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Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Dublin city centre over the weekend to object to hotel developments planned for the sites of two cultural institutions the Cobblestone pub in Smithfield and Merchants Arch in Temple Bar.

owever, there is a growing sense that this joint campaign could just be the beginning of a wider movement aimed at halting the proliferation of hotel developments at the expense of Dublins built heritage. The latest controversies have led to renewed criticism of Dublin City Councils planning decisions and have resulted in growing frustration at the appeals process under An Bord Pleanla.

With dire warnings that international tourists will soon be coming to Dublin to simply gaze at hotels and apartment blocks, we take a look at some recent developments that have pitted the preservation of our cultural heritage against modern-day progress.

It may not look like an iconic building from the outside, but the Cobblestone pub is considered by many to be one of the last bastions of traditional Irish music in the city.

Since a planning notice went up on October 1, outlining proposals for a nine-storey, 114-bed hotel on the site, thousands have taken to social media and the streets to express their opposition and outrage.

While the applicants, Marron Estates Ltd, have committed to retaining the iconic pub as part of the overall redevelopment, there are fears that the historic character of the protected building will be lost if a 5,818 sq m hotel is permitted.

Much of the local political reaction so far has been unequivocal, with Labours Joe Costello branding the plan cultural vandalism and Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon warning that Dublin is losing the parts of the city that make it interesting.

Following Saturdays protest march from Smithfield to Dublin City Councils Civic Offices, which organisers estimate was attended by between 1,500 and 2,000 people, more than 31,000 have now signed an online Save the Cobblestone petition.

Musician Eoghan Ceannabhin, who organised the campaign, said the protest and petition were part of a wider effort to halt the encroachment of developer-led projects at the expense of the citys cultural heritage.

At the moment, our focus is on encouraging people to make submissions to Dublin City Council in advance of the November 4 deadline for observations, but we plan to come out on the streets again before then, he said. There is a wider issue about democracy around planning, which can also be seen in the Moore Street campaign.

The famous pedestrian route linking the Hapenny Bridge with Temple Bar will be kept open to the public if a controversial hotel development goes ahead at Merchants Arch but that hasnt stopped over 51,000 people signing an online petition objecting to the plan.

It involves the demolition of a number of retail units and the construction of a boutique hotel and restaurant at the iconic archway.

Permission for the development was granted to publican Tom Doone, who owns the Merchants Arch bar, by Dublin City Council earlier this year. An appeal was lodged by former Irish Times environment editor Frank McDonald and Temple Bar residents.

However, An Bord Pleanla upheld the councils decision, despite a recommendation from its own inspector to refuse permission. Previous efforts to develop a hotel at this location had been turned down by the board.

The decision to grant permission for the hotel has been criticised by Temple Bar residents and An Taisce. Comedian and television presenter Dara Briain also informed his 2.5 million Twitter followers of his objections to the plan.

Merchants Arch, which fronts onto Wellington Quay, was originally a guild hall and dates back to 1821.

A decision by the city council in October 2020 to grant permission for a 54-bed tourist hostel on a site connected to James Joyce was seen as a full-on assault on the citys cultural heritage.

More than 100 leading names from the worlds of literature, academia and the arts including film director Lenny Abrahamson and writers Sally Rooney, John Banville and Salman Rushdie were strongly opposed to the plans for the house at 15 Ushers Island.

The tourist hostel plan was also opposed by the Arts Council, An Taisce and the Department of Culture and Heritage.

The property was formerly the home of Joyces grand aunts and was the setting for his short story The Dead. It was used as a location for the 1987 film adaptation of the story, directed by John Huston and starring Donal McCann and Anjelica Huston.

Bestselling novelist Colm Tibn was among those to lodge an appeal. However, earlier this year, An Bord Pleanla upheld the councils decision to grant permission. The boards inspector noted in his report that a previous permission in 1996 to develop the property as a cultural centre had not been implemented or fully realised. Describing the property as being in a neglected condition, he said it was recognised that the best method of conserving a historic building is to keep it in active use.

A long campaign to see the historic 1916 battleground site on Moore Street retained and protected is back in the news again this month.

