More Postcards of Ireland (1890s - 1980s)

The last Postcards of Ireland post was ludicrously popular it although that might just have been with the spambots. In the spirit of giving the people what they want I've compiled another set of old postcards of this island.

 This is the picturesque Grand Parade in Cork City in the 1910s or maybe even 1920s.

 The storied Gresham Hotel, on Dublin's O'Connell Street in the early 1960s.

 The now elsewhere high cross at Market Cross, Kells, Co. Meath in the 1960s.

 One to file under "Why did they bother?" Headford Place, Kells, Co. Meath. That car has long since returned to rust.

 Storybook beautiful Leenane in Connemara in the 1950s.

Tralee, Co. Kerry in the mid-1960s I reckon. 

 College Green, Dublin, in the mid-1960s.

 Tourists kissing the Blarney Stone, from the looks of the hat on the woman in the background I'd guess this is from the 1920s, maybe 1930s.

Here's another one of tourists kissing the Blarney Stone this time from the 1960s. Funky outfits galore.

City Hall, Belfast in the early 1900s. The last time I was there there was a huge telly showing the BBC news for some reason.

 Errigal, Co. Donegal in the early 1900s.

 Dublin's O'Connell Bridge, 1960s.

 Óstán Ceathru Rua, Co. Galway in the early to mid-1980s. I once went for dinner there with my parents when attending a local Irish college. Two members of staff got into an argument over something. It was a couple of days after Veronica Guerin was murdered.

 The Spanish Arch in Galway City in the 1960s.

 St. Stephen's Green, Dublin in the 1910s I'd say.

The Promenade, Donaghadee in the 1890s, maybe around about 1900.

George Street, Kingstown (rebranded Dún Laoghaire) in the 1910s (I think). 

Here's a postcard from the 1960s that depicts a number of scenes including hunting in Co. Meath, The Dublin Horse Show, The Irish Derby then known as the Irish Sweeps Derby, and the Irish Hospitals' Sweepstakes draw. The Sweepstakes were a big deal at one point but by the time this postcard had been created, presumably as a promotional tool its glory days were over. The Sweepstakes were somewhat unique at one point as many countries had prohibitions on lotteries so there was a thriving blackmarket in tickets in America, Canada, and Britain. How many tickets sold abroad ever made it into the draw is anybody's guess.

 Here's the GPO on Dublin's O'Connell Street in 1968. Notice the absence of Admiral Nelson and his pillar.

  

This charming postcard which I suspect to be from the 1890s depicts Irish industry. The four panels depict the burning of seaweed from which various useful chemicals could be yielded, the bleaching of linen, linen manufacturing, and turf cutting.

A New Plan Of Dublin (1769)

This beautifully drawn map, now almost 250 years old was included as part of Hibernia Curiosa: A Letter from a Gentleman in Dublin to his Friend at Dover in Kent, giving a general View of the Manners, Customs, dispositions, &c., of the Inhabitants of Ireland, with occasional observations on the State of Trade and Agriculture in that Kingdom, And including an account of some of its most remarkable Natural Curiosities, such as Salmon-Leaps, Water-Falls, Cascades, Glynns, Lakes, &c.; with a more particular description of the Giant’s Causeway in the North; and of the celebrated Lake of Killarney in the South of Ireland; taken from an attentive survey and Examination of the Originals; collected in a tour through the Kingdom in the years 1764.  I think the author was going for a Ronseal effect with that long winded title. The book was written by John Bush Of Tunbridge Wells, perhaps an ancestor of the latter day Disgusted Of Tunbridge Wells. The map would still be somewhat helpful guiding a sojourner around Dublin's inner city but as you get further from the centre it becomes less useful as an aid to navigation.

A few things worth mentioning:

No sign yet of O'Connell Bridge and O'Connell Street was still divided into several different names, Drogheda St. and Sackville Street. 

The area from Blackhorse Lane (now Avenue) on the top left across to Dorset Street was still given over primarily to agriculture. 

What latterly became known as Foley Street is marked on the map as World's End Lane.

What's now known as Island Street (near Ussher's Island) was once the far more evocatively named Dunghill Lane.

At the bottom left of the map, which mainly has agricultural lands, there's a Cuthroat Lane. As best I can tell this street no longer exists. It latterly became Roundhead Row and then I think was removed to make way for the hospital. Edited to add: It seems that Cuthroat Lane now goes by the name of Brookfield Road, how dull! Just north of this street is Murdering Lane, which still exists and now goes by the name Cromwell's Quarters. 

