Sir, – David McWilliams's piece "A new Dublin Port City is an obvious solution for the housing crisis" (Opinion, August 7th) is a useful counterpoint to the local issue in Sandymount of the installation of new cycle paths and one-way traffic along side Sandymount Strand.
However, both issues have to deal with the fact that much of Sandymount, Irishtown and Ringsend are effectively below sea level and with global temperatures and sea levels rising all it needs for catastrophe is for an easterly gale combined with a very high tide to wreak havoc for thousands of inhabitants.
One solution is the construction of a new dyke and defensive sea wall some 500 metres out to sea on Sandymount Strand and running in an arc from Booterstown/Blackrock to Poolbeg, which would include a promenade and cycle way. Homes would be protected, cyclists thrilled and walkers and runners given new routes.
Then a massive infill behind the sea wall as a basis for new housing. See what the Dutch have done since their disastrous floods of 1953. – Yours, etc,
DAVID McCABE,
Shankill,
Dublin 18.
Sir, – My letter is prompted by the piece on Dublin port by David McWilliams.
There is another way to release hundred of acres of land for housing already owned by the people, worth billions, and without heavy capital spending.
Most cargo now moves in containers. Ships would continue to unload but instead of landing on quay would land onto flatbed trains which would deliver 24/7 to an inland laydown port around Portlaoise at the nexus of motorways.
No cargo would be landed in Dublin. Existing cranage and deep-water berths would continue in use but would need only a narrow strip on each side of the river to carry rail tracks. The advantages are no need for costly deep-water berths and cranage further up the east coast. All heavy trucks and cargo off city streets. Cargo would move only by already existing rail tracks. Truck journey times reduced by central midlands laydown location. Billions saved on infrastructure which would not be required. Hundreds of prime acres freed up to create new city water front and bring Dublin back to its bay and the sea.
The other big land hoard is the oil silo farm facing Clontarf. Most of these silos are seriously under utilised and are held on long-term port leases by oil companies who wait for the city to come down to them. All of these could be scrapped with one underground pipeline to a new silo farm on land already owned by the port near Dublin Airport.
This wonderful waterfront land is hiding in plain sight, just waiting for the vision to give it back to the people.
When I opened the Point Depot most Dubliners did not come down past Butt bridge; now, it’s a new part of the city. The same thing would happen here when Dubliners are made aware that there is a whole new seafront to their city waiting to be handed back to them to enhance their lives.
This is not a decision to be made by local managers. It should be made by the owners of the land, our Government, on behalf of our people. – Yours, etc,
HARRY CROSBIE,
Dublin 2.