Oliver_Bond_flats

Oliver Bond flats

Oliver Bond flats

Flats complex in central Dublin, Ireland

Oliver Bond flats, also known as Oliver Bond House, is a group of blocks of flats in the Liberties area of Dublin, Ireland.[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]

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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, Usher Street and Usher'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]

Impact of state of buildings on residents health

In January 2024 the Respiratory Health Among Residents of Oliver Bond House report by the School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin said that even after taking into account whether a patient had a medical card residents in the flats were "still 1.9 times as likely to have evidence for asthma in their medical records as other patients in the same practice".[5][6][7] The report follows on from a 2021 report on the inadequate state of the buildings.[5][6] The report was in cooperation with the Robert Emmet Community Development Project.[7]

82.8% of residents reported problems with mould and damp in their homes, 35% reported sewage problems, over 55% had been told by a doctor that damp mould or sewage was contributing to their families ill-health and over 30% had water coming into their homes.[5][6][7]

Gayle Cullen, chair of the Oliver Bond Resident's Group, said "People are living with considerable damp and mould. Most of the windows are ill-fitting, old, and draughty. It’s impossible to keep the flats warm which puts an extra cost on residents along with the health burden. Older people and children particularly are really vulnerable to the effects of the cold, damp and mould spores. The Trinity School of Medicine report is great as it supports what we have been saying for years. These flats are hurting our health."[5][6]

  • Comedian June Rodgers' character 'Oliver Bond' is a juxtaposition of the working-class character of the flats with the spy James Bond

References

  1. [1]
    Kapila, Lois (7 September 2016). "As Oliver Bond Flats Turn 80 Years Old, an Archive Grows". Dublin InQuirer. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  2. [2]
    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. [3]
    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. [4]
    McDonald, Henry (9 February 2016). "Dublin gang wars: council advises estate residents to move out for safety". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  5. [5]
    Hosford, Paul (23 January 2024). "Residents in one of Dublin's oldest flat complexes twice as likely to have asthma and other breathing problems". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  6. [6]
    Wilson, Jade (23 January 2024). "Oliver Bond House residents more than twice as likely to have asthma". The Irish Times. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  7. [7]
    Bowers, Fergal (23 January 2024). "Increased respiratory illness among Oliver Bond flats' residents - report". RTÉ News. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
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