Francis Street Refurbishment Completed

A two-year refurbishment of Francis Street has now been completed by Dublin City Council. Arising out of proposals for the street developed in 2017 by landscape architects Áit Urbanism & Landscape, the refurbishment has seen all aspects of the street upgraded, including new paving, landscaping and the upgrading of services.

The project, led by Dublin City Council’s South Central Area Office and overseen by the Council’s Roads Design Division, has been challenging to deliver and, in particular, faced significant delays getting started with the onset of the Covid 19 Emergency in 2020.

Since 2021 work has been advancing along the street, with day-to day management by civil engineers DBFL and undertaken by the Council’s contractor KN Circet. The street, which is almost half a kilometre in length, has benefited from significant refurbishment which has seen footpaths widened and repaved, new set piece areas of granite paving installed to the front of the Iveagh Market and St Nicholas de Myra Church, the addition of new tree planting, landscaping and seating and a substantial increase in pedestrian space.

In recent weeks a suite of new tree planters has been installed, adding magnolias, liquid amber and birch trees to the impressive honey locust trees already planted. The aim of the landscaping scheme, designed by the Council’s Parks, Biodiversity & Landscape Services, is to provide year-around colour and variety to the street, add biodiversity and to create a more enticing and pedestrian-friendly street.

Francis Street’s refurbishment is part of a wider programme of investment by the Council in the public realm and amenities of The Liberties under the Liberties Greening Strategy. This plan has been delivering new parks, refurbishments to existing green spaces, tree planting and investment in public space in The Liberties.

Some views of the completed streetworks: