Bridge in Dublin to be renamed Bloody Sunday Bridge
Sarah Slater
A bridge in Dublin is to be renamed as Bloody Sunday Bridge in commemoration of the events at Croke Park on November 21st 1920 when 14 innocent civilians were killed by RIC/Auxiliaries/Black and Tans.
For the past three years, debate and public consultation has been ongoing over changing the name from the Clonliffe Bridge/Russell Street Bridge to the new official name.
However, at the monthly meeting of Dublin City Council several councillors including Social Democrat councillor Mary Callaghan whose grandfather was present at the incident.
Labour councillors Joe Costello and Dermot Lacey also raised their objections to the new name asking for the vote on the new name to be deferred and reconsidered. They suggested it should be called Remembrance Bridge or 14.
The councillors heard that the Central Area Committee, at its meeting of November 10th 2020, considered and adopted the motion that the Royal Canal Bridge at Russell Street, currently named Clonliffe Bridge/Russell Street Bridge, be officially renamed as ‘Bloody Sunday Bridge’ along with it’s Irish name.
The first two victims of Bloody Sunday, William ‘Perry’ Robinson and Jerome O’Leary, were both killed by shots fired from the bridge.
Having been adopted, the motion was referred to the Arts, Culture, Leisure & Recreation Strategic Policy Committee which, at its meeting of November 30th 2020, referred the motion to the Commemorations & Naming Committee for its consideration.
At its meeting of March 25th 2021 the Commemorations & Naming Committee considered the motion. Officials reported that the bridge is in the ownership of Dublin City Council and there is no record of a formal naming of this bridge.
It was noted that under the Council’s policy on Commemorative Naming (adopted by the Council on June 12, 2017), public consultation would be required as part of the process1 and that any recommendation to name the bridge would need to be brought before the full Council for a final decision.2
The Committee approved the motion to name the bridge and asked officials to set up a consultation process.
Members of the public were invited to comment on the proposal, via the Council’s online Consultation Hub, between July 8th and September 9th last year.
A total of 969 comments were received via the online system with 450 (46.44%) of the comments in favour of the proposal; 513 (52.94 per cent) of the comments not in favour of the proposal.
The proposal to name the bridge was considered again and in detail at the meeting of the Commemorations & Naming Committee on December 1 last year. As required under the policy, a vote was taken by members present to confirm the proposal to name the bridge, with a majority of members voting in favour.
The Committee referred the motion back to the SPC requesting that it be placed before the City Council for approval.
At its meeting on February 27 this year the SPC approved the motion. Both Owen Keegan, CEO and Richard Shakespeare Assistant CEO approved the naming of the bridge at tonight’s (Monday) meeting.
