Richmond Street Sketching

Last Sunday, we were sketching on Richmond street, an area of Dublin that is changing a lot. I used to live around there around 1987/9. It was lively, with lots of students living around the area and in Rathmines. It had its social problems, with flats located between Richmond Street and Charlemont Street, pretty much a no-go area for a middle-class girl like me. 

Now these flats are gone, replaced by modern apartments, which are probably not even available to buy, only to let, which is one of the major problems in Dublin. It wouldn't be so bad if the rents were reasonable, but they are crazy. Someone told me that even shared-accommodation flats, i.e. with a shared kitchen and sitting room/dining room, were going at 1800 euro per month!!! And the current government seems to be sleep-walking through this crisis. I just don't get how our government lets greedy developers control our country so much!

So on Sunday, I walked through the pedestrian area between Richmond Street and Charlemont Street. There is a new Tesco Express. But no other businesses at ground level yet. Some apartments are at ground level, which I think is just not good enough! And of course the canyon effect - wind, no light. But on the Richmond street side, a beautiful red-brick Georgian cottage remains. I had to sketch it. Lots of people stopped to see what I was doing.

Then I moved onto Richmond Street, found a spot at the top of the steps of a Georgian house divided into flats (I've lived in similar ones before - lots of character, not much heat!), and sketched the building site across the way, with a beautifully-restored building at the end. I think that might be part of the Clayton hotel on the canal? Everything behind is modern. And soon, everything in front will be modern too. I will miss the old Dublin. Souvik, one of our sketchers, was leaning against a lamppost while sketching. I just had enough room to fit him in!

 

And then it was down to the pub to chat - lots of talk about pens and ink!

A few photos taken by various sketchers (the first two were taken by Maya). Yes that's me at the top of the steps, with a rubbish bag on the other side! And it was milder than in recent weeks, but there was a cold wind sweeping down the street.