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The closure of Clerys department store in 2015 effectively 'killed' O'Connell Street, a local advocacy group claims.

The O'Connell Street Revival Society has called for a major revamp of Dublin's main thoroughfare, which they claim is being neglected by city planners.

The group warned today that people associate the historic street with derelict buildings, fast food joints and antisocial behaviour.

Much of the grand old street's original architecture had been destroyed in the 1916 Rising and subsequent War of Independence.

However, social media and legal advisor John Seery said that it's the much more recent closure of Clery's that has really "killed off" the street.

(Image: Independent News And Media/Getty Images)

He said: "The Clerys closure has effectively killed this side of O'Connell Street.

"People have a negative view of O'Connell Street. Almost a fifth of the street now is derelict or empty.

"Until that's resolved, people will continue to have that negative view."

Speaking to Newstalk Radio's Pat Kenny show, John questioned why the street has remained stagnant while the areas around it are starting to 'boom'.

He said: "There's a lot of new development happening around Smithfield, Capel Street right through to Parnell Sreet.

(Image: Eoin O Shaughnessy)

"But O'Connell Street seems to be neglected because it's at the edge of a lot of plans.

"If O'Connell Street is in tatters, the city is in tatters. This is what visitors see when they come to Dublin.

"They don't worry about small streets that are very interesting - they just say, your main street is neglected - what does that say about your city?

(Image: Google Street View)

Chairman Sinead Connolly called on Dublin planners to follow the example of Las Ramblas in Barcelona, where public seating and markets are a feature of the main street, and also Rome - where fast food restaurants are incorporated into the local architecture.

She added: "There are no seats, there is no public seating.

"If you go somewhere like Rome, you hardly even notice the golden arches of McDonald's because it's integrated into older buildings.

"Whereas here they're just purpose-built and its very glaringly obvious and not particularly matching with the architecture on the street."