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Archive for the ‘Dublin History’ Category

A Stranger’s Notebook on Dublin (1966)

Posted in Dublin History on June 11, 2012| 3 Comments »

Impressions of Dublin and its people made by Chris Malkeiwicz, a Polish TV producer, who worked in RTÉ in the 60s. The film shows various scenes from around the city accompanied by the voices of Dubliners talking about their city and Aidan Grennell reading from the works of James Joyce.

Twenty minutes of beautiful scenery, stirring music and intriguing quotes from an array of Dubliners. It can be watched on RTE Player here.

Ha’penny bridge

The Long Hall, South Great Georges St

The Grafton Arcade

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Dublin women take to the streets, 1963.

Posted in Dublin History, Photography on June 10, 2012| 8 Comments »

Some fantastic images here of Dublin women protesting in 1963 against the controversial ‘Turnover Tax’, which is explained in this blast from the past from The Irish Times. So controversial was the tax, it led to insults flying across the Dáil floor including “Thugs”, “Yellow”, “Contemptible”, “Coward”, “Perjurer” and “Low thing”. The images come primarily from the news media of the day, and are the kind of wonderful images that are forgotten to history unless someone goes about bringing them to public attention. The North Inner City Folklore Project thankfully saw the historic value of the images.

I like this first one for the fantastic slogan on the placard, “Stupid Men Make Stupid Taxes”. It shows a crowd of demonstrators passing College Green.

The Garda in the traffic box makes this one for me, although you’d miss him on first glance. Daniel O’Connell looks over proceedings.

Lastly, we have the protestors best weapon making an appearance, the megaphone!

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It’s not the winning that matters, it’s the taking part.

Posted in Dublin History on June 10, 2012| 1 Comment »

Priceless video from YouTuber ronnymitchell. You might presume this is Poznan based on the drunkenness of it all, but look a little closer!

After 86 minutes, 3-1 down to Croatia in the Euros, the crowd at the Three on the Quay event decided to make their own entertainment.

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The Studs (2012)

Posted in Dublin History on June 8, 2012| 1 Comment »

(c) The Studs [Ireland]


Out of the long list of Euro 2012 Irish Football songs, these are definitely two of the better and more intelligent ones.

The Studs are an Irish pop punk five piece who have re-formed after 10 years to release a CD for The Euros 2012. The CD “Let’s Give the Euros a Punt” was launched on 17th May 2012 at The Grand Social, Dublin.

1.  Let’s Give The Euros A Punt

Mentions of Bertie, WW2, Negative equity and a humorous list of currency related puns.

2. Il Duce

A taste of ‘Bella Ciao’ and confirmation that Giovanni Trapattoni is not a Fascist. What’s not to like.

The Studs last hit the airwaves with their three song EP for the World Cup 2002 campaign which included, in my mind, one of the best songs ever written about football or otherwise – Mick McCarthyism.

1. We Won’t Win The World Cup

2. Mick McCarthyism

3. Sitting In an Irish Bar……

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Dublin Skinheads in 1970 Sunday Indo article

Posted in Dublin History, Music, Photography on June 7, 2012| 10 Comments »

A fascinating November 1970 article from the Sunday Independent – published in full:

Members of Dublin’s only skinhead club are out to dispel the image many of the public have of them being drug users, troublemakers and street-corner idlers.

This afternoon 100 of the city’s poor children will crowd into their tiny club, the “Boot Inn”, in Middle Abbey Street for a Halloween party. The basement club has been specially decorated for the occasion and all the members of the club chipped in 10/- each for party hats, balloons, minerals and food.

Yesterday they treated 40 other children to a big party at the club and immediately afterwards the skinheads began cleaning up the place and washing the dishes for today’s party.

The skinheads are planning another big “do” for these children at Christmas. Meanwhile they are in the process of forming their own football team and hope to enter one of the city’s football leagues.

Nineteen-year-old John McKoughlin, Finglas West, who is manager of the club, said: “We just want to try and correct thus bad image which the public has of us. We are barred from every dancehall in Dublin while long haired youths are allowed in. None of our members has ever been in trouble and we have a commitment at all our dances to prevent drug-pushers entering the club. We don’t allow drugs in our club”.

