Changes in Waterford..

dlofnep

Over the last 10-20 years, Waterford has changed alot. Just wondering what everyone remembers?

For me simple things like Strand video store on John Street, or when I was younger - a place near where supermacs is called Burgerland I think. There were also some slot machines and stuff where the book store is now I think.

Bars and clubs - Preachers, The Pulpit, Club LA, Egans.

Not to mention the landscape changes around my very own Hillview and the changes to the quay and Red Square..

angry_fox

Think burgerland used to be up around where A-Wear is now. Wasint there a crazy prices out in lisduggan at one stage?
Biggest changes have to be out on the cork rd. Hard to believe that up to a couple of years ago there was pretty much nothing past Hasbro but farmland.

mike65

Well I'm of a vintage to remember when you could drive up Georges Street through the Barronstand/Broad street and into Arundel Square without let or hinderance. When the Winston and Bescos traffic lights actually had Winston and Bescos at the junction. Funny how for many the name has stuck.

Arundel Square used to be a gravely car-park and Scotch Quay had a reputation!

Mike.

Fajitas!

All the warehouses on the quay!

mike65

Indeed MAC TRANS FREIGHT and the rest. I found 2 crisp 20 notes there many years back, there was'nt a soul around (I was parked on the double yellow on the suir-side of the quay) so I just well, kept it

Mike.

shockwave

Burgerland was where Sherwoods is now and the original book centre was beside it where the pound shop is. But the biggest change has got to be the dunmore road area,when you passed ardkeen there was nothing but fields for miles.
Pubs I remember - Bobby Graces, Wallaces (gingerman), Fat Sams, The Stonecourt and not to forget The Peppermint Grove.

Quigs Snr

Driving your car right to the door of Darrers (Now McDonalds & Argos,half price toy sales upstairs in the afternoon of christmas eve). Woolworths where Pennys is. The other entry to Sullys on a road that is now the main thoroughfare through city square. On that same road to the right, next to where Dunnes stands now, where Burger King etc.. is, Woolies having its closing down sale (then huge excavations to build City Square and being able to peek through the hoardings and see the foundations of the old viking city).

Huge cranes at Bell lines on the quay (now at the new port), the new bridge being built and it being on the news that they dropped one of its pillars in the river by mistake.

The car stand / Poleberry flooding badly, the bridge at poleberry being built in the early 80's with a temporary wooden thing up where the current bridge is now. All the land where Tesco / New Cinema is being wasteland full of high weeds with a dust path the locals used and a stream where the Hyundai Garage is that you had to jump (either by foot, or on BMX !) Gravelly carpark at railway square with a bum living in a caravan.....

Rubys being a department store and then Pot Black snooker hall upstairs and I think a restaurant probably La Palma downstairs... Harneys bakery actually being open :-( A sweet shop or two just opposite it, with Jackpot amusement arcade being right next to it where muldoons is today. Next to that again Sinnots was the main music shop in the early 80's and also a top video shop upstairs... And a chipper next to that. The old pub, Davysomethings where Masons is (previously Junction/Club LA). The Beefy King on the corner, cross lane video being just behind it where the Jolly Barber is now ! I think Cross lane was at one point down near where carphone warehouse is now, for that matter I think there was a sinnotts there too... mid eighties. A road going through Michael Street, a foot high kerb outside where sinnotts / the pound shop are now... the original pound shop near where the book centre is now, most popular shop in town ! The Chuck Wagon where Kavagnaghs is next to A-wear which used to do mens clothes upstairs. Hundreds of bikes locked up outside the library and around the side of the cathedral. Hundreds of bikes all over the road for that matter, armada's of them going into the various schools in the mornings... The Manor St John with their black jumpers being one of them, next to where peigs is now.

O'Donoghues barbers on Patrick Street, the old Regina Cinema with its 3 screens, I remember number 2 was on the ground floor, with 3 up at the top of the stairs. A second hand tape shop in the early nineties at the size of Enterprise homecare, blitz I think it was called. The opening of the broad street centre, surely one of the biggest failures ever considering the perfect location, bewleys and KG discs remember them ? BPM now were the only ones that did well along with a fabric shop. BPM used to have a book with names of tapes with no cover they would sell you cheap in the early nineties, used to always head in for a look.

