A historic image of Benburb Street (Via ‘Dublin Tenement LIFE’)
Recently while researching tenement Dublin and the history of prostitution in Dublin, I stumbled across an 1837 publication The United Service Journal. Speaking about the area around the Royal Barracks in Dublin, the publication noted that “scenes of riot, drunkenness and gross indecency” were common place, and that the area was home to many prostitutes but lacking in “persons of decent and moral habits” . Royal Barracks is Collins Barracks today of course, and Barrack Street has since been renamed Benburb Street.
Benburb Street was the location for the first Dublin Corporation housing scheme in the late nineteenth century. Shortly afterwards, the Corporation also constructed public housing on Montgomery Street, in the heart of what was known as ‘The Monto’. By attempting to keep public housing cheap, the Corporation ended up constructing homes in areas with long standing social problems. I’ve long had a personal interest in Benburb Street as my great-grandmother lived in a tenement on that street, and in-time we will look in detail at the first Corporation housing schemes in Dublin on the website.
Here is the extract:
Excerpt from 1837 publication.
The publication is available to read here.
Click on the book for more.
Click on the book for more.
Donal
Ciarán
Sam
Come Here To Me! 
It is still unfortunately associated with public drunkenness and prostitution that you can see everyday
Not the only kind of ridin’ that went on there:
Excellent account Donal. Any idea how they chose the name ‘Benburb’?
The Battle of Benburb in the 17th century, a rare Irish military victory!
I was at Benburb st, in 1971 al the SVI WORK KAMP and had a great time,Alejandro Blanco Spain
I WAS THE LEADER OF THAT CAMP AND WE DID GREAT WORK FOR THE PEOPLE
Colm I think I remember you I lived in the flats in the 1970s aged 9 if your the same person you arranged to have our rooms painted by a couple of students I remember one girl called Janet from the USA she gave me a coloring book with her address written in it so I could write to her unfortunately I never did I think you,s built a playground for us aswell
My granny madge grew up on benburb. They had a shop. That was in the 1920”s and 30’s
I lived in benburb in the 1970s after my poor mother couldn’t pay the rent on a house we lived in .. in cabra we got evicted like most of the familys that lived there.. hard times . we lived in number 15D you can see our flat in one of the old photos the one where the children are playing on the footpath top right hand corner I could write a book of all the memories I still have of the place and the people
Was the east-most section called Tighe Street? circa 1870? Looking at old maps my guess is that the section from Queen St to Wood Lane was Tighe Street & then Barrack Street thereafter….Then later all renamed Benburb St.
Any thoughts?
my mom lived on benburb street in the 1930s to 1940s she lived with her mother jenny and sister peggy and joan and brothers tom and eddie smith or smyth if anyone knew them i would love to hear what you can remember
I lived in no 57 benburb st between 1963 and 1971 it was a great place to live.
My mother was brought up there in the 20s 30s and 40s then she moved to London met my Dad and stayed in London. She lived at 77 Benburb street looking at the old photo first floor on the left there name was Kernan My granny brought up her 7 children there she also cleaned the school facing the block they where very hard times for them. I have some very good memories of going there to see my granny when my mum would take us back there in school holidays. My Granny moved out of there i think in the late 50s to 22 Paul st where she lived with my Aunt Annie Kelly and her 2 sons. But Paul street is no longer there now been all pulled down Sadly my Mum Granny and Auntie Annie are no longer with us. My granny had such a hard life in Bemburb st but all credit to her she brought up 7 amazing children And she was an amazing Granny
My Granny had a shop on the ground floor of 77 Benburb Street! She still lived in the flat behind the shop in the 70’s but the shop closed when Benburb Street became a one-way street. The building was in a very poor state of repair, almost derelict. One day I broke the rules and ventured up the creaking stairs to the first floor flats. Peeling wallpaper, yellowed paint and a musty-damp smell. I didn’t stay up there long! Granny moved out in the early eighties and her shop became a shop once more, this time selling video game machines.
I lived with my granny Margaret Hutchinson and my great granny Julia Reid in block A ,number 73 for a few years in the mid 1950s before joining my parents in England. Happy memories despite the poverty and the toilet facilities.
Can anyone remember a pub run by Patrick (Pat) Flynn in Benburb St. during the 1950s? I need the name of the pub please. Please reply to byrnehugh9@gmail.com if you can help.
regards, Hugh Byrne
Hi Hugh, Cian Duffy is to thank for the following info:
It looks like P Flynn bought a pub at 66 Benburb Street about 1936. He had it until circa 1956 when it was renamed Ryan’s. The licence was transferred to a catering firm owned by Aer Lingus in 1973. Molloys bought the licence in 83 for a ‘new pub in Crumlin Town Centre’
Photos of the pub circa 1970
http://digital.libraries.dublincity.ie/vital/access/manager/Repository/vital:36086/IMAGE1
http://digital.libraries.dublincity.ie/vital/access/manager/Repository/vital:31677/IMAGE1
This would be the modern view of the location:
https://www.google.com/maps/@53.3475684,-6.2837123,3a,75y,211.19h,104.4t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sgtc1tIBRtsA1KuLomxehGQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
My granny, Nellie Gibson, ran Gibsons shop on Benburb Street for many years. We grew up on the street. My dad was a solider based in Collins Barracks and met my mum behind the counter of the shop. The area was fairly rough then (1975-1980), and it was a fairly busy red-light district. There was a homeless shelter, Simons, around the back of the shop on the quays.
David I remember your granny’s shop well there was another shop next door to her shop ran by two sisters one named marion can’t remember the other sisters name do u remember them
Used to visit my Nanny & Granda Byrne. Maggie & Willie ‘Wagger’ Byrne. They lived in 29 Benburb Street. Great memories calling into see them & I’m nearly sure we dropped into the shop. I vaguely remember having to go down to Nellie’s for some bits, probably milk. Houses are all gone now building a hotel there. I was so sad walking by there when they were knocking them down as I work up by Stoneybatter.