'Ghost signs'

Little Alex · 05-12-2009 9:38am

There's a pub in Rathgar village called The Bottler's Bank. There's an old sign above that says Munster & Leinster bank Ltd. I'll take a photo the next time I'm there.

Gaspode · 05-12-2009 12:40pm

Good to see the Metro-burger sign, I worked there in 1985/86 when it opened first. Never really got great business, and had some seriously dodgy characters at night.

vektarman · 05-12-2009 12:51pm

Little Alex wrote: »

There's a pub in Rathgar village called The Bottler's Bank. There's an old sign above that says Munster & Leinster bank Ltd. I'll take a photo the next time I'm there.

That's a nice piece of urban history, they merged with some smaller banks to become AIB, there was a Munster & Leinster building in Prussia Street but when I went to take a pic the sign had been cemented over.:(

Wishbone Ash · 05-12-2009 6:13pm

Little Alex wrote: »

There's an old sign above that says Munster & Leinster bank Ltd. I'll take a photo the next time I'm there.

That can be seen over a lot of the more ornate AIB's.

Many of the Bank of Ireland premises still have their old name "Hibernian Bank".

tricky D · 05-12-2009 6:33pm

Following on from Alan Rouge's pavement mosaics, there's the Stag's Head one on Dame St beside Iskanders. It was taken up a few years ago during works and when they laid it back, they put it the wrong way facing away from the pub, despite being told by dozens of passersby. Idiots.

Wishbone Ash · 05-12-2009 7:04pm

"Hibernian Bank 1824" over the door of the NIB in College Green.

A former branch of the "Provincial Bank" on College Street (now part of the Westin Hotel) which amalgamated into the AIB group.

Another former bank on College Green (now Ceasars restaurant). Can anyone make it out - "Yorkshire and......"?

ericl · 05-12-2009 10:12pm

Wishbone i think thats Yorkshire Assurance Company i was reading this

http://www.chaptersofdublin.com/books/Chart/chart7.htm

and it's mentioned in paragraph 11.

Wishbone Ash · 06-12-2009 1:31pm

Abbey Street Lower

Bachelor's Way

Camden Street Upper

Masada · 06-12-2009 3:06pm

That last one is brilliant.,

oldscoil · 07-12-2009 10:08am

Excellent thread.

Well done to OP.

Any "sign"

of McHugh Himself?!?:pac:

Hermy · 09-12-2009 12:39am

Some more 'ghost signs'...

Original site of Jacobs Biscuits in Bishop Street - now part of DIT.

As the sign says - Patients Entrance - the Dental Hospital in Lincoln Place.

I'm sure you're all familiar with Foxes cigar shop on Grafton Street...

...but does anyone know if this entrance around the corner in College Green was the original?

Also, always remember to look up!

Next door to Foxes is Peterson of Dublin...

...formerly Kapp and Peterson.

They have a few old signs outside...

...but this one is in O'Connell Street. Had they a shop here?

This old sign hangs above an amusement arcade in Westmoreland Street.

Bewleys in Westmoreland Street.

Is this Royal Liver sign still current?

And finally old and new at O'Connell Bridge...

09-12-2009 8:24pm

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Camden Street Upper

This building was destroyed (using hand grenades) by Captain J.C. Bowen-Colthurst of the British Army during the Easter Rising in 1916.

Francis Sheehy-Skeffington "was taken to Portobello Barracks, where he was held as an enemy sympathizer. Later that evening, he was taken out as a hostage with a raiding party led by Captain J.C. Bowen-Colthurst to the home and shop of Alderman James Kelly, at the corner of Camden Street and Harcourt Road (from which the name "Kelly's Corner" derives). Mistaking the Alderman (a conservative) for a rebel, the soldiers destroyed the shop with hand grenades. On the way back to Rathmines, Skeffington was the witness to two murders committed by Bowen-Colthurst and his party on two unarmed civilians (one of them a 17-year-old boy from Mountpleasant Avenue returning from Rathmines church).

The following morning Bowen-Colthurst ordered his sergeant to organise a firing party to shoot dead Sheehy-Skeffington and two pro-British journalists—Thomas Dixon (a disabled Scotsman) and Patrick McIntyre—who were unlucky enough to have been in Kelly's shop when it was raided. The three were shot in the back as they walked towards a wall in the barracks yard."

starn · 09-12-2009 9:02pm

O'Connell St

Marks Lane

Dord · 09-12-2009 9:12pm

starn wrote: »

O'Connell St

i believe this was covered up for many years and only uncovered a while back. I think there was an advert or something over it.

admiralofthefleet · 09-12-2009 10:15pm

starn wrote: »

Marks Lane

hugh jordan! they have been all over dublin

arybvtcw0eolkf · 10-12-2009 12:10am

Just a huge thanks for everyone who has contributed to the thread.

Fantastic stuff.

spurious · 10-12-2009 12:25am

There is a very very old ghost sign that has been sandblasted (I think) from the railway wall at the end of my street. In certain light, after light rain the outline of it is still visible. It is for a carriage makers and I think the company name is Crooks. I keep meaning to try get a photo - I'll try next time it's visible.

Wishbone Ash · 10-12-2009 12:23pm

Hermy wrote: »

...but this one is in O'Connell Street. Had they a shop here?

Presumably they did as the 'KP' logo is still on the woodwork of Elvery's Sports

Wishbone Ash · 10-12-2009 12:46pm

The former Iveagh Play Centre on Bull Alley Street (now a college).

