- Irish Quarter
The Irish Quarter is an area which covers much of
Digbeth andDeritend south ofBirmingham city centre,England . It is located between the media quarter of the Eastside and theChinese Quarter , and includes the former Smithfield area.The area has been subject to neglect with many disused Victorian warehouses and factory buildings with a small collection of
Ireland -themed pubs with the most notable being "The Dubliner" which was severely damaged by fire in July 2006. [cite web |url=http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/mail/news/tm_objectid=17450227%26method=full%26siteid=50002-name_page.html |title=Landmark city pub goes up in flames |publisher="Birmingham Mail " |date=2006-07-26 |author=Alison Dayani |accessdate=2008-03-16] Immediately after the fire, there was a large swell of support for the pub to be rebuilt. [cite web |url=http://www.birminghampost.net/news/west-midlands-news/tm_objectid=17458582&method=full&siteid=50002-name_page.html |title=Irish community to rally round restoration |publisher="Birmingham Post " |author=Emma Pinch |date=2006-07-27 |accessdate=2008-03-16] The pub reopened 18 months later in January 2008. [cite web |url=http://www.birminghammail.net/news/birmingham-news/tm_method=full&objectid=20424583&siteid=97319-name_page.html |title=Toast to return of blaze-hit Dubliner |publisher="Birmingham Mail " |author=Jasbir Authi |date=2008-02-01 |accessdate=2008-03-16]A large regeneration of the area began in January 2004 with numerous apartment blocks being constructed and more being proposed. As well as this, there is the reconstruction of
Digbeth Coach Station which has also been neglected. The coach station has been closed and a temporary station has been opened on the opposite side of Digbeth High Street. Planning permission for the new coach station has been granted and demolition has begun. The overall cost of all developments in the area is expected to be £400 million by 2009. [cite web |url=http://www.birminghampost.net/birmingham-business/tm_objectid=17383764&method=full&siteid=50002-name_page.html |title=Brum's Irish quarter set for exciting future |publisher="Birmingham Post " |author=Steve Pain |date=2006-07-16 |accessdate=2008-03-16]The Irish Centre, facing Digbeth High Street, is to be rebuilt as part of a large regeneration project named Connaught Square. The scheme has been submitted for planning approval to
Birmingham City Council and was designed byRG+P ofLeicester . The 4.544 acre/1.839 hectare site is to be developed byDublin -basedNaus Group at a cost of £150 million. The scheme will consist of 631 new apartments, a 180-bed four star hotel incorporating 36 serviced apartments, shops, offices, bars, restaurants in six buildings of between 4-7 storeys rising to 10 storeys. There will also be more than 1,000 underground car parking spaces, two new public squares and public amenity space. Around 800 jobs are expected to be created. Two pools of water are to be created above the course of theRiver Rea which flows below the site. The White Swanpublic house will be retained and incorporated into the development. Demolition work has already commenced and construction is anticipated to begin in early 2008. The hotel will be ready for occupation by 2009, with the scheme as a whole complete by 2011. [cite web |url=http://www.locatebirmingham.com/news_and_media/news/2007/08/14 |title=£150 Million Make-Over Planned for Digbeth |publisher=Locate Birmingham |date=2007-08-14 |accessdate=2008-03-16] [cite web |url=http://www.theirishworld.com/article.asp?SubSection_Id=1&Article_Id=3510 |title=Bold and brash plans for Birmingham Irish |publisher="The Irish World" |date=2007-08-23 |author=Ciaran Farrell |accessdate=2008-03-16]References
External links
* [http://www.irishquarterbirmingham.com/ Official site]
* [http://www.irishforum.co.uk/irish_quarter.htm Irish Forum]
* [http://www.mybrum.co.uk/birmingham/community-the-irish-quarter.htm Mybrum.co.uk]
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