Oliver Bond flats

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Oliver Bond flats
General information
Coordinates53°20′41″N 6°16′47″W / 53.34475°N 6.27966°W / 53.34475; -6.27966Coordinates: 53°20′41″N 6°16′47″W / 53.34475°N 6.27966°W / 53.34475; -6.27966
No. of units391[1]
Construction
Constructed1936[1]
ArchitectHerbert George Simms[1]
StyleArt Deco trimmings

Oliver Bond flats, also known as Oliver Bond House, is a group of blocks of flats in the Liberties area of Dublin.[1] They were designed by Herbert George Simms and built in 1936.[1][2] They are named after Oliver Bond, a member of the Society of United Irishmen.[2]

Buildings[]

The buildings were designed with Art Deco trimmings and are named alphabetically from A to T with the letters I, J, K and Q omitted.[2] The site is bounded by Oliver Bond Street, Bridgefoot Street, Ussher Street and Ussher's Quay.

History[]

Before the flats[]

The area used to be the site of a brewery called The Anchor which was founded in 1740.[2] This was later owned by a son of Daniel O'Connell.[2] Rivalry with the Guinness Brewery was intense, even extending to politics – in the 1841 election there was a boycott of Guinness "Protestant porter".[2]

Employment[]

Many residents were employed in local factories, such as a mattress factory on Manor Street, a matchstick factory, sewing factories or the Winstanley shoe factory.[1][2] There was a popular belief that the residents were all employed in the Guinness Brewery, but according to a resident this is not true.[1][2] The area was always poor, but there was plenty of employment for decades and though people could not always afford what they made, shoe factory employees could get shoes.[1][2]

One resident was an Irish Army soldier who served in the United Nations Operation in the Congo and survived the Niemba ambush.[1]

Many factories closed in the 1970 and 1980s, leaving only a factory that makes clothing labels.[1][2]

80th anniversary celebrations[]

Local residents collected an archive of materials relating to the history of the flats, including personal photos.[1][2] They also held talks on Herbert Simms and the role of public housing in Irish society.[1][2]

Crime[]

Residents have complained to the Garda Síochána about heroin and crack cocaine dealing in the flats.[3] It is connected to the Kinahan gang.[3]

After the murder of Eddie Hutch Snr, part of the Kinahan-Hutch feud, friends and relatives of the Kinahans living in the flats were advised to move out of their homes.[4]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Kapila, Lois (7 September 2016). "As Oliver Bond Flats Turn 80 Years Old, an Archive Grows". Dublin InQuirer. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l McNally, Frank (15 September 2016). "The Name is Bond: Oliver Bond – An Irishman's Diary on one of Dublin's best-known flat complexes, now 80 years old". The Irish Times. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  3. ^ a b Ryan, Órla; Thomas, Cónal (27 March 2021). "'Crack cocaine and heroin sales are astronomical': Oliver Bond residents 'living in fear'". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  4. ^ McDonald, Henry (9 February 2016). "Dublin gang wars: council advises estate residents to move out for safety". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 March 2021.

External links[]

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