Zuzia Whelan

The site has been sold to an unknown buyer, the brothers have been moved out, and the school is due to close in June. What then? local residents and councillors worry. Will it sit vacant for years?

Romica Stingaciu stands for a few moments in the doorway of his bakery in Coolmine Industrial Estate and breathes in the cold damp air before stepping back inside, into a muggy atmosphere of rising dough and preheated ovens.

On Golden Lane, the gallery of the macabre and erotic will share a space with the restaurant Feast. The proprietors have a slew of ideas for collaborations mixing food and art.

Amy Redmond uses acting and creative writing to help adults with mental-health issues.

Some councillors have long wanted the room in the old Rathmines Town Hall opened up for wider use.

Martin Heeney says he’s been reporting the spread of black mould to the council since he moved in, but it’s never been properly fixed.

At their monthly meeting, Dublin city councillors talked about two sewage-treatment-related proposals, plans for a directly elected mayor, protecting historic structures, and the future of St Michael’s Estate.

If they’re going to make an impact, they should be focused on the issue full-time – and not just be existing staff members now endowed with an extra title, says Francis Doherty, of Peter McVerry Trust.

The library, built in 1935, is unusual on the outside. It’s one of a trio sharing the same style in the city.

There’s already a code that recognises that women take longer to use the loo, and calls for women to get more facilities than men to compensate. And yet the queues persist.

After falling since 2008, the last couple of years have seen more permits issued for HGVs to drive into the city. Some cyclists say it’s too dangerous at the moment, while those in the industry say they drive in for a reason.

Chaos Factory’s show Kiss Kiss Slap Slap is scheduled to run at Smock Alley Theatre from 11 to 15 September as part of the Dublin Fringe Festival. 

Fáilte Ireland has a plan to attract more tourists into six areas of Dublin, including the Docklands. Some councillors have raised concerns about “overtourism” and the impact it might have on communities.

A reader asked what determines when a book of condolences is opened in the city.

Juan Ramon Sanchez-Gil might make more reselling croissants at hiked up prices, he says. But he wants people to come and learn to eat Spanish omelettes, arepas and cachapas.

PPNs were set up across the country in 2014, as a way of getting more people involved in local government. Councillors and those involved in Dublin’s PPN say it’s still finding its way.

There are 167 outlets – mainly restaurants, coffee shops, and pubs – that have licences to put tables and chairs on streets. Many others do it without, but some councillors are sympathetic given the cost.

The menu at the The Electric Vegan is a little different to the fare found in other vegan restaurants. You won’t find any soy, carrots, broccoli, or refined sugar here.

Meanwhile, a ballot to see if a pay-and-display should be brought in on streets in the area hasn’t gone too smoothly.

They say companies are cutting paperwork corners in ways that can mean less pay, or at least fewer benefits, for the workers.

Ingrid Casey worked with friends and called in favours to make the film, released today.

Included are books, pamphlets and posters of all kinds – some funny, some serious. Each is the only known surviving copy of that particular text left in the world.

Legally, there should be no such thing as an “unpaid internship”, says employment solicitor Richard Grogan.

The complex used to serve as emergency accommodation for 29 homeless families.

The government restricts the rights of asylum seekers living in direct-provision centres – often for years – to have visitors. “It’s not a good life,” says Ellie Kisyombe.

The Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan said in May that the use of noise against someone can be considered assault. Yet council officials told a councillor that Gardaí advised them to put in the alarms.

“I think it’s really important that Hugh Lane got in touch. Travellers aren’t included in Irish history,” says Nancy Collins.

Some have been asking how clean the Liffey is to bathe in.

Some parents and city councillors say banning cars from school streets would tackle school-run congestion, reduce emissions, and encourage the use of sustainable transport.

The steak, chicken and vegetarian options are all seasoned with Randy Howard’s own signature spice blend. Perhaps, down the line, they might add some smoked brisket.

For some older residents, the graveyard was their playground growing up. Others say they think they have family buried there.

For the Dublin City Council area, a committee recommended increasing the number of areas from nine to 11, and redrawing the shapes of existing areas. Phibsborough is now united, while Drimnagh remains divided.

After moving from the Liberties, they’re looking to build up a strong Sunday market, link in with local schools, and spread the word, says co-owner Christy Stapleton.

After Vincent Hourican retired as a community garda in the south of the city, he soon came back again as a reserve.

Apart from baos, Nikki Wong also makes matcha cookies, and tapioca-coconut “chews”.

Lorcan Rush wheeled a dance floor around Dublin, breaking the law everywhere from Merrion Square to in front of the Dáil, as his project for the NCAD graduate exhibition, set to run 9–17 June.

Some Dubliners are disgruntled that staff soak the steps to stop people sitting there. But the manager of the complex says there are litter, health and safety issues at play.

Many say they’d like to see more buses or trains as part of a local area plan for the neighbourhood.

The government says it has increased its spending on the sector, plans to increase it more, and is planning an independent review.

