fitzgibbonstatue

Sarsfield Bridge called after General Patrick Sarsfield ,Jacobite hero, was originally called Wellesley Bridge after Richard Marquis of Wellesley, a Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.Offically opened 1835.

The plans for the bridge were drawn up by Alexander Nimmo. Nimmo modelled the bridge on the Pont Neiully in Paris. It had five arches and a swivel bridge. It was opened 1835 and cost £89,061.

The statue of Fitzgibbon shown here was blown up in 1930, and replaced by a 1916 monument in 1954.

Mix of low single lights (probably gas) and a tall swan necked globe, probably electric. Modern streetview shows low doubled electric lights. The double lights are in place in 1955 (Monkey Morgan). STP from before 1883 shows just the single gaslights. French/Lawrence has the swan necked globes before 1915.

No sign of clock tower at the floating dock which would date photograph pre 1880. www.buildingsofireland.ie/niah/search.jsp?type=record&...

Is the photographer up on Saint Mary's Cathedral?

The photo was obviously taken up on Saint Mary's Cathedral tower. The Shannon Rowing Club is missing here and it was founded by Sir Peter Tait in 1868 and has a very elegant clubhouse on the northern side. Assumption 1 - Before 1868 But the Limerick Rowing Club was founded in 1870 and has a simpler structure on the southern side. Assumption 2 - After 1870, There is no sign of The Dock Clock down in Steamboat Quay which was built in 1880. Assumption 3 - Before 1880 Final Date Assumption is 1867 National Library of Ireland, what say you?

Thanks tonyheaney. I concur. And have tweaked the description to reflect!

I have been pouring over these photos with such curiosity and intensity and the more I look at these images the more my heart skips a beat just to see my home as I have never been seen before. I almost feel like I have been living in 1890 Limerick for the past few weeks, and as such, I have become intimately acquainted with Oul Limerick.

Interesting photo this because not much has changed in the interim. Shannon Rowing Club in the centre still stands though no longer the force it was in Iris rowing. On the left you can see parts of the Limerick Boat Club which is still there also. The portion of the bridge you see once swung in an arc to permit movement of boats and small ship to go beyond what is now Sarsfields Bridge. The statue on the left I was led to believe as a child was the son of the Lord Gough whose statue was blown up a number of times in the Phoenix Park. They were more successful with this one as the poor lad ended up in the Shannon. In fact as phlgils states below it was of John Fitzgibbon who died during the Charge of the Light Brigade at Balacalva! It has been replaced by a memorial to the 1916 uprising having statues of people with local connections therein. The building you can see on the right was either part of or beside Spillanes or Clunes tobacco factory and was still there into the 1950's.

Swordscookie Excellent! Thank you so much for all of this information - all in just one photo, you have a formidable memory...

Going through my favourites and came across this one. This was more the "Quays" than the "docks" in Limerick. I took a photo there just last week www.flickr.com/photos/swordscookie/6475948097/in/photostream and as you will see little has changed. The ship is berthed at Harveys Quay in the basin below the swing bridge and may have been waiting for it to open before going up past it.

Swordscookie Amazing! Almost exactly the same spot...

Swordscookie Actually the statue is of John Fitzgibbon who killed in Balaclava in the Charge of the Light Brigade in 1850 www.limerickcity.ie/media/Monuments%20(1916)%20007.pdf and www.buildingsofireland.ie/niah/highlights.jsp?county=LI&a... Phil Gilson, Brooklyn NY USA