The Centennial Legacy: Equal opportunities to all its citizens?

Abstract

Moore Street in Dublin is best known as the location of the city’s oldest food market. But its location beside the General Post Office meant that it formed part of the stage on which the drama of the 1916 Rising was played out. It is central to the story of Easter Week because the leaders of the 1916 Rising issued their surrender from numbers 14-17 Moore Street. The street has thus assumed significance in national narratives of the Rising and ‘Irish’ identity, and has become a rallying point for campaigners who wish to recognise landmarks and sites associated with the insurrection and Ireland’s eventual independence. However, throughout the 20 th century this had become one of the most neglected parts of the inner city as focus shifted to addressing the housing crisis in the city through suburban developments and the creation of ‘new towns’ on the edge of the city.