The Villages Of Dublin (1987)

This charming book by Jimmy Wren was published to coincide with the general PR stunt that was the Dublin Millennium celebrations of 1988. By all accounts Dublin is significantly older than its so called 988 genesis but that year was proposed in 1986 because why the hell not that's why. Readers old enough will probably remember lots of stuff about vikings and of course the Millennium 50p coin. These coins were, according to those in the know in playgrounds during the 1990s, worth £50. The book contains a potted history of most of the villages that comprise Dublin. There are a few places notable by their absence but it does a fine job covering Abbotstown & Ashtown, Artane, Balbriggan, Baldoyle, Ballyfermot, Ballybough & Clonliffe, Ballymun, Blackrock, Blanchardstown, Cabra, Castleknock, Chapelizod, Clontarf, Clondalkin, Coolock, Crumlin, Dalkey, Donnybrook, Donnycarney, Drumcondra, Dun Laoghaire, Finglas, Glasnevin, Howth, Inchicore & Kilmainham, Killester, Lucan, Marino, Malahide, Monkstown, Portmarnock, Raheny, Ranelagh, Rathfarnham, Rathgar, Rathmines, Ringsend & Irishtown, Rush, Santry, Sandymount, Stoneybatter, Swords, and Tallaght. What makes this book really shine to my mind are the wonderful Ripley's Believe It Or Not-esque illustrated histories of the towns and villages. I don't own a scanner so I took photos of a few pages, excuse the quality. If you'd like to purchase a copy of the book you can get it here.

St. Patrick's Day Parade, New York City (1874)

St. Patrick's Day Parade, New York City (1874)

Postcards of Ireland (1890s - 1960s)

Here's another selection of vintage postcards I found, mainly on ebay, of various parts of Ireland from around the turn of 20th century up until the late 1960s. I don't have an exact year for most of them unfortunately. Some of them do a good job of selling the places they depict. Others, not so much.

 High Street, Belfast, 1908.

 Carndonagh, Co. Donegal, 1960s.

 Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leitrim looking rivetting in the 1960s.

 Dominic Street, Mullingar in what looks like the 1950s.

 Knock, Co. Mayo, 1960s.

 Larne, Co. Antrim, looking as beautiful as ever, early 1900s.

Puck Fair, Kilorglin, Co. Kerry, 1960s.

 Queen's Bridge, Belfast, late 19th C. or early 1900s.

 St. Patrick's Bridge, Cork, late 19th C. or early 1900s.

 Ballybunion, Co. Kerry, looking like an essential place to visit, 1960s.

 Black Cave Tunnel, Co. Antrim, 1890s. Here it is in another era.

 Dublin's Four Courts, 1960s.

 Gap Of Dunloe, Co. Kerry, 1960s.

 Killybegs, Co Donegal, 1960s.

 Strawberry Beds, Co. Dublin, c.1910.

Westmoreland Street, Dublin, late 19th C. or early 1900s.

Views of Dublin (1753-1859)

Since everyone seems to be digging the images of Dublin I've unearthed (to continue a pun) I've decided to post some more. This time it's different in that these images predate photography for the most part. Only one of the depictions of Dublin below was painted in the era of the photograph.

A view of College Green, Dublin (1807) by James Roberts. The NLI has a brighter version of this image.

Southside of the Liffey facing the Fourt Courts (1807) by Thomas Roberts. Note the ruined bridge. This image may be based upon an older painting.

View of the City of Dublin. The Bay, Mountains & The Royal Canal and Foster Aqueduct (1813) by JC Oben. This is the one that had me scratching my head a bit. You may know the area depicted as Constitution Hill. The famous Hendrons building would be somewhere just behind the cottages to the left. The Foster Aqueduct that brought the Royal Canal all the way to Broadstone was only removed sometime in the mid-20th Century.

College Green Dublin by Joseph Tudor (c.1753).Here's a bit of an oddity for modern eyes to feast upon.  This is the oldest image in this post. This seems to be a coloured more modern reproduction of Tudor's original. Can someone tell me this, is this an accurate depiction of the area at the time or is the grass a fanciful latterday affectation?

Donnybrook Fair (1859) by Erkine Nichol is the newest rendition of Dublin in the post and the only one that actually dates from the era of the photograph. Nichol, a Scottish painter, created many depictions of the Irish peasantry at the time. I may do a dedicated post on Nichol another time as he's an interesting artist.

 Dublin from Phoenix Park, I think, 1790. I can't find an artist for this one.

 Dublin Bay, from somewhere around Clontarf I imagine (1796) by John Laporte.

 A View In The Bay Of Dublin (1785) by Francis Wheatley.

Dublin Bay, from Stillorgan Road (1799) by Francis Jukes. Prominently displaying Howth and Ireland's Eye in the background to the left.

Bohemian Bar, Phibsboro (1906)

Here's a rather elegant looking advertisement for The Bohemian Bar in Dublin from the year 1906. It was printed in The Lepracaun Cartoon Monthly. Situated a short stroll from the Bohemians' then relatively new home ground of Dalymount Park, I can only assume it took its name to cash in on the Bohs supporters regularly congregating in the area. The moustachioed footballer depicted in the advertisement backs up that assumption.

Here is the same pub in more recent times, barely changed in over one hundred years, now however bearing the name McGeough instead of Doyle. To visit it in these times, I'm sad to say, you can no longer take a tram. However, there are regular buses. To this day the crossroads is known as Doyle's Corner but there's another bar on the opposite side of the street that to this day is named John Doyle's. I always assumed the corner was named for the latter bar but now I'm not so sure.