A car park at the back of the cathedral, where the hotel is now. Scholars bookstore for schoolbooks, the original bookcentre, a joke shop in georges court where Tony Roche is, in the early 80's. Teleport, worst computer shop ever. Finns ? Camera and Computer shop, initially near Bodega in the 80's but moved up opposite ballonatics, used to be a little tobacco / pipe shop there too. Finns was retro heaven. Until the late 90's they would still sell you a full price C64 game ! Hell I bet they would have sold you a full price commodore PET game, wonder what they did with their stock ? Also, anyone remember on the ground floor of the Kazbar which was almost a derilict building, a shabby video arcade known as FRED's in the eighties.

I remember the cannons at city hall being in the park. I remember before they built the adventure playground another swings/ slides / roundabouts / seesaws and other lethal apparatus being there on a tarmac'd piece of ground. I remember the cycling track being good enough to actually race on and doing just that before throwing the bikes down and heading onto the pitch in the middle for a game of footie.

I might be imagining it, but I could swear I remember parts of the waterside river being cleaned at the start of the nineties (didn't last that way for long) to show the brickwork that is under the sludge (apparently a section of that river is all bricked underneath where its course was altered to allow a road to be built or something like that.

Outside of town, I remember hillview being end of the line in that direction, well the industrial estate anyway. I remember no garages on the cork road. The entire of where woodies / PC world etc.... Superquinn being a marsh that my mates dad was thinking of buying and deciding against (this was the early nineties). I remember kids legging it to the dump at certain times of day because Milton Bradley were dumping a skip of incomplete games etc.. (which you could mix and match to make full games). I remember Ballybeg only going as far as Priority lawn. The original Ardkeen stores which we used to cross over 3 fields from Farran Park to get to. Farran Park being the last outpost until you got to Mount Pleasant. On the Dunmore road, a huge Ugly blue and white vintage bus bringing us out the road, the original Cove stores, the hospital being a bunch of prefabs before the new hospital was built, and for that matter the Infirmary still being a hospital and people going around with bright pink Save the infirmary stickers on their cars. Further out the Ballytruckle road I remember twomneys shop opposite ferndale. I remember too where the road split at Ballytruckle green you could go both directions, (early eighties), i.e the wall at the bottom of the Ursline was not there, and the road between the sacred heart church to the road leading to the Ursline Hill/Pearse park did not exist. Further out that road, the original big lumpy walls of the greyhound stadium which I scaled many a time to see Waterford utd play. Nothing existed after that, well after St Herblain / Avondale.

On the Dumore Road Viewmount was as far as it went, and we went Robbing Apples where the huge house is (now apartments) at Earlscourt which was all fields from there out.

Jeez, listen to me, I could go on for days, you'd swear I was 70 not 30.

ScabbyLeg

How about The Beefy King? And then Darrers Stores where Argos and McDonald's are now. Hehe!

Edit: beaten to it!

shockwave

Brilliant description Quigs Snr, you're making me all misty eyed. What about the video arcade in what is now the book centre when i was in mt sion we called it "The Gloss" (why i dont know).Was a haven for those of us on the duck!

Jrad

Ah yeah, Dunmore road, The cove shop with that rediculous roof that they seemed to keep for world wide wines and beside it was a tiny statoil petrol station where Italios chipper and mulligans pharmacy is now. Ardkeen quality food store was where supermacs is now and you had crystal vision video store up the very back.

ec18

Toymaster being where boots is now

Freddie59

Going back a bit now (late 60s/early 70s):

The Sportsman (where Georges Court now is).

The Sportshop (on the quay next to Fieldmasters).

Daltons Records (I think) where Fieldmaster now is.

Cantwells TV/Radio, Discs, and Tapes (where Balloonatics is now in Michael Street).

The Twins Bar in High Street (where City Square now stands).

The Kiwi Bar in Patrick Street.

Burgerland stood where Sherwoods is now.

The Wimpy (where Dillons jewellers was up to recently).

Malones shop in Colbeck Street.

Green Shield Stamps in O'Connell Street.

Heusen Electrical in 67 O'Connell Street (Pet Shop now).

Time Electric (Funk It) in Michael Street.

Cablelink (now a book store) in Michael Street.

RTV Rentals (the old one at the Junction of High Street and Barronstrand Street)

RenTel (same site - watched the moon landings on the first colour TV in the window!:eek: )

Burtons (A-wear now).

Hipps menswear (3G store now).

London and Newcastle (Broad Street Centre).

