Looking from Middle Abbey Street. Photo credit - Matthew S.
One of my favourite little lanes in Dublin is Williams Lane which (handily) links Princess Street North and Middle Abbey Street. It’s one of those hidden lanes that actually takes a good few minutes off your journey if your coming from Middle Abbey Street and want to head up the north side of O’Connell Street or when your coming from that direction and are heading towards Liffey Street and the ha’penny bridge. (It’s also handy for finishing your last can before heading into the Twisted Pepper across the road! Shhhh)
The view from Princes' North Street. Photo credit - Matthew S.
As you can see, it’s clearly marked (though not named) in these maps from the early/mid 19th century.
Visible in 1818
Visible in 1836
Visible in 1863
Then suddenly it disappears from all the maps!
Oh, where did it go? 1885 map
Still missing in 1913
According to Google Maps (2011), there's no lane!
Odd isn’t it? Anyone have any ideas? Anyone know why it’s known as Williams Lane? Answers on a postcard.
Click on the book for more.
Click on the book for more.
Donal
Ciarán
Sam
Come Here To Me! 
In 1916..James Connolly was hit in his left ankle by a snipers bullet ..at the Abbey Street end of this alley…he managed to crawl,leaving a trail of blood, the hundred yards to Princes Street, he had suffered a compound fracture of the shin-bone..he was picked up and carried back to the GPO.
Possibly it’s no longer marked because it’s not (any longer) accessible to vehicles?
Fantastic idea to chart these lanes – David that’s a cool fact, how did you find it out?
The buildings that now are above both entrances may have been added and perhaps this relegated to a B rate lane in Dublin cartographers eyes?
Interesting! Maybe it will reappear if we get a royal visit from Will and Kate?
Which is the building wih the boarded up windows?
Thank’s Naomi….from the book REBELS by Peter De Rosa..page 441..
The name plate with Williams Lane is still there. There was another Williams Lane off Long Lane off Clanbrasil St a bit of which might still be there. It was shaped like a dogs hind leg. It’s on John Roques map.
I wanted to point out that the excellent project OpenStreetMap has this lane and much more info not found in other maps: http://www.openstreetmap.org/?lat=53.348473&lon=-6.261903&zoom=18&layers=M
Brilliant Tincho! Thanks. 🙂
[…] to some maps, it used to be called Williams Lane. Confusing as there still is a Williams Lane a stone throws away. Other map mark it as Willams […]
Any plans to feature Cuckoo lane? Would love to know more about the tunnel that connects the lane to Christchurch, going under the Liffey. Have heard it mentioned a few times but can find very little about it.
The Williams lane off of long lane is still there. It is called Williams place. The shape is still a dogs leg. The original cottages at the long lane end are still there but the clambrasill street was re devoleped in the late 70s.
It’s not even Williams Lane on Google Map, but “Williams Street S” which is also weird — and what can the “S” stand for as it’s on the north side of the river?
It’s visible and named in John Rocque’s map of Dublin 1756. You can see it at the Bibliotheque Nationale website: gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b5967586q or download a jpeg version I made in hi res on my flickr page: https://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelfoleyphotography/23159930216/in/dateposted-public/ Go to the download arrow and “view all sizes” click the “original” and download. Maybe named after William of Orange – after all he is on the Lord Mayor’s chain.
Hi Michael – thank you for this information. I cannot see Williams Lane off Prince’s Street on these maps. There is another Williams Lane in Dublin. Perhaps it is my lack of computer skills and the capability of my computer. I am interested in Williams Lane with regard to 1916 in particular where the women of Cumann na mBan were trapped on the eve of the surrender in 1916. As well as the James Connolly connection.
I believe they are building a new hotel on the site and William lane will be gone forever