thediamond

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According to Classic Buses site ZI 3512 was an AEC Reliance new in June 1929; withdrawn in 1937 and scrapped 10/1937 www.classicbuses.co.uk/+GNR.html Would suggest the date range 1929 to 1937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 It passed to GNR (175) in 1931 and was withdrawn in 1934 following an accident - therefore the image dates from between 1929 and 1934.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.

The Guildhall was opened in July 1890. The clock has not been installed at the time of this photo. Google Street View

Everyone very well dressed. No barefoot urchins about.

The Guildhall Clock was installed in 1891.

Gerry Ward Aha, thanks Gerry! So then 1890 is looking correct for this photo: a) absence of clock; and b) flags in celebration of the opening?

National Library of Ireland on The Commons It's donkeys years since I was in Derry and I'm amazed at the steepness of the street there. It either was or had just stopped raining. Most of the flags are either meaningless or displayed out of their natural environment.

maps.google.ie/maps?q=The+Diamond,+Derry,+United+Kingdom&...

The shop is Austins now and they celebrated 180 years recently - seems it was also Austins then. NOTE - I think you may be correct about the SALE

I think they are electric lights c.1910 design.

From DIA Building: CO. DERRY, DERRY, DIAMOND, AUSTIN'S DEPARTMENT STORE Date: 1906 Rebuilding after fire; 'an imaginative, flamboyant design, with bold modelling which admirably expresses the function of the place'.

Building looks the same today. But that would suggest post 1906 Perhaps the 1906 work was internal ??