Phelans Cafe (now the Bagel Factory) in Broad Street.

Phelan's Chemist, Michael Street.

The Modern Trend, Michael Street.

Kneeshaws Jewellers, Peter Street (now the entrance to City Square).

The Savoy Cinema (The Book Centre).

Phelans Tobacconists (next to Argos).

Coads Shoes (Meteor Store).

Woolworths (Penneys).

Willworths (yes!) in Arundel Square.

And who can forget the everlasting sale in Peter France's (now also the Bagel Factory). Standing joke was that when Nelson Mandela was released he asked if the sale was still on in Peter France's!

And last of all, Action Dan (a competitor for Action Man)!:D

jmcc

And the Independent newspaper offices where SuperMacs on Red Square is now. It is getting so bad that if you blink you miss a building/shop being replaced. Another pub: Kavanagh's Pub on the Quay at the bus stop.

Regards...jmcc

BBM77

What about the pigs feet caravans. There was one on Ballybricken across the road from what is Alfie Hales pub now. I think it was a bit of a fad for a while. Going for a walk up Gracedieu and in the rock, when that was still in the country. The Quay not being full of car parks. The Tower hotel only being half the size it is now. Darrers supermarket with the roof down on your head. The cash & carry in what is Heaton’s in the hypermarket and a toy shop and café on one side.

Bards

Anyone rememebr Boyce's in Michael Street?

Richard Finn's Camera & COmputer shop originally in Arundel Lane where City Square is now....

Cabaal

Alot of people showing there age in this thread

shinzon

Richard Finn's Camera & COmputer shop originally in Arundel Lane where City Square is now....

God i remember the original shop in arundel lane, when you walked in you had to go up some steps and you came to the big long counter on your right, then on your left you had the tellys setup with the various computers and consoles of the time, spent many a happy hour in there.

A story about Richard, i bought a commodore 64 game called red storm rising (not from him, from Teleport), and wasnt working full stop after getting a replacement from Teleport and that not working and fiddling with the c64 datacorder they advised me to send it back to Microprose in England (yeah i know was young and naive :eek: ), so i duly did and basically the game fell into a black hole at the company and i snail mailed them several times and rang them several times and got nowhere, so was speaking to richard about it and he said give him the details and hell see what he could do, about 4 days later i was in there, and he had a fully registered mail from microprose with a brand new copy of red storm rising and a grovelling letter from micorproses sales department waiting for me, that version of the game i got actually worked and I was forever grateful to him for getting it back for me

Shin

Freddie59

Cabaal wrote:

Alot of people showing there age in this thread

And proud of it!

Freddie59

Bards wrote:

Anyone rememebr Boyce's in Michael Street?

Indeed I do. And what about City Cycles (next to the Blue Haven Pub) in O'Connell Street.

Tragamin2k2

im only 18 but remember being terrified of the look of that platformy thing where the plaza is now. and if im not dreaming, there was alot of goth/punk people around waterford 1995-ish

shockwave

Freddie59 wrote:

Indeed I do. And what about City Cycles (next to the Blue Haven Pub) in O'Connell Street.

Could be my imagination but I think that building is still there with the old sign over the door.

Quigs Snr

City cycles is still there but not open for business anymore. Remember the auld lad there, sound as a pound he was. Always had something special out back he'd sell you for half nothing. His wife is still alive I see her around the place from time to time. Bought a couple of bikes in there in the late eighties.

Anyone else remember a bike shop opposite the gingerman in the late 80's?

Bards

Quigs Snr wrote:

City cycles is still there but not open for business anymore. Remember the auld lad there, sound as a pound he was. Always had something special out back he'd sell you for half nothing. His wife is still alive I see her around the place from time to time. Bought a couple of bikes in there in the late eighties.

Anyone else remember a bike shop opposite the gingerman in the late 80's?

I'd say it was more like early 80's.. but I do remember it but can't think of the name

Jambo

Does anyone remember when Grubbs was accross the street from where it is today ( Now Great Deal Carpets , ex Frank English ) I think they moved out more than 20years ago but even then I rembember going in ther and it was like stepping into a time capsule .
The Grubb & Co Mirror that now hangs by the kitchen in Geoffs unsed to hang halfway up the stairs .

Is Whittles shop still open or is it shut I remember getting the blaas in there in the mornings when I was still a nipper !

