Gates go up across the roadway at one end of Hardwicke Street, in the north inner-city

About 9am on Monday, workers were hanging a big black metal gate across the end of Hardwicke Street in the north inner-city.

But they had to keep stopping to swing it out of the way for a stream of drivers who wanted to get into the car park in the middle of these flats.

For years residents of the flat complexes on Hardwicke Street have complained about drivers from elsewhere parking here, leaving fewer spaces for residents.

Independent Councillor Christy Burke said last Thursday that he was pleased the council was putting in the gates across the Temple Street end of Hardwicke Street’s roadway.

“I’m glad they’re going ahead,” Burke said on the phone. “Hopefully the gates will put an end to the parking by non-residents.”

The installation of the gates comes on foot of an emergency motion in the names of Fine Gael Councillor Ray McAdam and Burke, the independent councillor at an October meeting of local councillors.

Even before the gate, cars could not drive through the street from end to end, as the middle is blocked with bollards, making each end a cul-de-sac. But people pass through on bikes and on foot.

The council has not responded to queries sent last Thursday as to whether there are also plans to gate-off footpath access to the Temple Street end of Hardwicke Street.

Or to add gates at the other end of the flats as well, limiting access to them from the North Frederick Street side.

Gates on the roadway

At their October 2023 meeting, the council’s Central Area Committee voted 8 to 3 to back the emergency motion on Hardwicke Street.

The motion was to “begin the formal process to extinguish the public right of way along Hardwicke Street, thereby initiating a public consultation process with a view to ensuring that our tenants, their children and families are safer, more secure and that road safety levels along the street are greatly improved”.

At the time, it was a bit unclear exactly what exactly was being proposed.

Although councillors at the meeting talked about parking issues at the car park between the flats, they also talked about the desirability of keeping the street open for people to walk or cycle through.

On Monday, workers were clearly installing a gate across the roadway that would limit vehicle access to the car park.

They also had installed frames narrowing the footpath entrances to Hardwicke Street. These frames looked ready to receive gates as well.

Gates on the footpaths?

Social Democrats Councillor Cat O’Driscoll, as well as Burke, the independent councillor, said Thursday that she believed there would only be gates limiting roadway access, not gates limiting access by footpath.

“My understanding is the gates are only to prevent illegal parking so pedestrian/bike access will not be blocked,” O’Driscoll said.

The council has not responded to a query sent Thursday as to whether gates will be installed across the footpaths.

At the October meeting, Green Party Councillor Janet Horner and Social Democrats’ O’Driscoll said it would be a bad idea to close off the road completely.

“We’ve had this conversation already about our laneways, that we’re pushed into making a place safer by removing public access and I’m really worried that this is now going to become our only way of making areas safe is to gate them off,” O’Driscoll said.

Councillors on the same committee, the Central Area Committee, in July 2023 voted to close off access to Harbour Court, a laneway between Abbey Street Lower and the quays, because of anti-social behaviour.

Earlier this month they voted to reverse course. But council senior executive officer Frank Lambe said: “The decision was made to extinguish the public right of way. That decision was made and still stands.”

Horner, the Green Party councillor, said Thursday she wouldn’t like to see the right-of-way along Hardwicke Street extinguished.

“There have been numerous issues and concerns raised about the implications of extinguishing the right of way since the motion was passed and I think there will have to be much wider consideration and consultation done before the idea is progressed any further,” she said.

O’Driscoll said similar. “I think other councillors are still pushing to remove the public right of way but I’m firmly against it,” she said.

The other end of the street

At the October meeting, the council’s north inner-city area manager, David Forde, said residents had previously asked for a gate at the Temple Street end to keep cars out.

But more recently they had asked for a gate toward the other end too, towards North Frederick Street, he said. “This is where this emergency motion is coming from.”

At that end of Hardwicke Street, there’s a cafe, Maka Cadey, and the nearby Hodma Shop.

Groups of Somalian men used to gather and chat outside these two businesses, and some residents of the flats had said they felt they were a danger.

Max Jamaal, working behind the counter of the Hodma Shop back in October, said the men would have come for a Somali meal at the cafe, might buy a few bits at his shop, and would just stay for a few minutes chatting outside before heading on.

“They’re not harming anyone,” Jamaal said. “In my community, they like to stand on the streets, they like to talk.”

Recently, there were signs up at that corner by the Hodma Shop and Maka Cadey, asking people not to gather there.

Also at that end of Hardwicke Street are the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu & Capoeira Academy, the Vietnamese Association, and a homeless hostel.

A member of the Hardwicke Street Residents Committee in October declined to comment on the motion.

She also has not responded to a text sent last Thursday asking whether residents were satisfied with the new gates at the Temple Street end, and whether they want gates at the North Frederick Street end of the flats too.

The council has not replied to a query sent Thursday as to whether there are any plans to install gates at the North Frederick Street end of the flats.

“I’m always very hesitant to block off public space,” said O’Driscoll, the Social Democrats Councillor last Thursday by WhatsApp.

If residents have concerns about anti-social behaviour, those should be taken seriously, but the solution “is community policing, quality urban design and pro social activity”.

“The solution is not to create gated communities in the city centre,” she said.