cobblestones

Unusually crowded street scene - even the shots of O'Connell Street in Dublin seldom show this many people.

Also given the absence of any cars, 1910 seems a bit late, I'd say more like 1900.

Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah Limerick finally got a look in even if our proud thoroughfare of O'Connell Street is called Georges Street. The clock tower in the distance was Cannocks Clock where many a romance began as it was the dating landmark for Limerick people. The porch sticking out on the right is next to or the current location of the Augistinian Friary where I served mass as a nipper. The first junction you can see on the left is Bedford Row and the shop on the corner was owned by Mulligans who sold bicycles but they had taken the soup and were no relations. Lairds were still in Limerick when I was growing up and further back you had the Home and Colonial Stores. The shop beside Buckleys is O'Mahony's book shop now and that seems to be the name overhead. Is and always was one of the best bookstores in the country. This area of Limerick was relatively modern, named Newtown Pery and it was laid out in a grid format with intersecting streets at right angles. Off to the right was the Irish town and straight ahead brought one down to the Kings Island where King Johns Castle, St. Mary's Cathedral and many other historic sites are located.

Your location needs adjustment Carol, it should be up two from the Quays and the shot was taken from just past the junction with Shannon Street/Roches Street facing down towards Bedford Row. The location for the other shot is slightly further down Georges Street (as was) nearer Bedford Row.

Great photo. Regarding the date, it might help to note that O'Mahony's was established in 1901. The clothing on the women on the right hand side suggests very early 1900s. The building near the Augustinians with the porch is the County Club. Does anyone know how typical the horse and trap/sidecar (?) in the middle of the picture and in the foreground on the left would have been? Would they have been privately owned or for hire? I believe the trap that most of us would recognise (with the door at the back) only appeared in the late 1890s and wonder if this is what preceded it.

This might help. It would appear to be for the 1903 visit and was in Leeson Street. archiseek.com/2012/1903-royal-triumphal-arch-leeson-stree...

Mike Grimes It certainly does, Mike, thanks a million! I'm presuming then that this was taken from Upper Leeson Street towards Lower Leeson Street and Stephen's Green.

Wow! these were temporary structures, here you will see a version in the exact same location for a visit in 1900. Temporary gateway erected for the visit of Queen Victoria to Dublin in 1900. A ceremonial affair, the Queen was to enter the city boundaries and be given the keys to the city by the Lord Mayor and Aldermen. Described in The Irish Times as “the old city gates, a handsome representation of which is to be erected at the entrance of the municipal boundary at Leeson Street Bridge”.

COMPLAINT I have noticed that there has been a serious Anti Canidae editorial shift over the last few weeks.

A description of the preparations for the visit from Times (London) July 21st 1903. Of architectural decorations, of huge triumphal arches, and replicas of ancient buildings there are perhaps not so many as usual. Indeed, a model of the ancient city gate at Leeson-street-bridge is the only example of that kind of edifice. But behind these substantial and by no means alway satisfactory efforts every conceivable thing has been done, and done with haste. The very statues have been dressed and washed, and, as is notorious, the statues in Dublin are very fine. Nelson on a colossal pillar dominates Sackville-street or O'Connell-street - it bears both names in common parlance - and from Nelson to the houses on either side depend great strings of flags. Father Mathew, virgin white, stands behind Nelson, and at the other end of the street stands the huge statue of O'Connell, which was being carefully cleansed this morning. On either side of the roads were masts with interlacing festoons of parti-coloured rosettes and flags without number. ... O'Connell's bridge promises to be a glory in the way of illuminations, which the waters of the Liffey, in spite of their dull and malodourous nature, will reflect from their surface The visit was not without controversy - Dublin corporation refused to have anything to do with the visit. The Times (London) July 22nd 1903 the following day describing the procession itself: Above the city end of the bridge towered the simulacrum of the ancient city gate, and beyond it was a stand thronged with people. Here the welcome was prodigious, and for a moment those who saw it were reminded of Queen Victoria's State entry of 1900. But they were reminded of it in a very unpleasant fashion. Today, as then, the roar of cheers from the far side announced the coming of the royal guest some minutes before the head of the procession hove into sight. This time, as before, the welcome from the stands and the surrounding throng was grand and inspiring; but this time the formal civic welcome, the picturesque formal incident of the Sovereign to the metropolis of Ireland, was most lamentably conspicuous by its absence.

The craftmanship of the lamp post and the flowerpots on the roof of the building in the centre of the left side of the street are nice features.

Georges Street is now O'Connell St.

O'Mahonys still there - Established 1902 O’Mahony’s was founded in 1902 at 120 O’Connell St. Limerick by J.P.O’Mahony, grandfather of the current owner Frank, and continues to trade from the same location. It is the oldest retail business of its type in the region and has developed from a single store of 450sq.ft. into a 25,000sq.ft. retail operation in the Mid-West and South-West of Ireland.

Street View - note O'Mahonys on the left - The Church was built in 1942

A similar style of electric lamp was introduced to Sydney, Australia streets from 1912, which might be of interest - www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/history/sydneystreets/Minding... Interesting in this photo that the old gas lamps are still there, which implies that electric street lighting had just been introduced.