ABOUT HIGH STREET IN TRIM AND OTHER TOWNS

ABOUT HIGH STREET IN TRIM AND OTHER TOWNS

A Birthday Beginning to 2024

This is my first upload for 2024, coinciding with my birthday. I wish everyone a wonderful New Year!

I had planned a four-hour photo session capturing the streets of Trim, County Meath. Unfortunately, after two hours, heavy rain made it impossible to use my Canon 5DIII. I initially tried my iPhone 12 Pro Max, but the weather worsened, forcing me to call a taxi.

High Street vs. Main Street: A Tale of Two Terms

In Britain, "High Street" typically denotes the primary business street in a town or city, likely due to their historical placement on higher ground. However, this term is less common in Ireland, where "Main Street" (An tSráid Mhór in Irish) is preferred, as in the United States.

Dublin's main shopping streets, Grafton Street and Henry Street, don't bear the "High Street" name, nor does its main thoroughfare, O'Connell Street. While Dublin does have a High Street near Christchurch, it's not a shopping district. Similarly, Cork's main shopping street is St. Patrick's Street, with North Main Street and South Main Street being its oldest.

Across Ireland, "Main Street" is used in various settlements, from Dublin's inner suburbs like Ranelagh to satellite suburbs like Swords, and in villages and towns nationwide. The OSI North Leinster Town Maps and Dublin Street Guide list significantly more "Main Streets" than "High Streets."

Notable Exceptions: Irish Towns with High Streets

Despite the prevalence of "Main Street," some Irish towns feature major shopping streets named High Street (An tSráid Ard). These include Killarney, Galway, Wexford, Ballinrobe, Westport, Bagenalstown, Macroom, Tuam, Wicklow, Trim, Monaghan, Kilkenny, and Kilrush.

Interesting Variants

Bantry in County Cork is unique, with its main shopping street called High Street in the west and Main Street in the east. Athlone and Birr in County Offaly also share this interesting naming pattern.