Updated 1pm
The street in Dublin currently home to the Russian embassy in Ireland could soon be renamed ‘Independent Ukraine Road' as a mark of solidarity with the Ukrainian people.
Residents of Orwell Road, the current name of the street, are set to be consulted on the proposal, which has already been unanimously passed by a subcommittee of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council.
The move comes after various European countries renamed city streets where Russian embassies are located, with Latvia's Riga agreeing a change to ‘Independent Ukraine Street,’ Lithuania’s Vilnius choosing ‘Heroes of Ukraine Street’ and Albania’s Tirana agreeing on ‘Free Ukraine’.
In Dublin, the motion was proposed by Labour councillor Peter O'Brien, who said he took inspiration from the other European capitals, adding the name change is intended as a “gesture of solidarity” with the people of Ukraine.
Orwell Road runs from Rathgar in Dublin 6 to Churchtown in Dublin 14 and spans two council areas.
All 20 councillors at the Dundrum area monthly meeting of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council agreed that the name of the road should be changed, and the council will now hold a plebiscite of local residents to canvass their views.
Meanwhile, the South East Area committee of Dublin City Council will meet on Monday to also consider renaming its section of the street ‘Independent Ukraine Road'.
Residents react
Reacting to the proposal on Thursday, Orwell Road resident Dr Ronan Collins said it was “kind of Orwellian” that residents had not been consulted to date over the name change.
That was the behaviour of an authoritarian system, he told RTÉ radio’s Today with Claire Byrne show. The council had gone about the proposal in an “insulting way,” he said.
Dr Collins said he and the residents unanimously stood in solidarity with the people of Ukraine, but they felt that the council should have spoken to the residents before proposing the name change.
There may be merit to the suggestion, said Dr Collins, but the way in which councillors had gone about it was unfortunate as it was “almost like public pressure” on the residents with the insinuation that if they did not agree then they did not stand with the people of Ukraine.
There were practicalities to a name change, he said.
Cllr Jim O’Leary meanwhile defended the local authority, saying it had had to move quickly. Somebody had to take the initiative, he said, but agreed that the residents should be consulted and if they thought the proposal was a bad idea they could oppose it.
He acknowledged that residents could come under community pressure over the change. However, he added it was important to send a clear message to the Russian State.
Dr Collins questioned why the council had not passed a proposal calling for the expulsion of the Russian ambassador, which he felt would have had more impact than renaming the road.
'Powerful gesture'
Earlier, Cllr O’Brien said councillors had considered renaming the street Ukraine Road, according to a report in The Irish Times.
However, he said the country might continue to be known as that even if it was permanently annexed by Russia, so the point was to call it Independent Ukraine Road.
“If the Russians continue their occupation, the name Ukraine Road, it will mean nothing to them, but it might every time they receive correspondence to Independent Ukraine Road,” he said.
Independent councillor Nial Ring meanwhile said he believed most residents will back the proposal.
“Of course it’s up to the residents because there would be a plebiscite. Some residents may be happy, some may be unhappy,” he told Newstalk radio.
“My thoughts on it would be that residents would be quite happy to make this... a powerful gesture, but of course it has to go through a process - but at least it has started.”
It comes as the Russian embassy in Dublin has been a site of protest since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, with a recent incident seeing a man drive a large lorry through its gates.
The embassy condemned the incident as a "violation of its territory", while in Russia, the Russian ministry demanded an apology from the Irish ambassador and accused protesters of "essentially adopting tactics widely used by terrorists".
A church supplier charged with criminal damage and dangerous driving over the incident was released on bail on Tuesday.
-Additional reporting by Vivienne Clarke.
