Five hundred sunflowers

Chamber Court and Weaver Court in inner city Dublin were three blocks of council flats built in the 1960's, located just off Cork Street in Dublin 8. All told these three blocks contained 94 flats housing up to 500 people. Weaver Court was where the city council started concentrating all its problem residents who had been kicked out from other council houses for anti-social behaviour. Needless to say that that wonderful piece of social planning turned the entire place into a troubled estate.

Chamber Court in March 2007

In 2005 in an attempt at haussmanisation the city council decided to pack it in all together and demolish the three blocks. A public private partnership was formed to replace the blocks with a mix of private and social housing, emphasis on the private. The existing residents were being moved to the back end of Ballyfermot, though after a public campaign resisting the demolition, at least some of the families ended up getting housing in nearby Rialto.

In 2008 the blocks were demolished.

Demolition of Weaver Court in September 2008

In early 2009 the Public Private Partnership to replace the houses collapsed.

Today the site is empty and fenced off.

Yesterday, me and my beautiful assistant, Darling Daughter, seed bombed the site with the seeds of five hundred sunflowers.

seed bombing in action

If even a tenth of them take root I shall be happy!
Fingers crossed everyone and send your offerings up to any fertility gods that may be lingering around!

edit 6th March 2011: for a different take on the same site look at this by Annette.