The battle for Dublin’s soul: Are recent protests against hotels near cultural spaces a sign of things to come?

Developments at Merchant’s Arch in Temple Bar and The Cobble Stone in Smithfield have led to protests accusing the authorities of allowing Dublin’s heritage of being commodified. The capital has changed immeasurably in the last two decades but now, fears are growing that its culture is in danger.

Frank McDonald, author, journalist and environmentalist, at Merchant’s Arch in Temple Bar: ‘We’ve managed to fight a lot of the worst of it from happening over the years, but I think that the city is in more danger now than ever before.’ Picture: Fergal Phillips