howth

Unusual early(?) white telegraph poles.

The state of the Abbey was discussed at a meeting of Howth Urban Council in 1919. Under a somewhat sensationalist headline "RUINS OF HOWTH ABBEY Thirteenth Century Remains Threatened with Destruction" the report in the Dublin Evening Telegraph on Saturday 6 September 1919 contains these snippets:

Children, she [Lady Boyd] said, came into the garden over the wall, stole anything they liked, and trampled and destroyed much more. Not only was the gate of the churchyard constantly left open but a great piece of the wall beside the house known as the College was broken down, and the place open to anyone who liked to go in. Mr. F. W. Higginbotham, Town Surveyor, said that a tourist told him it was the most disgraceful thing he had ever seen that the hlstoric old College was allowed to be used as a tenement house and the graveyard used for drying clothes. Some very curious house-like buildings, generally called the "College", are attached to an angle of the embattled wall. They are supposed to have been used by the ecclesiastics as dwelling-places. As interesting examples of fifteenth century architecture they are well worthy of notice, and something should be done to save them from impending destruction.

From a quick look at streetview, I think the College is outside the left margin of the French photo. Also visible her: catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000339629

From the British Library photostream, published 1796.

Taken from the Martello tower or the green between it and Abbey Street

yes great POV

Are you sure Gay Byrne is not in the car? Lovely photograph, pity they did away with the trams, can you imagine the tourist attraction they would be today?

Lovely photograph!

Swordscookie Never mind the tourists, it'd be great for Dubliners! Love the Luas, but it just doesn't have the same glamour as these beasts...

My father still gives out about them getting rid of this!

Sheba78 In the Irish Independent from 1 June 1959, it was reported that there were posters on front and back of the very last tram, saying: "Farewell dear friends, this is the end: we've travelled miles and miles; for eight and fifty years we shared your laughter, tears and smiles. 'Tho some may say we're worn out, expensive or too slow, we brought you safely up and down in sunshine rain or snow."

Being of a slightly vertiginous disposition, I don't much fancy the idea of being on the top deck when that tram travels across the bridge - even without passengers, it looks top heavy!

Or imagine it in a really high wind...

It is so cool to be able and see some of our history! So very cool!!

Alas I was born too late for this. How I would love to have taken a tram ride from Howth into the City Centre on a sunny and windy day, sitting aloft at the front seat! Sadly, we'll never see the likes again. By the way, surely not....but is that the very same concrete road surface that's still there today? Stuart.

No idea, Stu, will have to take a trip out to Howth to investigate. Maybe some "Northsiders" can advise...