Aquos76

Yeah it was called George Whites if I remember correctly. I also remember that cycle shop it was called O' Donoghue's

Jambo

George Whites .. how did I get that one wrong .. so im wrong about the mirror in geoffs too !! stupid me !!

mike65

What was the name of the video rental shop on Barronstrand opposite the TSB? There was a record shop called Soundwaves I think. The vid shop had copies to buy in the window display I remember titles like Alien and The Exorcist priced at around 45-50 quid in 1982/3! :eek:

Mike.

JohnC.

Was there ever a HMV on (or around) Barronstrand Street? I remember an uncle buying a tape in a shop there and it had the famous dog and gramophone logo, but that's not strictly exclusive to HMV so maybe it could have been something else.

I also bought a C64 from Finns when they were on Arundle Lane. They were nice people.

dlofnep

Ah yeah, the wimpy! Almost forgot about that. And Fitzmaurices for boots.

shockwave

The only record shop I remember on Barronstrand st. was the original Sinnotts before they moved up to where they are now. There was another one beside the book centre but that only lasted a few months.

Aquos76

shockwave wrote:

There was another one beside the book centre but that only lasted a few months.

That was called Rockaway Records if memory serves me right. It was in the premises originally occupied by Stripes.

Freddie59

mike65 wrote:

What was the name of the video rental shop on Barronstrand opposite the TSB? There was a record shop called Soundwaves I think. The vid shop had copies to buy in the window display I remember titles like Alien and The Exorcist priced at around 45-50 quid in 1982/3! :eek:

Mike.

Sinnott's it was. I think they called it the Music Man. I remember paying a £40 DEPOSIT to watch movies when I bought my first VCR in 1979.:eek:

Aquos76

Wasn't Sinnots video store upstairs in their music shop in john street. There was another video shop called Video world along there by 4 Star pizza too. I think Mike is correct with the name of the one in Barronstrand street though

Aquos76

Another place was the Chuck Wagon next door to burgerland and there was also a Discount store next to the original Kentucky at the car stand. It may have been called KK Discounts.

Bards

ANother one for ye all

Cantwells Music store, Michael street where the News & Star offices are now

SLOOPY

What about the video arcade in what is now the book centre when i was in mt sion we called it "The Gloss" (why i dont know).

Was'nt that place called Glas Vegas?

trishw78

Rememeber going to the Metroland to see bands, and when Breens (Treacy's) had a night club called Olympus. Then there was stones or cheers or the Roxy depending on what generation you were. When Egan's was open and they had Flomotion I still have one of there consesition cards. Oh Remember when they handed out consesition cards. and you used to be able to buy sausages, chips and colslaw near the end of Flomotion. When the bowery was called excaliber and they had a replica viking ship in the middle of it with a table in it. I do remember never going there 'cause the rumour was that, that was where all the teachers went.

Freddie59

Aquos76 wrote:

Wasn't Sinnots video store upstairs in their music shop in john street. There was another video shop called Video world along there by 4 Star pizza too. I think Mike is correct with the name of the one in Barronstrand street though

Mike is indeed correct - that was Soundwave (owned by, I think, Brendan Fitzgerald, who subsequently moved it to where Strand Videos were in John Street). But Sinnott's occupied a premises two doors down from it. I know this because I bought a lot of stuff there. Great staff, very friendly.

http://archives.tcm.ie/waterfordnews/2003/11/14/story12544.asp

And here's a couple more:

Bolger's (where Dunne's Stores original store is on Michael Street).

And one we all forgot:

Hearne's on the Quay. Ran all the way from the Granville Ground Floor up to George's Street - remember they had the wire system for moving the cash around?

It was an absolutely huge shop.

And one more:

Dawson's on the Quay (near Fieldmaster).

And a recent one:

JD Sports on the Quay.

Quigs Snr

I remember Olympus alright or the Banana club as they called it on fridays. Get in before 10 (we're talking 1992/1993 here) and it was only 2 quid. 1.95 for a pint, a band, usually the stunning, the pale, the frames, the golden horde or someone like that, until midnight, followed by disco till after 2. My whole year at school used to go, with the Mcgees bouncing on the door. Around christmas the place would be packed to the gills, 2000 people or close. It was the place to be although not matter what they called it, it was always breens to us !

trishw78

I remember playing 28 in Breens tha's before they closed off one of the stairs and part of the balcony.