This first evening of reminiscences was a prelude to an effort to clean up the river by 2027.

Dublin City Council faces challenges in its plans to renovate or rebuild more than 6,000 apartments. What will it do with those who live in the complexes?

The owner says that he has always respected its historical significance, but that he needs to make changes to turn it into housing.

Morocco Gate Restaurant will have tagines and couscous, of course. But there will also be chips with ras el hanout – a North African spice blend – and other unusual dishes.

One proposal from Dublin Cycling Campaign and another from a city councillor call for banning cars from at least a couple of streets, once a week.

There might be jerk chicken, Jamaican patties, plantains, and more. But it’s not just about the food, says Nick Reynolds. “It’s a gathering … It’s a candlelit dinner, good people, a long table.”

Each week, a couple dozen older Dubliners gather for breakfast in Bluebell, where they find fry-ups and community.

It’s been more than three years since Dublin City Council said it planned to use its biggest sites for housing, including land at St Michael’s Estate.

“There are rules around bringing [new] people in, and people don’t know what they can and can’t do, which could put the tenancy at risk,” says Stephen Large of Threshold.

Councillors first backed the plan for improvements to Cathedral Street and Sackville Place in the city centre – but then a disability advocate flagged a problem.

Richard Grogan, a solicitor specialising in employment law, says he believes people with Stamp 1G or Stamp 3 statuses are being excluded because of “ignorance”, rather than anything else.

As snakes of traffic through the east of the city lengthen, some residents in Ringsend want the Environmental Protection Agency to step up its pollution-monitoring.

A worn little face, large-eared and deep-eyed, sits unassumingly on a building, tacked on to the old warehouse at Grand Canal Harbour. It used to have another home.

The council gets about 1,500 complaints a year about unauthorised development, and more than 100 cases end up subject to legal proceedings, a spokesperson said.

The 88 council-owned homes are due to be redeveloped, but some residents want to know more about what the plan is – though they wonder whether they can trust whatever council officials may tell them.

Ciaran O’Byrne, who roams the city releasing trees from the ties to wooden stakes that strangle them, mourns the deaths last week of Crumlin village’s cherry trees.

In John Farrell’s new play, he tells the story of his life – born in Ireland, moved by the Sisters of Mercy to New York – up to the age of 25, when his first real love was murdered.

“The one thing that lacks in the spoken-word community is advertising,” says Melissa Ridge.

They’ve been asking for 50 years, says one local resident. And now the council owns a site that some councillors reckon would be a good spot to build one.

There are 51 apartments in the complex, which lies south of Dundrum. In January 2017, 34 were occupied, but now only 23 are.

The owners have been doing some corporate restructuring, and inside the centre there’s construction going on. Is it headed for a revival?

Six months ago, Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy announced plans for a cap on the deposit a landlord can ask for from a renter. It’s not in place yet.

Fewer than 18 percent of biographies on the English-language version of Wikipedia are of women.

Independent Councillor Vincent Jackson says he has been pushing for a refundable deposit scheme since 1995, but that the response from government to him has been that it “doesn’t suit”.

There’s a workshop on how to make pysanka eggs scheduled for Friday in Stoneybatter.

These Irish-Polish pierogi include a sauerkraut-and-wild-mushrooms version, garnished with glazed aubergine with rosemary, balsamic vinegar, and maple syrup.

Draft bye-laws propose to “de-designate” the Cumberland Street Market – meaning casual trading would no longer be permitted there.

Labour Councillor Mary Freehill wants to try a pilot in the south-east of the city.

Moving ahead with plans for the birthplace of George Bernard Shaw, and “moral dilemmas” around housing. Here’s some of what has been discussed at recent council meetings.

Being a freelance journalist in Ireland is tough: the pay is often low, and even worse, some publications are slow to pay – or don’t pay at all. What’s a freelancer to do?

Some argue that a public register would help tenants to make sure the rent they are charged isn’t more than it should be. But is it worth giving up some privacy?

Although not all shelters rule out renters, and not all landlords rule out pet owners, in Dublin’s tight rental market, being a pet lover can make things even tougher.

Temple Bar is at risk of losing its Icon Walk, due to persistent vandalism and damage. It needs better lighting, CCTV, and intervention to help it survive, say those who built it.

Two foodies offer cosy supper clubs in the city, giving Dubliners the chance to dine and chat over a showcase of Mexican cuisine.

Anne Maree Barry’s film is part documentary, part fiction and draws on the history of the north inner-city neighbourhood.

Dublin City Council has only one conservation officer, and it lost its only buildings-at-risk officer back in 2009.

While many associate Chinese food with sweet, sticky sauces, there is another, more authentic set of dishes available to those who ask.

More than two decades ago, a Dublin lawyer stumbled by chance on an image by the artist Alphonse Mucha. It led to a life in search of his works.

“I love when people post their work on Instagram afterwards, and it doesn’t matter if it’s really crappy, I just love it,” says organiser Scarlett Nymph.