13 Jul 2008
Life's a beach
You have to feel a bit sorry for whoever is behind the Urban Beach down at St George's Dock, given this is probably the worst summer ever. Who'd want to risk pneumonia down the docklands any weekend in the last three months?
But they might have made a bit of an effort with the thing. I went by it earlier today and frankly, it looks a bit shit. The palm trees are dying already and beyond the pedalos (bring tissues to wipe away the rain), all there seems to do is sit on some aluminium chairs on the wet, dirty-looking sand, keeping your hands warm with an over-priced coffee from the Cabana bar, which looks a lot like a marquee you might hire for a cheap wedding somewhere down the N9.
If this is what the Docklands Development people are doing to keep up the momentum and excitement of the new Dublin through the recession, then it's in serious trouble, imho. Not to mention that the chq building is still tumbleweeds more than a year after it opened. And the Luas is all dug up as far as Abbey Street while the extension to the Point is built, due to reopen in 'early autumn 2008'. Anyone taking bets?