Save The ORahillys House - Cherish our History
Aontú Rep for West Dublin Edward McManus has called on the government and An Bord Pleanála to reject property developer plans to demolish the house of Easter Rising hero Michael O'Rahilly.
Edward stated:
"It is not justifiable that Lordglen Ltd, a property development company, is seeking to demolish the house of 1916 Rising Michael O'Rahilly.
"It recently emerged that Lordglen Ltd, a company belonging to the owners of the Herbert Park Hotel, has lodged an application with An Bord Pleanála for the demolition of 40 Herbert Park, a building that played a central role in Ireland's struggle for freedom 100 years ago.
"Michael O'Rahilly lived in the house with his family from 1909 until his brutal death on Moore Street at Easter 1916. O'Rahilly played a crucial role in the foundation of the Irish Volunteers, an organisation that changed the course of Irish history.
"After Michael's death, the O'Rahilly family continued to live in the Ballsbridge house and the building continued to be at the centre of revolutionary events. In early 1921, for example, an IRA army council meeting took place in the O'Rahilly house which set in motion the single largest military action during the war for independence, the attack on Dublin's Custom House. This meeting was attended by figures such as Cathal Brugha, Eamon de Valera, Michael Collins and Liam Mellows. For its role in the Custom House attack alone, the house ought to be designated a national monument rather than face the prospect of destruction for the sake of property speculation.
"In the present day and recent past, invaluable historical sites in our capital, such as Wood Quay, have been bulldozed over. Moore Street remains in a perpetual state of peril due to government neglect and the private profit motive. Not only is the place of O'Rahilly's death on Moore Street in a disgraceful state and under threat of demolition, now his home is too.
"It is time that we stood up to save the sites of intrinsic importance to our nation's history. It is time to save O'Rahilly's house - it is time to cherish our history."