Dac51

The Regina Cinema on Patrick Street with 3 screens - Screen 2 was the Pullman on the ground floor, halfway up the stairs then for Screen 3 which was the Mini. Then up to the top of the stairs for Screen 1 - The Palace. Before we went in to see a film we would buy all of our sweets from the two old ladies across the roads (clothes shop there now?).

Joke shop in Georges Court - that brings back memories.

L&N grocery shop beside the Book Centre (current location)

Burgerland - The 80's substitute for McDonalds:D

When A-Wear was called Gay Wear anyone?

When Londis was in Lisduggan Shopping Centre (now Heaton's)

The Jet petrol station on the Cork Road (now Woodies). Completely surrounded by marshland.

When the Inner Ring Road didn't exist, i.e. to get to Ardkeen hospital you had to go into town and swing a right at the Tower Hotel and out the Park Road/Dunmore Road.

Cattle being loaded onto ships on the Quay where the Plaza is now.

Davy Macs pub where Masons is now.

And finally, taking a shortcut through town by driving up John Street, through Michael Street, Broad Street and swinging left past Darrers into Georges Street and down O'Connell street. Damn pedestrianised streets!!

Ah the memories......:)

dlofnep

Bescos taken over by Londis. What was the name of the shopping place where Argos is now again?

Aquos76

Darrer's grocery stood where Mcdonalds is now, Their drapery dept was mostly in where Argos is now.

mad man

Dac51 wrote:

The Regina Cinema on Patrick Street with 3 screens - Screen 2 was the Pullman on the ground floor, halfway up the stairs then for Screen 3 which was the Mini. Then up to the top of the stairs for Screen 1 - The Palace. Before we went in to see a film we would buy all of our sweets from the two old ladies across the roads (clothes shop there now?).

Joke shop in Georges Court - that brings back memories.

L&N grocery shop beside the Book Centre (current location)

Burgerland - The 80's substitute for McDonalds:D

When A-Wear was called Gay Wear anyone?

When Londis was in Lisduggan Shopping Centre (now Heaton's)

The Jet petrol station on the Cork Road (now Woodies). Completely surrounded by marshland.

When the Inner Ring Road didn't exist, i.e. to get to Ardkeen hospital you had to go into town and swing a right at the Tower Hotel and out the Park Road/Dunmore Road.

Cattle being loaded onto ships on the Quay where the Plaza is now.

Davy Macs pub where Masons is now.

And finally, taking a shortcut through town by driving up John Street, through Michael Street, Broad Street and swinging left past Darrers into Georges Street and down O'Connell street. Damn pedestrianised streets!!

Ah the memories......:)

L&N used to be up in Broad St.One of the buildings where Broad St. centre is now.I used to love this place and Chapmans because of the smell of ground coffee.It was a bit more gourmet and traditional than the L&N Hypermarket.

I believe there may have been another L&N in Hennessy's road on the other end of he block where the shop is(was?) previously known as Joe Revells oppossite Roanmore Terrace.

Freddie59

Some more:

The Emerald Isle Chipper opposite the Regina (Cineplex) in Patrick Street (still a chipper but modernised etc).

The Green Bank Cake Shop in Bridge Street.

Leahy's Cake Shop in the Mayors Walk.

Murphy's Shop in Bridge Street.

Freddie59

Dac51 wrote:

When A-Wear was called Gay Wear anyone?

Have to hold my hands up to that one....:o

And what about the Regal Cinema (remember the Fu Manchu movies starring Christopher Lee)?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059162/

mullanimal

leahy's donuts were something else...

but does anyone remember cream buns... they usedta go stale in about 60 seconds but the crayme was just out of dis wuhurld!

meldrew

Ah cream buns I remember there was a lad used go around the housing estates selling cakes and buns from the back of a blue van , and what about the chip vans waiting for them to come round at night when you.d be after getting a few bob!

soldering iron

What about the park shop, jam donuts from a heated tin box, I think the lady name was Alice. They had a guesthouse next to the shop; I remember they moved back to Kerry when they sold the shop

dlofnep

Aquos76 wrote:

Darrer's grocery stood where Mcdonalds is now, Their drapery dept was mostly in where Argos is now.

bullpost

I have vague recollections of a newsagent/magazine place over around Georges Street , which was wholesale only , but would sell you a comic if you went in. I think we used to go in there if there was a comic coming out with a free gift which would be hard to get up town. I also think it might have been called Easons? I'm talking late sixties, early seventies here!