Singer and actress Imelda May is set to lead a walking tour to advocate for the cultural heritage of Moore Street in Dublin City. 

The walking tour will take place on Saturday, September 14th, from 2.30pm.  

Delivered by historians Liz Gillis and Honor O Brolchain, the tour aims to raise awareness of Moore Street residents’ plan to develop a Cultural Quarter in the area. 

The tour is done in collaboration with the Save Moore Street campaign that formed in protest of a 2022 proposal for a €500 million redevelopment of the area. 

Ms May said Moore Street is “one of the most important historical sites in our modern Irish rebellious and cultural history”. 

“Developers from the UK want to develop the area, and the Government so far seems to be giving the go ahead, even though everybody including the National Museum and all the historians are saying this is an absolute travesty,” she said. 

“There should definitely be money put into [the street], but as a cultural heritage site and not a shopping mall or office block.” 

A woman with her shopping trolley looks down to an empty Moore Street in Dublin, 25-03-2021. Image: Leon Farrell/RollingNews

Preserving Moore Street would be more beneficial to the tourism industry, according to Ms May. 

“People are trying to hopefully get a 1916 Cultural Quarter to show people when they come over here how they are able to walk around freely in our city and how we are enjoy being Irish and not being occupied,” she said. 

The walk also aims to raise awareness of women involved in the 1916 Easter Rising. 

“The men [are who] we often hale as the heroes, which they are, but there are huge amounts of women involved,” Ms May said. 

Historian Liz Gillis, Honor O Brolchain with performer Imelda May at the launch of the Save Moore Street Walking Tour. Image: PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo

“Within our Proclamation, it’s for the 'Irish men and Irish women' – and not a lot of countries have that, it’s quite unusual. 

“It proclaims to the men and the women this was a promise – and we want the men with us to celebrate all those people who gave their lives.” 

Ms May said the event is not a protest, but a walking tour to raise awareness for “what the people are fighting for”. 

“If you believe in fighting for Dublin heritage sites and not just for things to be pulled up for more hotels and shopping centres or built without people’s consent, please do join us,” she said. 

Main image: Historian Liz Gillis and Honor O Brolchain and performer Imelda May at the launch of Save Moore Street Walking Tour. Image: PA Images/Alamy