13.02.18
After a longer than expected period (and more than a couple of complications), The Liberties latest public realm project – Crane Street – is finally complete. The project involved creating new wider pavements along Crane Street, Sugar House Lane and part of adjoining School Street. Although not a main thoroughfare, the street is nevertheless one of the busiest in the area, being the main approach route to the Guinness Storehouse and seeing thousands of visitors each day.
The street’s new look includes more generous pavements with new paving surfaces and the removal of parking from the street to provide a much improved pedestrian environment. The remaining heritage paving, kerbs and setts on Sugar House Lane were all lifted and relaid to best conservation practice.
A number of factors made the project more complicated that originally thought, including the discovery of a hidden tunnel under Crane Street from adjoining St James’s Gate Brewery and the need to replace 100-year old water mains on the street.
The street now provides a more fitting approach to the city’s main visitor attraction and one of its most iconic photo locations – the Guinness Gate. Over the coming period, additional works to refurbish buildings along the route and add planters and greenery will be undertaken.
The project is an action of Dublin City Council’s The Liberties Greening Strategy and was part supported by Failte Ireland under its Dubline programme.