'Baxendale's' on the corner of Capel Street and Great Strand Street.

Former UCD Medical School plaque on the wall of 'Urban Outfitters' on Cecelia Street.

admiralofthefleet · 10-12-2009 1:38pm

fantastic stuff, great if it could be stickied

arybvtcw0eolkf · 10-12-2009 2:02pm

admiralofthefleet wrote: »

fantastic stuff, great if it could be stickied

Anyone else like to see this stickied?.

I don't mind, but too many stickies and the forum looks a little cluttered.

Opinions?.

Meeja Ireland · 10-12-2009 3:08pm

Nasir Colossal Silkworm wrote: »

Anyone else like to see this stickied?.

I don't mind, but too many stickies and the forum looks a little cluttered.

Opinions?.

I think it's a great thread, and will really appeal to anyone who stumbles across the forum. I take your point about clutter, but I'd vote this a big lurker's Yes.

arybvtcw0eolkf · 10-12-2009 3:38pm

Meeja Ireland wrote: »

I think it's a great thread, and will really appeal to anyone who stumbles across the forum. I take your point about clutter, but I'd vote this a big lurker's Yes.

Thanks, I've taken down a few stickies in anticipation that this will get the go ahead from you guys.

Any other opinions?.

Masada · 10-12-2009 3:42pm

Its popular enough to be on the front page anyway, so doesn't really need to be stickied huh.,:)

admiralofthefleet · 10-12-2009 4:10pm

Nasir Colossal Silkworm wrote: »

Thanks, I've taken down a few stickies in anticipation that this will get the go ahead from you guys.

Any other opinions?.

hopefully it will end up like the historical dublin thread and will get a great deal of attention. my opinion is that if its left on the front page it could go the same way as the picture game, ie. only brought up every now and then.

lord lucan · 10-12-2009 5:32pm

+1 for a sticky from me,it's easily on a par with the Dublin historical pictures thread imo.

lord lucan · 10-12-2009 5:37pm

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

'Baxendale's' on the corner of Capel Street and Great Strand Street.

I used to live above that place for 3 years!:)

Wishbone Ash · 10-12-2009 7:07pm

Chancery Street

Great Charles Street

City Quay

The Coombe

Cork Hill

Cork Street

Upper Dorset Street (Anyone know what 'LSE' was?)

Duke Street - a sign remaining from when BT occupied that site before moving across to Switzers.

Duke Street (Now part of M&S)

10-12-2009 7:09pm

Couple I snapped today:

Upper Abbey Street. Mooney & Co. Ltd. Wine & Spirits.

Parnell Street. The Shakespeare (Now a lovely Korean pub/restaurant called The Hop House)

Parnell Street. This used to be a pub called The Blue Lion (The lion is still above the door)

What it used to look like:

Capel Street. The Irish Firm (?)

Parliament Street. Thomas Reads (It was the oldest shop in Dublin).

Essex Street, Temple Bar. The Dolphin Hotel & Restaurant.

10-12-2009 9:03pm

1968 wrote: »

Couple I snapped today:
Parliament Street. Thomas Reads (It was the oldest shop in Dublin).

1997 Irish Times article:

Read's of Parliament Street, the oldest shop in Dublin, has closed "until further notice" and is unlikely ever to reopen as a cutlers. The business was founded in 1675 and had been trading at its present location for over 200 years.

Through peaceful and turbulent times over the past two centuries it was the place to buy a good pair of scissors or a set of kitchen knives. All of its current stock, housed in glass cabinets, is still in place behind the shuttered windows. Mr Michael Smith, of An Taisce, said Read's was another victim of the property boom, along with many other Dublin icons which had become casualties of the Celtic Tiger economy that was turning the city into a "faceless, nameless place".

"An Taisce has been railing about this for years, that loads of money plus inadequate protection for our heritage spells cultural collapse at a rate that's directly proportionate to our economic growth. Other cities are more careful to retain the things that are important."

Mr Smith said Read's was not only the oldest but the most charming shop in Dublin, with much of its interior still intact. "The owner promised to keep it and even to put in a museum on the first floor, but, needless to say, this hasn't happened," he added.

Mr Hugh O'Regan, the pub transformation wizard who acquired Read's four years ago, told The Irish Times that it was "unlikely we will reopen it as a cutlers' shop", though he emphasised that no final decision had been taken on its fate.

"We had a couple of bad incidents there recently. Ronnie Carbury, the cutler who had served in the shop for 40 years, was threatened by three guys with knives who robbed the till. There wasn't much in it, admittedly, as the shop doesn't make any money."

Mr O'Regan borrowed the name of its founder, Thomas Read, for his pub next door, which incorporates The Oak bar on Dame Street. Its interior contains elements of the elaborately carved pulpit from St George's Church in Hardwicke Place.

He has planning permission for a hotel on the upper floors of Thomas Read's and The Oak, having initially considered an apartment conversion. Two apartments and the promised museum were to be installed on the upper floors of the old cutlers' shop.

"It would be great to maintain the shop as a cutlers, but unfortunately it doesn't pay. If someone came up with a range of goods that would appeal to tourists, I would consider it," Mr O'Regan said. "On the other hand, maybe the OPW would like to take it over."

---

Eamon Mac Thomais visits Reads and talk about its unrivaled history

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm_fwV9ERM8

06:45 mins in.

'Ghost signs'

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