Dublin 15 Historic Pictures Thread

Gaspode

Hi all, this thread is for users to post pictures from the D15 area highlighting some of the historic places or people that came from here.
When posting, identify the place and if you know any of the history around it, let usknow that too.

I'll get the ball rolling, if anyone wants to follow, work away.


Here's a photo of Ashtown Crossroads from 1948.




In the centre we have the Ashtown Tin Box company, which is where DG Gowan are now. I think the box co. are now located at a far smaller premises in Finglas.
To the right of that you can see the monument to Martin Savage, which is now placed against the wall of the racecourse at the roundabout.

Further right is Kellys (Halfway House) Pub.

Near the Very top right you can (just about!) see the dome of the observatory in Dunsink, and just below it the below it, Dunsinea and Scribblestown.
Peeping through the trees near the centre of the picture is Ashton House.

bottom right is a house who's name I cant remember (I think it may have been belvedere or windemere) which was replaced by apartments a few years ago.

Gaspode

The world famous Rathborne Candle makers were based in the Dunsinea/Scribblestown area from the 1790s to the 1920s.
The company is over 500 years old, one of Irelands oldest established businesses, though it now seems to be owned by Lalors.

The new developments around Ashtown have taken on the Rathborne name, and some of the blocks have names based on the candle business (Waxworks, chandlers etc)

The Dunsinea factory site is currently home to Manders Coatings & inks and Metro motors, and is near the new all-weather pitches that Pheonix FC own.


This picture shows some candles being mad around 1896.



This one shows rows of wax laid out in the fields around Dunsinea to be bleached by the sun:

If I can dig up any more photos from there I'll post them.

glossy

wow intresting how Ashtown crossroad looked like back then

suey71

What a great idea for a thread.
Has anyone got any photos of Clonsilla?

Enii

Gaspode wrote: »

bottom right is a house who's name I cant remember (I think it may have been belvedere or windemere) which was replaced by apartments a few years ago.

It was called Belvedere as far as I can remember and was owned by the Hendron Family.

suey71

I heard that about 10 or so years ago, the old woman who owned that house was approached by a builder and was offered the princely some of 250,000euro for her house and land. She took the offer and a year later the builder sold the houses that he built for 250,000euro for the cheapest house.:(.

I hope this isn't true, but it wouldn't surprise me if it was.

Gaspode

From the National Archives - Castleknock college & Dunsink Observatory around 1880

Gaspode

No info on these photos, just came across them on a site.

O'Briens forge, Blanchardstown


St. Brigid's blanchardstown



Blanchardstown Brass Band in 1946, looks like they're marching in Pheonix Park?
I think this band is still on the go.

oblivious

Nice work Gaspode

O'Briens forge I believe was situated where Garden house now is.

Bunnyhopper

I have a set of pictures on Flickr of the construction of the original M50 roundabout. They were taken in February 1990, to the best of my recollection.

Gaspode

An aerial view of Blanchardstown, but unfortunately I cant find a date for it. Anyone care to try identify some of the landmarks?

amdublin

Bunnyhopper wrote: »

I have a set of pictures on Flickr of the construction of the original M50 roundabout. They were taken in February 1990, to the best of my recollection.

Nice pics bunnyhopper!

There's a great set of arial photos in the corridors of the upstairs toilets in the Blanchardstown Towncentre of the construction/development of the Blanch site/SC

suey71

Gaspode wrote: »

An aerial view of Blanchardstown, but unfortunately I cant find a date for it. Anyone care to try identify some of the landmarks?

Great picture. Well it predates JC Hospital(1955) as its not there. The 3 story building in the center right by the Canal is the old flower mill, built(late 1700's). it became the British Margerine Factory(from early 1900's) and then the Crest factory(1972-1984) were the apartments at the 12th lock are now. The high tower beside the factory is also part of the mill. The new apts. are named after this mill.( The Mill Apartments).

The fields to the bottom left of the mill, on the other side of the canal was called Brady's farm.

This picture was taken after the houses on Herbert Road (on Mill road) were built. So find the year they were built and you have a rough idea of when the picture was taken.

It also looks like Davy and Phelans Pub(The Bell) wasn't built yet.

suey71

If your really interested in the local history of D15. then you should get a book called "A Candle in The Window" by a local Historian/writer called Jim Lacey. Fantastic reading, everything you've ever wanted to know about the area, including The Pheonix Park, Chapelizod and Cabra. Lots of ghost stories in there too. Plus lots of the names of old local families from Hundreds of years ago. And lots of photos.