Another leading member of the club, Thomas Caffrey (21), Liberty House, said that other skinheads – there are about 500 in Dublin – had tried to force their way into the club, but they were stopped.

Here is the fantastically vivid and informative accompanying picture:

Sunday Independent – Nov 01, 1970.

For similar newspaper cuttings and pictures, check out the ever expanding photo album from the Where Were You? Facebook page.

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The View from Across the Water- The Birmingham Gazette

Posted in Dublin History on June 6, 2012| 2 Comments »

Last week, DFallon put up some excellent scans from the Portland Daily Press, from May 1st 1916. In his article, he made the remark that “It’s fascinating to see how news travels and is distorted or in some cases completely fabricated.” Reading back on any newspapers reports from Easter Week shows how difficult creating factually correct copy was in a time before the internet and social media. Above and below are some scans from two papers I picked up recently, chance finds on eBay, they help illustrate this fact, with papers on the first of May pronouncing Connolly dead and Pearse shot and captured near Boland’s Mills. This is clarified on the second of May.

Connolly dead on May 1st

Not dead on May 2nd

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‘Take What You Need’

Posted in Dublin History on June 5, 2012| 1 Comment »

Dublin Urban Art

Spotted this around the city recently, and trust Dublin Urban Art to get a few fantastic photos. Their Facebook page remains a brilliant tribute to the street art of the city, click here to enjoy.

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Emm Gryner – Downmarket

Posted in Dublin History on June 5, 2012| 4 Comments »

Canadian singer-songwriter Emm Gryner, who is of Irish and Filipino descent, covers The Blades’ classic 1983 single ‘Downmarket’.

Changing ‘Everything’s black and white and grey’ to ‘Everything’s black and white and red’ seems to be the only change she made.

The original:

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James Stewart enjoying a pint of Guinness

Posted in Dublin History on June 4, 2012| 2 Comments »

Anyone know why film star James Stewart visited Dublin in 1959?

Edit: He apparently was here to promote his film “Anatomy of a Murder”.

James Stewart in Dublin, 1959. Uploaded online by Pat Clifford.

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The Northumberland Hotel, Beresford Place (Liberty Hall)

Posted in Dublin History, Social History on June 2, 2012| 4 Comments »

1865 Advertisement for the Northumberland Hotel. (Falconer’s railway, coach, car and steam navigation guide for Ireland)

The above advertisement from 1865 notes that the Northumberland Hotel was “the most central in the City, being within a few minutes walk of all the Public Buildings”. The Northumberland Hotel went on to become Liberty Hall following its purchase by Jim Larkin of behalf of the trade union movement.

The prosperous Classon family in Dublin had been responsible for the construction of the hotel, and historian J.L McCracken noted in his brilliant study New Light at the Cape of Good Hope: William Porter, the Father of Cape Liberalism that John Classon, who managed the firm Classon and Duggan:

built on Eden Quay the Northumberland Buildings which housed stalls for the sale of fruits and other goods, offices, a weighbridge, a bath-house and a chophouse. He also built the Northumberland Hotel in Beresford Place.

McCracken’s study includes this illustration of the hotel:

From ‘New Light at the Cape of Good Hope: William Porter, the Father of Cape Liberalism’

At the time the 1865 advertisement above was taken out, the proprietor was listed as J.C Joseph. We can compare and contrast prices for the hotel with other Dublin hotels of the time through the listings below. Note that this list provides information on the cost of breakfast, dinner, tea, bed, private rooms and attendance costs in the hotels of the Dublin of the time.

Dublin hotel listings 1865

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The Alsatians – 5 Honours and a 175 (1982)

Posted in Dublin History on June 1, 2012| 11 Comments »

Released this month, 30 years ago. Described as the only song ever written in Ireland about the Leaving Cert.

The single was recorded at Lombard Sound Studios, produced by Liam Hurley, engineered by Philip Begley and released on Libra Records.

The Alsations (c1979 – 1986) were a seven piece Dublin Pub Rock band who released three singles and gigged extensively during their seven year career.

From Irishrock.org

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Longest Dublin Bus journey

Posted in Dublin History on May 30, 2012| 22 Comments »

I reckon it has to be the No. 16 which goes from Kingston (Ballinteer) to Dublin Airport. A total of 31 stops. At least 25km.

Anyone know of a longer route?

16 bus journey

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