74thomasstreet

A handbill that shoots straight from the hip...

from National Library of Ireland on The Commons

• 7 older comments, and then…
• zippo22 said:

  "Expert Authorities Claim that it takes one ton of lead to kill a man in actual warfare. Why not perfect yourself to do the same with one oz.?" Why indeed ?

• National Library of Ireland on The Commons said:

  zippo22 A fairly extravagant claim...

• guliolopez said:

  Before anything else: "Shooting range" @ 74 Thomas street: [GMaps] [OSI] Print works @ 13 Stafford Street [GMaps] [OSI]

• National Library of Ireland on The Commons said:

  guliolopez Thank you for those beautifully presented geo links. Now that's sorted, when was this? I checked in the 1903 and 1908 Thoms Dublin Directories (11th December fell on a Friday) but at no. 74 Thomas Street is John Byrne, grocer, tea, wine, and spirit merchant. Tried a few random years - 1912: ITGWU and 1915: Vacant...

• guliolopez said:

  National Library of Ireland on The Commons Indeed. I find this one a bit intriguing. I had found the same census returns as yourself, and it's clear that 74 Thomas Street was a public house (probably with grocery component) at the 1901 and 1911 census. There's nothing to indicate that it was in use for an extended period as a shooting range. (Although those properties all have/had reasonably long yards and rooms, so one of the back rooms might have been used as a range for a period.) Confirming a date would be made easier if we could link "The Fox and Co." to the property. However, I can't seem to find the company at all - not to mention any connection to Thomas Street. The only Fox connection (of any sort) to 74 Thomas Street would seem to be James Fox - a 16 year-old Na Fianna volunteer who died during the Rising at Stephen's Green. In some sources his address is given as 74 Thomas Street. Perhaps a family connection. Perhaps a coincidence. I went and (re)watched one of Eamonn mac Thomais' marvelous pieces on the history of the Liberties to see if he might mention something - but no such luck. (Although - to be honest - I was glad of the excuse to revisit these videos. I will find an excuse again soon...)