Economy
Dublin Is Changing, and Locals Hate It
The recent loss of popular murals and local pubs is fueling a deeper angst over mass tourism, redevelopment and urban transformation in the Irish capital.
This month, Dubliners are saying goodbye to David Attenborough. A giant mural celebrating the naturalist’s 93rd birthday appeared on the streets of the Irish capital this summer, staring out from the windowless wall of a Georgian row house. The mural was well received, but now the city council insists that the artwork (approved by the building’s owner) was unauthorized and must come down.
A tempest in a teacup? It might be, if the Attenborough mural’s removal wasn’t just one of a long, ongoing string of losses to Dublin’s public sphere.