Members of the Moore Street Preservation Trust and 1916 Relatives Alliance have now produced an alternative plan for the wider area, outside the State-owned national monument at 14-17 Moore Street, which will form part of a cultural quarter.

UK developers Hammerson are seeking permission from Dublin City Council for a mixed retail, office and residential scheme on a 5.5-acre site between Moore Street and OConnell Street.

However, 1916 relatives and campaigners including James Heron Connolly, grandson of James Connolly are calling on the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh OBrien, to support the alternative plan, which proposes the reinstatement of several historic buildings and the development of a new courtyard space behind Moore Street.

Earlier this year, a report into the future of Moore Street called for urgent ministerial and Government approval for the Irish Heritage Trusts proposal for the restoration of the national monument.

The Moore Street Advisory Group (MSAG) also recommended that nobody with a commercially vested interest should be appointed to a committee for the proposed visitor centre.

There was much consternation in Ballsbridge in September 2020 when the former home of 1916 leader The ORahilly was demolished to make way for a planned apartment and hotel development.

Even though it had permission from An Bord Pleanla, eyebrows were raised when the Herbert Park property was demolished early one morning. Dublin City Council was in the process of having it added to its Record of Protected Structures at the time.

The council immediately ordered work to stop on the site, pending an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the demolition. Local residents, meanwhile, were given permission in the High Court to seek a judicial review into the matter.

Commenting at the time, Siobhn Cuffe, chair of the Pembroke Road Association, said: The destruction of the house in the early morning of September 29 is utterly shocking. City councillors had voted that it would be listed and preserved.

She added that the proposed 12-storey block would be three times the maximum height permitted in the area.

Despite previous plans for a Covent Garden style development on the site of the former Iveagh Market in the Liberties, the fate of the historic building hangs in the balance due to ongoing legal actions.

The Iveagh Market was gifted to the people of Dublin by the Guinness family in 1906 to provide a permanent home for stall holders who operated around St Patricks Cathedral. It ran as a market until the 1990s but has been idle since then.

The property is at the centre of a legal dispute over its ownership. Last December, Lord Iveagh invoked a reverter clause in the original deeds that stated the building could be repossessed if it was not being used for its intended purpose as a market.

The move sparked legal action from publican Martin Keane, who had secured two previous planning permissions from Dublin City Council to develop the building, although the projects did not proceed.

A separate legal action is being taken by the developer against Dublin City Council after the local authority refused to grant him a third planning permission.

There is growing concern that the Francis Street landmark could ultimately be lost to the community due to the poor condition of its roof, which has resulted in significant water damage to the interior.

Essential repairs required are estimated at 13m, while the cost of redeveloping the building is put at over 30m.

In a recent statement, the Liberties Cultural Association said the condition of the Iveagh Market demanded immediate attention.

The markets require urgent and essential arresting action, a spokesperson said. The securing of the building from further deterioration and decay must be carried out immediately.

Liberties Cultural Association are asking for all parties to come together and come up with a solution. It's up to them to solve the problem.

It was claimed that the very soul of Dublin was at stake when the Bernard Shaw pub in Portobello closed its doors in October 2019.

While the exact reason for the South Richmond Street pubs closure after 13 years was unclear, a statement from the owners said: "Its with heavy hearts that we announce the end of our Bernard Shaw adventure.

"Weve tried really hard over the last few months to renew the lease, stay on longer, or buy the place. A lot of things didnt go our way over the last 12 months either, but its out of our hands now unfortunately."

A favourite haunt of the citys so-called hipsters, even singer Hozier added his voice to the outpouring of grief on social media when the pub closed.

What is most special and unique about Dublin are Dubliners themselves, and spaces like this where culture and community is fostered and grows, he tweeted. Without interesting places like these, the city loses its heartbeat.

The southsides loss, however, was to be the northsides gain and the Bernard Shaw has since reopened at Cross Guns Bridge in Phibsboro.

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From the Cobblestone to Merchant's Arch and Moore St the places at the forefront of Dublin's culture wars - Independent.ie