almahouse

Patrick Kavanagh's tribute to his native county! O stony grey soil of Monaghan The laugh from my love you thieved; You took the gay child of my passion And gave me your clod-conceived. You clogged the feet of my boyhood And I believed that my stumble Had the poise and stride of Apollo And his voice my thick tongued mumble. You told me the plough was immortal! O green-life conquering plough! The mandril stained, your coulter blunted In the smooth lea-field of my brow.

The bus at left is ZI 3512, in the Dublin sequence ZI 1 to ZI 9999 (Mar 1927 – May 1933) We also have BI 1804, less useful: Monaghan BI 1 to BI 9999 (Dec 1903 – Mar 1961) IB 4406 is an Armagh reg, I think.

According to Classic Buses site ZI 3512 was an AEC Reliance new in June 1929; withdrawn in 1937 and scrapped 10/1937 www.classicbuses.co.uk/+GNR.html Would suggest the date range 1929 to 1937

An advert appeared in the Belfast News-Letter on Thursday 08 November 1917 announcing that the high-class Drapery known as the Alma House, Monaghan, was to be sold. The first adverts of Thomas McCabe of Alma House appeared in 1919 (requiring a competent man for Woollens and Drapery Sales), and continued until 1942.

IB 4406 was a Vulcan Duke which belonged to Northern Ireland operator Nugent, Darkley and which operated between Keady and Dundalk via Monaghan. It was new in 1929 so the image cannot be before that date. It passed to GNR (175) in 1931 and was withdrawn in 1934 following an accident - therefore the image dates from between 1929 and 1934. ZI 3512 was a 1929 AEC Reliance with Potter body which was GNR (29) - it lasted until 1937. BI 1504 belonged to McGirr's Bus Service, Monaghan who ran between Monaghan and Longford.

"LU1-" phone number on the truck cab translates to (510) 581- in modern times.