They sell it in Eason's.(Nice Christmas Prezzy for yourself).

quank

Great idea for a thread. It would class to get comparison pictures taken from the same spot from 2009, or whenever.

lmmoonbeam1976

i have up tp date ones of blanchardstown village and church lane
- road beside mace - would it be ok to up load them ??

Zaph

Yeah, go for it. Even though most people are probably familiar enough with the area, it's good to see a comparison against how it used to be.

Kaldorn

http://www.askaboutireland.ie/learning-zone/primary-students/looking-at-places/fingal/blanchardstown-through-ti/blanchardstown-village/images-from-the-past/

suey71

WOW! Kaldorn, I've never seen most of these photos before and a great read too. A real treasure trove.

lmmoonbeam1976

there is one on the extra link that shows my grandmothers house
i went to Scoil Bhride primary behind the church and lived in blanch village while attending primary
i remember the "70 " bus only went through the village 3 times a day - 830am , 230pm , and 615pm lol and it was an old single decker - A KC OR KE

mm lets see what else i can remember -

• Godleys - where the old AIB was - now its an unused space opposite the greyhound
• o reilly butchers - used to be where the NIB is now
• the old garda station - where the adult eduacation is now
• the old forge - where the garden house is now

suey71

I vaguely remember Godleys.
I haven't heard that name in years.

Has anyone got any photos of the old thatch cottage shop in Clonsilla?

Its amazing, you never appreciate these wonderful places until there gone and you never think that there worthy of being photographed until there gone too.

Like the photos that Immoonbeam 1976 has, these might seem just so so now but in 20 or 30 years these photos will be treasured.

BostonB

Kaldorn wrote: »

http://www.askaboutireland.ie/learning-zone/primary-students/looking-at-places/fingal/blanchardstown-through-ti/blanchardstown-village/images-from-the-past/

I remember that Donnelly's Public House building. It was a Bicycle shop when I knew it.

Godleys I remeber that alright, and the bank beside it.

suey71

Is that Berty Donnelly's AKA The Shanty?

I heard he was a champion Cyclist in his day.

amdublin

Anyone know anything about the history of Clonsilla House??

It is where the Portersgate Estate is now.

The tree to the left is still there I believe.

http://www.ihpc.ie/ihpc/Main/Enquiry.asp?iPictureID=15034&iTownID=1466&iCountyID=12

suey71

I'd love to know a bit about the history of this house too.

The residents of Portersgate had the branches chopped off the tree to the right of the house about 3 years ago but it refuses to die and is sprouting new shoots. This tree is huge. It has to be hundreds of years old, a big old Silver Birch I think.

Enii

lmmoonbeam1976 wrote: »

Godleys - :

Did this have hidious knitted cardigans and white underpants in the window display?

Or am I remembering horrible window displays that never existed?

amdublin

Enii wrote: »

Did this have hidious knitted cardigans and white underpants in the window display?

Or am I remembering horrible window displays that never existed?

OMG! Godleys!!!!!!!

Now there's a blast from the past!

I remember cardigans. But not sure about the underwears!

Enii

amdublin wrote: »

OMG! Godleys!!!!!!!

Now there's a blast from the past!

I remember cardigans. But not sure about the underwears!

So I am imagining the under-wares! Eugh I have a sick mind!

miamee

suey71 wrote: »

Is that Berty Donnelly's AKA The Shanty?

I heard he was a champion Cyclist in his day.

I think that's right, I remember an uncle of mine telling me that they used to cycle to Navan from Cabra with his cycling club and would always stop at Donnellys for a drink on the way - not sure if that was alcoholic or not though

JupiterKid

These seems to be a real dearth of aerial images of Dublin 15 in years gone by. Even photos from the 1960s and 1970s when major development of the area was only getting underway would be of great historic value, given how recent much of the housing in the area is.

I would hazard a guess that the aerial image of the Royal Canal and Blanchardstown village wolud date from the late 1930s or 1940s - after the houses on Herbert Road were built but before the houses on the old Navan Road were developed and Davy & Phelans Pub was built.

oblivious

BostonB wrote: »

I remember that Donnelly's Public House building. It was a Bicycle shop when I knew it.

Got my first bike there and a few after that!

Nolimits

I think my dad would love this thread, he was originally born in a cottage just behind The Shanty pub in Mulhuddart before moving up to Bridgits park when he was a young lad. If there are people on here that remember alot of this stuff you probably either knew my family or are my family.

