Save The National Archives!

by my god man/woman/lord/lady/an uachtaran/fellow citizen/ - michael mc dowell/geraldine/ bertie the lehandakari Fri Feb 25, 2005 19:54

do you really intend on frying the illuminated manuscripts of ireland the way you fried the gardaí siochana with the antennae / aerials / mobile masts?

enough of this.
sort of thing.
write that letter now!

by An Púca Sat Feb 26, 2005 12:47 flannbui at yahoo dot com

This case isnt really comparable to the M3, Carrickmines or anything of that nature. The National Archives building in Bishop street is a very modern high rise building with five or six stories. It contains some very important historical documents, maps and photographs. but how is a mobile phone mast going to domage either the documents or the aestethic qualities of a large modern high rise building? Better the mast be put on a modern building than atop the G.P.O. or in Stephens Green. Lets not run away with ourselves. The real acts of heritage vandalism are being carried out on archaeological and historical sites and buildings supposedly protected by the national Monuments act 1994. If there are prooven health dangers to the staff of the national archives and the historians useing the facilities that would be a different matter.

by Archivist Sun Feb 27, 2005 14:33

This is being done without any agreement. The OPW just says its going to happen. there has been no risk assessment. Its not OPW staff who will be carrying out the work, its a telecom firm, Vilicom. You have all seen the havoc these firms leave in their wakes when they dig up the roads.

Its mostly Garda Stations which have had these masts imposed on them and they have also been left in a sorry state. I'm sure some garda monitoring this site could confirm this.

At the very least if such a mast was to be erected there should be extensive consultation with the archivists and unions. A risk assessment should be carried out. Then an agreed plan whgich would ensure that neither staff nor documents would be put at risk would besigned off.

None of this has happened. Its the Usual Cowboy Parlon PD tactics.

by Reality Check Thu Mar 03, 2005 14:21

"Its mostly Garda Stations which have had these masts imposed on them and they have also been left in a sorry state. I'm sure some garda monitoring this site could confirm this."

Eh, No.
All garda stations already had communication masts and the mobile phone element was tagged on.

Also, I assume none of the people who work in National Archives ever use mobile phones. And if that is the case, then more power to their campaign.

Please explain your cultural vandalism nonsense. What possible evidence of that is there?

by Archivist Thu Mar 03, 2005 14:39

No risk assessments have been carried out regarding the effects these works will have on the Archives. I'm not talking about "rays" from mobiles. I refer to the physical alterations to the building.

The contractors cannot say there is no danger to the the records or staff if they have not carried out such a risk impact assessment. The contractors are acting like your typical cowboy builders. No need for plans, no consultation. Just slap it up.

The Garda Representative Association have protested against the mobile masts as well. In many Garda stations, builders arrived without notice and left a mess behind them, damaged windows, doors and roofs.

by dermo Thu Mar 03, 2005 15:07

They are of no benefit. The working class will have to foot the bill at the end of the day as the middle class sing of 'culture'.

Only the government and the bourgeois benefit.

Labouring along side others on the same shift, doing the same type of work yet receiving a fraction of the wage as the agency takes their slice of the cake and more often than not it normally the largest slice. Working on a temporary contract.

The working classes have more immediate concerns with banks and loan sharks choking many households.

Drug and alcohol abuse is widespread, so too is the cronic health and social problems that come with it from domestic and street, burglaries and so-called ‘joyriding’ effecting people of all ages. But who benefits from all the archives? Certainly not our class! They are little comfort to those of us who feel threatened by the spiralling levels of city centre violence.

In terms of the building social housing the cities politicians have ignored the cities housing crisis were our class have been unable to enter the housing markets as houses in their own communities remain out priced and out of reach.

The Archives, as I have already stated, are an insult to the people of Ireland we intend to focus in on this throughout the coming year. A total farce!

by Archivist Thu Mar 03, 2005 15:28

I can only conclude that you are a crank.

by historian Thu Mar 03, 2005 16:33

You're not a former member of the Khmer Rouge by any chance?

The Archives are an important - probably THE most important - repository of our history, and that includes the history of Irish working people. Maybe you should visit some time and clear your head of all that nonsense.