NORTH OF THE RIVER AS EXPERIENCED BY THE URBAN CARTOGRAPHER

Original Images By William Murphy

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AUGHRIM PLACE PLUS THE STREETS AND LANES OFF IT

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PHOTOGRAPHED 19 SEPTEMBER 2023

I would describe this as a laneway or an access road rather than a street.

If you use Google Maps to view this laneway you may see a person with three dogs. A few months ago I saw the same person and the same dogs at more-or-less the same location.

There are many laneways in Dublin and most are (perceived) not safe, especially at night. They are generally characterised by poor surfaces, poor lighting, littering, graffiti, vandalism, drug abuse, street drinking and lack of active frontage at ground floor. However, despite the negative issues already mentioned ongoing research indicates that these laneways were historically more intact than might be expected and are in frequent use as integral routes in a functioning network throughout the city.

ST DAVID’S TERRACE AND MARLBOROUGH ROAD

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MY FIRST VISIT EVER

St. David’s Terrace is off Blackhorse Avenue and Marlborough Road is off the North Circular Road.

Marlborough Road is quiet cul-de-sac off the North Circular Road. There are only 13 houses on the street which were built for the officers of the British Army stationed in the neighbouring Marlborough Barracks, later renamed McKee Barracks. There is another Marlborough Road in Donnybrook on the southside of the city.

EXPLORING BLACKHORSE AVENUE

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MCKEE BARRACKS AND NEARBY

Today I only explored a section of Blackhorse Avenue because it was very windy and there was a very intense rainstorm and I could not keep the lens dry.

I tried to conduct some research using Google’s Bard AI and received mostly incorrect information. It was suggest that the street was so named because it was host to a regular horse market but when I challenged this claim a number of times I eventually got the following response:

“Thank you for the clarification. I am still under development and I am always learning new things.”

“I have checked some additional sources, and you are correct. There was no horse market located on Blackhorse Avenue. The horse markets in Dublin were located in Smithfield and Stoneybatter.”

“The most likely explanation for the name Blackhorse Avenue is that it is a reference to the British Army horses that were stationed at McKee Barracks in the late 19th century. The barracks was located on Blackhorse Avenue, and the horses would have been a significant presence in the area.”

“It is also possible that the street’s name is a reference to the fact that the British Army horses were associated with the color black.” [I don’t understand this comment]

“I apologize for my previous response. I am still under development, and I am always learning new things. I appreciate your feedback, and I will try to do better in the future.”

McKee Barracks in Dublin has been redeveloped. The redevelopment began in 2019 and is expected to be completed in 2024.

The redevelopment is being carried out by the Defence Forces Infrastructure Development Plan (DFIDP), which is a €2.5 billion program to improve the infrastructure of the Irish Defence Forces.

The redevelopment of McKee Barracks includes the refurbishment of existing buildings, the construction of new buildings, and the improvement of the overall layout of the barracks.

The redevelopment is being undertaken in a number of phases. The first phase, which involved the refurbishment of Block H, was completed in 2021.

The second phase, which involves the refurbishment of Block F, is currently underway and is expected to be completed in 2023.

The third phase, which involves the construction of new buildings and the improvement of the overall layout of the barracks, is expected to begin in 2024.

The redevelopment of McKee Barracks will provide the Defence Forces with a modern and efficient military installation. The redevelopment will also improve the living and working conditions for Defence Forces personnel.

VALENTIA ROAD IN DRUMCONDRA

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A SHORT ROAD CONNECTING HOME FARM ROAD AND GRIFFITH AVENUE

Valentia Road is a short, residential street in Drumcondra, Dublin 9, Ireland. It runs north-south between Griffith Avenue and Home Farm Road. The road is named after Valentia Island, an island off the coast of County Kerry.

The road is also home Corpus Christi Church Primary School as well as Corpus Christi Church which was built in the early 20th century. The church is known for its beautiful architecture and its stained glass windows.

The English name ‘Valentia’ Island does not come from the Spanish city of Valencia. Instead it comes from the Irish name of Valentia Harbour, cuan Bhéil Inse, “harbour-mouth of the island”. It was anglicised as ‘Bealinche’ and ‘Ballentia’ before evolving into ‘Valentia’.It is possible the spelling was influenced by Spanish sailors; there is a grave marker to Spanish sailors lost at sea in the Catholic cemetery at Kylemore.

The Irish name for the island is Dairbhre, probably meaning “oak isle”. It was historically anglicised as ‘Dariry’.

A LONG WALK ALONG AN ATTRACTIVE AVENUE – SESSION 1

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GRIFFITH AVENUE FROM ST MOBHI ROAD TO SWORDS ROAD

The first record of a Christian church in Glasnevin appears to be that of the monastery founded by St. Mobhi during the sixth century. Among the pupils at St. Mobhi’s monastic school were the saints Canice of Finglas, Colmcille (or Columba) of Iona and Comgall of Bangor.

St Mobhí Road was originally to be known as as Dean Swift Avenue but a dispute erupted following representations by a local clergyman. A meeting of concerned residents was called and the compromise reached was to name the road after the founder of the local monastic site.
The historic Glasnevin connection with Jonathan Swift was maintained a bridge across the Tolka river was Dean Swift bridge. I should mention that for many years I thought that this bridge across the Tolka River was named Mobhi Bridge or Saint Mobi Bridge.

Griffith Avenue was developed in the early 20th century as part of the Marino housing scheme, which was designed to create a garden suburb for Dublin’s growing middle class. The avenue is lined with large, detached and semi-detached houses, all of which have been lovingly maintained.

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