Streets Of Dublin

IN MEMORY OF CHRISTOPHER CRAIG

April 22, 2023 by infomatique

DUBLIN CITY CENTRE

I have noticed an increase in what are known as roadside memorials and often wonder about the background story specific to any one of them

A roadside memorial is a marker that usually commemorates a site where a person died suddenly and unexpectedly, away from home. Unlike a grave site headstone, which marks where a body is laid, the memorial marks the last place on earth where a person was alive – although in the past travelers were, out of necessity, often buried where they fell.

Usually the memorial is created and maintained by family members or friends of the person who died. A common type of memorial is simply a bunch of flowers, real or plastic, taped to street furniture or a tree trunk. A handwritten message, personal mementos, etc. may be included. More sophisticated memorials may be a memorial cross, ghost bike, ghost shoes, or a plaque with an inscription, decorated with flowers or wreaths.

Roadside memorials tend to be clustered along the busiest roadways and often at intersections.

THE EL PATRON IS NOW THE TIA MARIA BRAZILIAN RESTAURANT

April 22, 2023 by infomatique

NORTH KING STREET – HENRIETTA PLACE

I do not know why this restaurant changed from being a Mexican restaurant, El Patron Mexican Street Food, or why decided on the name Tia Maria when they decided to switch to Brazilian cuisine?

Tia Maria is a coffee liqueur invented in Jamaica in the 1940’s, made with Arabica coffee, Jamaican rum, bourbon vanilla and sugar.

GEORGE COSGRAVE CAR SALES WAS BASED HERE

April 18, 2023 by infomatique

A REALLY UGLY SITE ON DORSET STREET

I live near Dorset Street and I believe it to be one of the ugliest streets in Dublin and the George Cosgrave Car Sales building was, and still is, one of the worst examples of how bad the street can be.

I should mention that George Cosgrave died in August 2021. George was well known for his car sales on Dorset Street where he traded for 37 years before moving to Clarehall. George was also an active member of The Irish Jaguar & Daimler Club.

Some early Georgian houses are dotted along the street, primarily identifiable by the stone Gibbsian doorcase entrances, and close to the crossroads with Blessington and North Frederick Streets. Much of the street redeveloped during the Victorian era, with a number of significant buildings built, such as the Gothic style stone-built Dominican priory, designed by J. L. Robinson in 1884–87 at the corner of Dominick Street, while across from it is the red brick Italianette former fire station, designed by C. J. McCarthy and completed in 1903. Much of the street consists of vernacular Victorian terraces, with shops opening straight onto footpaths at ground-floor level. During the latter part of the twentieth century, stretches of the street were again redeveloped by Dublin Corporation for social housing flat complexes near Dominick Street.

CLONTURK PARK

April 17, 2023 by infomatique

THIS IS AN AREA THAT I HAVE NOT VISITED BEFORE

Clonturk is an area on the Northside of Dublin, in Ireland. It is located in the south of the suburb of Drumcondra, just north of the River Tolka, but previously, Clonturk had been an alternative name for Drumcondra and the wider area. Clonturk lies within the Dublin 9 postal district. The name Clonturk translates from the Irish as “Pasture of the boars”. There is some evidence that the name originally was Ceann Torc or the “Headland of the boars”, but had changed to Clonturk by the middle of the 16th century, perhaps under the influence of the more famous neighbouring placename Clontarf.

The name ‘Clonturk’ mainly survives today through the existence of Clonturk House on Ormond Road. Clonturk House was built in 1830 by the then City Architect, as a gentleman’s residence and was extensively renovated in 1880 and given its Georgian frontage. For a number of years until 1960 Clonturk House was run by the Presbyterian Church which gave accommodation to girls attending school in Dublin both as fee-paying and on a subsidised basis. Until 2009 it was a home for blind men, run by the Rosminians order. The balustrade which now forms its boundary came from the original Carlisle Bridge and was moved there when this structure was replaced by the present O’Connell Bridge.

A number of neighbouring streets bear the name Clonturk, including Clonturk Park, Clonturk Gardens, and Clonturk Avenue, probably as a result of their proximity to Clonturk House. There is also Clonturk Community College, further north on the Swords Road at Whitehall.

THE TREE LINED SECTION OF LOWER DRUMCONDRA ROAD

April 16, 2023 by infomatique

I USED AN OLD CANON 5D MkIII

Not long ago my local dealer phoned to advise that he had been contacted by a person who had, a never used, Canon 5D MkIII which he wanted to trade in against some portable hard-drives. He thought that I might be interested and was willing to allow me borrow it for a few days … he was aware that I had some Canon lenses that were underused. As soon as I got the camera I decided to purchase provide that I could get a geotagging unit for it. The dealer obtained the required unit within a day.

Today I took the opportunity to try use a Voigtlander manual 40mm pancake lens with the Canon 5D so I walked from Bolton Street to Clontarf via Drumcondra and Fairview and a few places that I have never been to before.

Drumcondra is a residential area and inner suburb on the Northside of Dublin, Ireland. It is administered by Dublin City Council. The River Tolka and the Royal Canal flow through the area.