Sir, – The carefully curated refurbishment of the dome of the Four Courts, recently completed, has, sadly, not been matched in the rest of the building.
Take a look at the front of the Four Courts complex, which should face the Liffey with pride. Forbidding metal gates block off the main entrance between the great stone pillars. The flat surfaces to either side bear the marks of a society where people are required to make such places their home for the night.
To the left of the Gandon building stands Áras Uí Dhálaigh, permanently shuttered at the front, frequently left graffitied and with half the letter “Á” missing from the signage. This could possibly be forgiven if the sign had been damaged recently. However, a look on Google Street View reveals that it has been in that condition since at least 2009.
In other countries, a former chief justice who went on to serve as the nation’s head of state would be honoured with a fitting memorial. Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh gets a building that was grim to begin with but that has become even worse by being poorly maintained.
RM Block
Inside the complex, the situation is not much better. Other than a tiny space downstairs that is not accessible to those with mobility needs, there is nowhere but a trailer for practitioners or the public to get a cup of coffee. The trailer is accessed across the potholed tarmac of what could be an attractive green space, but which is given over entirely to private cars. The former restaurant was annexed by the Courts Service to increase office space for staff.
Surely it is time for an entire reimagining of the use of space in the Four Courts complex, with the objective of making it function better as a court venue, more inviting for the citizen and a more pleasant workplace for the practitioner? – Yours, etc,
DECLAN HARMON BL
The Law Library,
Four Courts,
Dublin 7.
