Category: History

Posts of an historical nature

Touche!

Post author By ewan.duffy
Post date 26th November 2020

I came upon an entry in the NIAH database for 10 Euston Street, Greenore, which included the following statement:

” Built for the workers of the Great Northern Railway, which was completed in 1873″.

As the site includes an option to email suggested amendments, I did so, pointing out that the houses were built for the Dundalk Newry and Greenore Railway. I received the following response:

” Our records suggest that the workers’ houses on the east side of Euston Street were completed in 1872, which, strictly speaking, means that they were built by the Dundalk and Greenore Railway (D&GR) Company. The company was renamed a year later to include Newry in the title. “

Point taken and in fairness to the NIAH, they have advised that they will be amending the record in due course to remove reference to the Great Northern Railway.

History

Mullingar signal cabin

Post author By ewan.duffy
Post date 14th November 2020

RTE randomly provided this archive clip of the closure of Mullingar signal cabin in 2005 on their site today.

History

The canal as a parking lot

Post author By ewan.duffy
Post date 27th April 2020

H/T to my brother for bringing to my attention the existence online of the Irish Travel journal – a series produced in the early years of the Free State.

One such snippet that is relevant to this site is the use of the filled in Broadstone branch of the Royal Canal as a designated car parking lot during the Eucharist Congress held in 1932.

The journals can be downloaded at https://arrow.tudublin.ie/irtourjap/10/. The information in question is in the June 1932 edition.

History Locations

Dinish Island, Co. Cork

Post author By ewan.duffy
Post date 17th February 2020

Another article in the Irish Examiner’s series on the islands of Ireland – this one covers Dinish Island in Co. Cork, which was developed as a centre for fish processing.

Tags Cork, Food processing

History

Commissioners of Irish Lights looking for decorators

Post author By ewan.duffy
Post date 15th February 2020
No Comments on Commissioners of Irish Lights looking for decorators

Many decades ago, the playwright Brendan Behan was employed by the Commissioners of Irish Lights – the all Ireland body responsible for lighthouses – as a painter. This was a role he didn’t appear to be good at – the keeper of St. John’s Point lighthouse in Co. Down writing to Head Office to complain about Behan’s work ethic (or lack of!).

Many years ago, the IHAI visited the lighthouse museum at the Bailey lighthouse on Howth Head and the original letter is on display there.

Behan is long dead (1964) so he is unavailable to respond to the Commissioners’ tender request for lighthouse painting services.

Tags Brendan Behan, lighthouse