NORTH OF THE RIVER AS EXPERIENCED BY THE URBAN CARTOGRAPHER

Original Images By William Murphy

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CLARKES BAKERY AND COFFEE SHOP IS RECOMMENDED

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CABRA ROAD

Clarkes is an excellent coffee shop and bakery located on Cabra Road, I included one photograph in this series. There was an unfortunate incident here in September 2006 when a worker who was attacked during a gang robbery at the bakery died after slipping into a coma days a few days after the attack.

Cabra is located southwest of the Royal Canal, except for one small piece of land between the canal and railway line, and northeast of the Phoenix Park, and runs southeast to northwest, from Phibsboro at St. Peter’s Church and around the sixth Royal Canal lock, and Grangegorman at Hanlon’s Corner, to Ashtown and Pelletstown; across the canal are the districts of first Glasnevin and then Finglas. The area is often divided into Cabra East and Cabra West, with a notional line of division being the railway line coming from the Phoenix Park Tunnel and going to Connolly Station.

The Bradogue River, a tributary of the Liffey, rises underground at the southern edge of the district.

THE AREA OF CABRA NEAR THE CHURCH OF CHRIST THE KING

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THE BUILDING IS ON OFFALY ROAD AND THERE IS A SCHOOL NEXT TO IT

I had hoped to photograph the interior of the church but all the doors were locked so I could do nothing more than photograph the built environment close to the church.

The Church of Christ the King is a Catholic church in Cabra, Dublin, Ireland. It was built in 1933-34 in the Romanesque Revival style, and is one of the largest churches in Dublin. The church is dedicated to Christ the King, a title that was introduced by Pope Pius XI in 1925. The title “Christ the King” is based on the words of Jesus himself, who said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18). The title also refers to the Book of Revelation, which describes Jesus as the “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Revelation 19:16).

The church is located on Offaly Road, in the heart of Cabra. It is a large, imposing building, with a tall bell tower. The exterior is made of limestone, and the interior is decorated with stained glass windows, mosaics, and statues.

I was informed by a local resident that the Stained Glass Windows were by Harry Clarke but as I was aware that St. Peter’s Church on Cabra Road was well known for its Harry Clarke windows I decided to investigate the claim and discovered that National Inventory of Architectural Heritage Site states that the stained glass windows were created by Mayer of Munich.

Note: A bridge in Cabra, north Dublin has been named after one of the State’s greatest stained-glass artists. The Cabra Road Bridge in Dublin 7 has become The Harry Clarke Bridge, following requests from local residents. Clarke’s work is displayed in the nearby St Peter’s Church in Phibsborough. He created more than 160 stained-glass windows for religious and commercial commissions throughout Ireland, England, the US and Australia. He also illustrated books for Harrap and Co in London.

IT IS AN ART DECO STRUCTURE

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I VISITED QUARRY ROAD IN ORDER TO PHOTOGRAPH THE CABRA GRAND CINEMA

Quarry Road was originally called Quarry Lane, after a small quarry which was situated near where the current statue of Our Blessed Lady is located at the roundabout with Fassaugh Road (originally Fassaugh Lane.) This quarry was filled in the early part of the 1900s and the family who lived in the Homestead grew cabbages on the reclaimed land.

The real landmark on Quarry Road was the Cabra Grand Cinema which was built in a Art Deco style and had a distinctive neon sign. The interior of the cinema was decorated in a luxurious style, with red velvet seats and a crystal chandelier.

The Cabra Grand Cinema was a popular venue for films in the 1950s and 1960s. It showed a wide variety of films, including Hollywood blockbusters, foreign language films, and arthouse films. The cinema also hosted a number of concerts, including performances by The Ramones, The Skids, and Siouxsie and the Banshees.

In 1975, the Cabra Grand Cinema closed and was converted into a bingo hall. The bingo hall is still in operation today.

The cinema is listed on the Record of Protected Structures by Dublin City Council, which means that it is protected from demolition.

According to some reports the cinema is currently undergoing a renovation and is expected to reopen in 2023 as a mixed-use development with a cinema, a restaurant, and a hotel. However, there was no obvious sign of any ongoing renovation work when I photographed the area today [28 July 2023]

MARY QUEEN OF LOURDES MARIAN STATUE

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FASSAUGH AVENUE TRAFFIC ISLAND – OR IS IT A ROUNDABOUT

Bliain na Maidine (Marian Year) 1954 Erected by parishioners and friends A Mhuire A Bhainrion Lourdes Guidh Orainn (Mary, Queen of Lourdes, pray for us)

The Marian Statue in Cabra is a concrete statue of the Virgin Mary, located in the middle of a roundabout on Fassaugh Avenue. It was erected in 1954, during the Marian Year, and is one of a number of Marian statues that were built in Dublin during this time.

The statue is about 10 feet tall and depicts Mary in a traditional pose, with her hands folded in prayer and her head slightly bowed. She is wearing a long white dress and a blue cloak, and she has a crown on her head. The statue is standing on a pedestal, which is surrounded by a low wall.

The statue is well-maintained and is regularly cleaned and decorated.

Until today I did not realise that this Marian Statue is described, in some guides, as being on a traffic island rather than a roundabout so I had to go and check if there is a difference.

“Yes, a traffic island and a roundabout are different. A traffic island is a raised or painted object in a road that channels traffic. It can also be a narrow strip of island between roads that intersect at an acute angle. Traffic islands can be used to reduce the speed of cars driving through, or to provide a central refuge to pedestrians crossing the road.”

“A roundabout, on the other hand, is a circular intersection or junction in which road traffic is permitted to flow in one direction around a central island. Roundabouts are designed to improve traffic flow and safety, and they are becoming increasingly popular in many countries.”

TREE OF LIFE BY TOMMY CRAGGS

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TREE CARVING AT WATERMILL ROAD IN RAHENY

I had problems with my camera and after travelling all the way to check on this tree carving by Tommy Craggs all my photographs were blurred or not properly focused. I plan to revisit later in the month. In the meanwhile I will upload/publish of the carving while it was a work in progress back in April 2016.

[MONDAY JUNE 22 2020] Local representatives and Dublin’s lord mayor have condemned “an attack” on the Tree of Life sculpture beside St Anne’s Park in Raheny, which is believed to have taken place in the early hours of Monday morning. Gardaí say they are carrying out enquiries after the sculpture was set alight.

The tree carving in my photographs is located at the north east corner of St Anne’s Park, Raheny, where Clontarf Road and Watermill Road meet. It is a 10-metre tall Monterey cypress tree that was once dying. In 2018, Dublin City Council decided that the tree had to be taken down for safety reasons. However, before it was felled, artist Tommy Craggs was commissioned to carve a series of wildlife sculptures into the tree. The sculptures depict a variety of animals, including foxes, badgers, squirrels, and birds.

The tree carving has become known as the “Peace Tree” or the “Tree of Life.” It is a popular spot for locals and visitors alike, and it is a reminder of the power of art to transform even the most unlikely of materials.

Here are some additional details about the tree carving:

  • The project was funded by Dublin City Council and the Raheny Residents’ Association.
  • Craggs worked on the tree for over two months, using a chainsaw and chisels.
  • The sculptures are made from the tree’s own wood, and they are all different sizes.
  • The tree carving was officially unveiled in December 2018.

Chainsaw sculptor Tommy Craggs recycles fallen trees or trees felled for tree management reasons. Some of his works can be purchased but others are permanent installations carved from stumps. Tommy’s work made the news in 2012 when members of the public reported that a “guerrilla sculptor” had carved three stumps in a forest in the UK. They were, in fact, commissioned sculptures created by Tommy Craggs.

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