Gaspode

Dont suppose you or your dad have any old photos from that area you'd like to share?

Nolimits

Gaspode wrote: »

Dont suppose you or your dad have any old photos from that area you'd like to share?

I doubt it, he's not really that kinda person and I don't live with him anymore.

January

Nolimits wrote: »

I think my dad would love this thread, he was originally born in a cottage just behind The Shanty pub in Mulhuddart before moving up to Bridgits park when he was a young lad. If there are people on here that remember alot of this stuff you probably either knew my family or are my family.

Those cottages on the way up to the graveyard is it?

Nolimits

adrieanne__x wrote: »

Those cottages on the way up to the graveyard is it?

They are on the way up to the graveyard but I dont think they are the ones your thinking of. There were two cottages just behind The Shanty/ Guilios facing the backs of The Shanty/Guilios. He was born in one of those. They were only knocked down a few years ago to make way for some flats.

January

I know the ones that used to be there where the fishing tackle shop was. They new apartments are there now yeah.

JesusJuice

Nolimits wrote: »

They are on the way up to the graveyard but I dont think they are the ones your thinking of. There were two cottages just behind The Shanty/ Guilios facing the backs of The Shanty/Guilios. He was born in one of those. They were only knocked down a few years ago to make way for some flats.

One of those cottages was the Carr's place, am i wrong?

Nolimits

JesusJuice wrote: »

One of those cottages was the Carr's place, am i wrong?

I honestly couldn't tell you.

wildlifeboy

it sure was, I am a friend of Alan Carr been in the house a few times. his uncle is the milkman Mr ayres or Ayresbo as we call him

sw15

Hi just to let you know that about a year ago a new heritage group for D15 was set up (South West Fingal Heritage) to try and gather photos, research and generally try to preserve some heritage before the housing estates and developments take over! If you're interested you can get details in Blanchardstown library.

(You mightnt know this but Fingal actually means land of the foreigner! Very appropriate given the new demographics ... which will be facinating for anyone looking at the census records in 50 years!).

January

Might be a bit of a weird question for this thread but weren't Fingal supposed to become a county of their own a couple of years ago? Or was that just a weird dream I had???

Gaspode

It did for a while alright - there used to be a sign on the Navan Road at the Halfway House saying 'Welcome to County Fingal'
They disappeared a few years ago, not sure why.

Darach1

Gaspode wrote: »

An aerial view of Blanchardstown, but unfortunately I cant find a date for it. Anyone care to try identify some of the landmarks?

This aerial photograph shows the area occupied by my grandfather's farm. The family house was at the double bridge on the Ashtown side of the Navan Road, and his public house was what is now the Bell, previously Davy & Phelan's. Is it possible to obtain a higher quality version of this photograph? I can post a photgraph of the pub when it was Corcoran's. when I figure out how to do this on the website.

Nolimits

JesusJuice wrote: »

One of those cottages was the Carr's place, am i wrong?

I was with him today and thought of this thread, yeah one of them belonged to a family called Carr

py2006

Gaspode wrote: »

An aerial view of Blanchardstown, but unfortunately I cant find a date for it. Anyone care to try identify some of the landmarks?

I am finding it hard to get my barings on this pic! Is that Blanchardstown Church towards the top left?

It seems to be a different angle or is that because the roads are different! Is the road that starts from the bottom left the road coming from Castleknock? The turn left into Blanch village seems a bit more angular in them days?

LadyW

Showing my age here but I think I can spot the old Crest Factory near the "main road" running through the right hand side of the picture.

Pat Dunne

LadyW wrote: »

Showing my age here but I think I can spot the old Crest Factory near the "main road" running through the right hand side of the picture.

You're spot on, the Crest factory at the bend in the Navan road I say the photo was taken in the 1930's, as the roads appear to be pre-tarmacadam.

Amazing to see the fields to the left of the second bridge which is where Roselawn is now.

LadyW

1930's? Wow, I had no idea the Crest factory was that old. Any idea what year it closed down?

sw15

Local author Jim Lacey (Candle in the Window) will be showing old photos of Dublin 15 at part of Heritage week in Blanchardstown Library on Wed 25 August 2010 at 7pm - so mark your diary!

Pat Dunne

LadyW wrote: »

1930's? Wow, I had no idea the Crest factory was that old. Any idea what year it closed down?

I'm no expert but judging but the type of stone work used in the building and the way the place is laid out I'd say the place could well go back to the 1830's.