Oscar Traynor not only took part in the Easter Rising, joining the anti-Treaty side in the Civil War but also claimed soccer was not a foreign sport, “a Celtic game, pure and simple, having its roots in the Highlands of Scotland”. One hundred years on, even wilder claims are being made and with the same spirit of principle over pragmatism.
The decision by Dublin city councillors in November to delay the Oscar Traynor Road development epitomises the muddled ideological battle lines and bloody-minded politicking that have delayed Ireland’s response to the housing crisis.
Having approved the project in 2017, councillors have now decided to start from scratch objecting to the role of a private developer. Construction on new cross-party alternative plans is unlikely to begin before 2024 whereas the original plan for 850 homes could have seen building commence this year.