Councillors honour their critic

Dublin Corporation has established an annual conservation bursary to honour the late Deirdre Kelly, founder of the Living City…

Dublin Corporation has established an annual conservation bursary to honour the late Deirdre Kelly, founder of the Living City Group and one of its most outspoken critics over the years. She died of cancer last February at the age of 61.

The outgoing Lord Mayor, Ms Mary Freehill, said she was particularly proud that the corporation was formally recognising the contribution she had made to Dublin. "She had a great awareness all the time that a city is about the people who live in it and not just buildings."

She announced that the first Deirdre Kelly Conservation Bursary had been awarded to the Irish Historic Towns Atlas of Dublin project, which will trace the city's topographical development as part of a series of town atlases produced by the Royal Irish Academy.

The bursary, which was initiated by Dublin City Council, is worth £5,000 annually and is intended to assist those who make a major contribution to the conservation of the city. It was accepted by Prof Anngret Simms, on behalf of the academy.

Frank McDonald

Frank McDonald

Frank McDonald, a contributor to The Irish Times, is the newspaper's former environment editor