{"id":558653,"date":"2026-07-20T07:43:20","date_gmt":"2026-07-20T07:43:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/558653\/"},"modified":"2026-07-20T07:43:20","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T07:43:20","slug":"disgraceful-dublin-7-residents-on-removal-of-selections-shop-from-derelict-register-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/558653\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Disgraceful\u2019: Dublin 7 residents on removal of \u2018Selections\u2019 shop from derelict register \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Stuck to the window of what was once a popular newsagent in Phibsborough<\/a>, Dublin 7<\/a>, is a faded poster.<\/p>\n

Partially obscured by graffitied shutters, it features the faces of presenters Marty Whelan and Sinead Kennedy and proclaims that the \u201cshow is back\u201d.<\/p>\n

The colours of the promotional poster for RT\u00c9\u2019s Winning Streak, which likely dates back to 2015, can be seen in Google Streetview imagery waning in vibrancy over the years to their current state.<\/p>\n

At the same rate, the shutters and walls around it became increasingly vandalised with graffiti, while the red brick building above became visibly dilapidated, with large plants growing from the brickwork, window and roof.<\/p>\n

The Irish Times profiled 22a Berkeley Road, still referred to as \u201cSelections\u201d newsagent by locals, as part of a project last year on dereliction in Dublin<\/a>.<\/p>\n

[\u00a0Reconstruction starts on Dublin City Council house previously occupied by squattersOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

Since then, it has been removed from Dublin City Council\u2019s Derelict Sites Register, a decision those living nearby have labelled \u201cdisgraceful\u201d, claiming any work carried out to the property before its removal had been \u201cminor\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow can that happen? Nothing has been done. If anything, it\u2019s worse,\u201d says Sheila Ahern, a 67-year-old who has lived around the corner from the site for a decade.<\/p>\n

Ahern and several others argued there has been no noticeable improvement in the building\u2019s condition, and that it still lies derelict and vacant.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeeing it rot, it\u2019s the story all over the country, but on your doorstep, passing it by every day, it kind of sticks in your gut,\u201d she says, suggesting it could be returned to a \u201cthriving business\u201d with a home upstairs.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe interior of 22a Berkeley Road in Phibsborough seen after Dublin City Council removed the site from its derelict sites register. Photograph: Natalia Campos <\/p>\n

Responding to queries from The Irish Times, the council said the property was removed from the register last March after the owners \u201crepainted\u201d the front of the building and removed graffiti and vegetation.<\/p>\n

However, it said the site remains under investigation, and it has been in contact with the owners \u201cregarding its condition\u201d.<\/p>\n

On Monday, a large plant was seen growing from the roof of the building, while one of the windows appeared to be boarded up.<\/p>\n

Through the shutters, the property\u2019s basement level can be seen, as at least part of the ground floor has been removed. Graffiti littered the shutters and some walls.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs with all our active files, we will continue to follow the statutory process, which may result in re-entry onto the Derelict Sites Register,\u201d the council said.<\/p>\n

[\u00a0Dublin City Council \u2018shouldn\u2019t have purchased\u2019 structurally unsound houses in Phibsboro and Drumcondra, engineer saysOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

Although the site, situated across from a planned MetroLink station near the Mater hospital, was put on the market in 2024 at a guiding price of \u20ac475,000, it is understood it remains in the ownership of brothers Brian Farren, Niall Farren and Conor Farren.<\/p>\n

Attempts were made to seek comment from Brian Farren.<\/p>\n

Ahern, a freelance television and film researcher who also grew up in the area, says locals previously campaigned for the property to be added to the register due to its condition, which the council did in 2023. They now find themselves campaigning for it to be added again.<\/p>\n

On Wednesday, those involved hung a hand-stitched banner on the building which read: \u201cAm I still derelict?\u201d in protest, with Ahern saying the move was \u201cborn from frustration\u201d.<\/p>\n

Amanda Hughes, who has lived nearby for almost two decades, says the council\u2019s removal of the site from the register is \u201cabsolutely disgraceful\u201d, claiming it has been \u201cleft to rack and ruin\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just really depressing,\u201d the 66-year-old acupuncturist says, adding that the area has an \u201cabandoned feeling to it, instead of being vibrant\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a sad street. When you talk to people who\u2019ve grown up in the area, it was absolutely vibrant, full of butchers, greengrocers and hairdressers.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Stuck to the window of what was once a popular newsagent in Phibsborough, Dublin 7, is a faded…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":558654,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[71903,61,60,43,71904],"class_list":["post-558653","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-ireland","tag-dublin-7","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-news","tag-phibsborough"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/558653","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=558653"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/558653\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/558654"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=558653"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=558653"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=558653"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}