city, but still preserving their own jurisdiction.

The most important of these Liberties were the Liberty of St. Sepulchre, under the Archbishop of Dublin and the Earl of Meath’s Liberty. The Liberty of St. Sepulchre stretched from Bishop St. to St.

Stephen's Green, along Harcourt Street to Donnybrook, across Rathgar to Harold's Cross and back along Clanbrassil Street to Patrick Street. The Earl of Meath's liberty ran west along The Coombe to Ardee St., turning north towards Echlin St. then along James's St. to Meath St., then through various smaller streets to Ash St. and back to the Coombe.

The Liberties hold a special place in the hearts of the Dublin working class, being home to the Guinness Brewery which has provided employment to so many families in this city over the course of generations.

Many places in The Liberties still have connections with a turbulent past in which political upheaval or dire poverty were the order of the day. In the 17th century, parts of them became wealthy districts, when the weaving crafts of the immigrant Huguenots had a ready market around the present day Meath Street Market, and a healthy export trade.

In the late 17th century development started in order to house the weavers who were moving into the area. Woollen manufacture was set up by settlers from England, while many Huguenots took up silk weaving, using skills they had acquired in their home country, France.A weavers' hall was built by the Weavers' Guild in the Lower Coombe in 1682.

As is the case now, life was very different for the rich and the working class. In 1790 the Liberties was described as the “scene of the most abject poverty, deplorable sickness, and a magazine of fury”.

During the 20th Century the Liberties remained a ‘working class’ area.

In October 2007, plans for a multi-million euro redevelopment of The Liberties were revealed by Dublin City Council. These plans have been met with strong opposition from residents of the area, claiming that the character of one of the city's oldest surviving areas will be destroyed by such redevelopment.

Key Statistics and Social Problems

Population     19,135

Unemployment    25%

CSO Figures (1996 and 2002)

Dublin City South

http://beyond2020.cso.ie/Census/TableViewer/tableView.aspx

Electoral Divisions

http://beyond2020.cso.ie/Census/TableViewer/tableView.aspx

Social Problems 

• 62.1% of households live below the 50% relative income poverty level.
• There is a lot of site dereliction, particularly along the Cork Street/Coombe Relief route. This route has been in the pipeline for over forty years and has just been completed in 2003.
• Educational levels are low, many young people residing in local authority housing estates do not complete their second level education

Development

Dublin City Council (DCC) has adopted The Liberties’ Local Area Plan (LAP), a holistic regeneration strategy for 136 hectares of South Central Dublin and the city’s largest LAP to date. The LAP was prepared for and with DCC by John Thompson & Partners, in collaboration with Metropolitan Workshop, and is designed to guide development and encourage investment in the Liberties over the next decade.

The Liberties-Coombe IAP was officially launched in 1998. The vision of the Plan is :

“To reinstate the dignity of the Liberties/Coombe as a living working locality fully participating in Dublin’s entry into the next millennium”.

Proposed redevelopment of the Liberties’ brownfield sites will accommodate a rise in population from 13,500 to around 20,000.