Come Here To Me!

The Hop House on Parnell St, for some unknown reason, has been a popular haunt for lefties, radicals and fellow travelers for a number of years. There has been a public house on the premises for at least 163 years. It was first named The Rotunda Tavern and then The Shakespeare.

I’ve tried my best to give you a snapshot of the history of 160 Parnell Street (formally Great Britain Street).

Thanks to Shaneew147 for looking up Thoms directory:

1948 – P. O’Shea, Shakespeare Bar
1938 – A.T. Duffy, wine and spirit merchant
1927 – Michl. Hayes, wine and spirit merchant
1914 – Mrs. Potter, grocer & wine merchant.
1894 – Sarah Daly, grocer. & wine merchant.
1884 – Andrew Daly, grocer & wine merchant
1879 – Sarah Ward, spirit merchant
1872 – John Ward, spirit merchant
1863 – John Ward, spirit merchant
1852 – John Ward, Rotunda Tavern
1848 – Daniel Shelly, vintner

The first newspaper reference I’ve found is from 1917 and shows the bar up for sale:

May 21, 1917. The Irish Independent

In 1921, Edward Bullock was up in court for selling whiskey, which he said was, ‘watered by mistake’:

August 27, 1921. The Irish Independent.

In 1923, The Freeman’s Journal reports that the proprietress was fined £10 for having customers in the bar at 10:20pm:

Jan 27, 1923. The Freeman's Journal.

In 1925, The Shakespeare is put for auction:

12 June 1925. The Irish Times.

In 1971, The Irish Independent gave an interesting description of the pub:

Jan 16, 1971. The Irish Independent.

Also from 1971, this old advertisement which was found by DFallon:

An tÓglach, Summer 1971 (DFallon)

Two snaps from 1974, in the aftermath of the loyalist bombing.

The Shakespeare, 1974.

Another image of the pub in the 20th century.

”]”]The Hop House (with old Shakespeare sign) in 2010:

The Hop House/The Shakespeare. 2010 (Photo - JayCarax)

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Dublin City Council have launched a new digital collection called Vanishing Dublin which show ‘features of Dublin that have disappeared or changed utterly during the second half of the twentieth century’.

Some of the change is welcome. Few will miss the deprivation of the tenements. Other images are portals into our civic past – we can imagine the workers from Stoneybatter harrying through Thundercut Alley on their way to work at Smithfield or children rummaging for ‘hidden treasure’ through the debris of George’s Pocket.

The photos also tell stories of communities now dispersed. The residents of the Gloucester Diamond and Chamber Street saw their communities transformed. What remains of where they lived is digitally preserved here for them and their descendants.

The gallery depicts a ‘vanishing’ rather than a ‘vanished’ Dublin – one that persists in the memories of those who walked its streets, worked in its shops, drank and sang in its pubs, and called it ‘home’.

 

Scriven's Alley Racquets Court, John's Lane East, Wood Quay (1950)

Merchants's Arch (1974)

Greene's Bookshop, Clare Street (1971)

Parnell Street (1987)

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Dublin lost one of its real characters this week with the passing of Peggy Keogh.

Born Margaret Keogh (nee Dowdall), of Cabra Road, she will be most remembered for selling Doctor Marten boots to a generation of Dubliners from her stall at the back of the Ilac Centre. For most of the 1970s and 1980s, Peggy Keogh’s stall was the only place in Dublin where you could get yer Docs.

Her great-grand mother started off selling second – hand clothes and furniture in the 1910s in the area where the Ilac Centre now stands.

Tributes have been pouring in on Boards.ie and Biker.ie

Peggy’s son, the actor Garret Keogh, was on Joe Duffy yesterday speaking about his mother’s life.

Her grand children have set up a facebook page in memory of her and are asking people to leave any recollections.

Peggy Keogh (1923 - 2010)

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