Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Disappearing Buildings

Options
  • 13-08-2012 12:42am
    #1
    Jellybaby1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,108 ✭✭✭


    Unsure where this should go, please move if I'm wrong. When old buildings are being demolished, is there a particular body perhaps in the line of heritage, that photographs and records the buildings before they are pulled down? I sometimes get photos in time, but a lot of the time I don't hear about a particular building getting demolished and then its too late. Are there any laws pertaining to this? Also is there a website that lists demolitions? Hoping someone might know this.


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    pedroeibar1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,108 ✭✭✭pedroeibar1


    I don't know of any Irish site for demolitions, but there are a couple in the UK.
    It depends on the building. Listed / protected buildings cannot be touched and it is an offence to harm them. Most county councils have an on-line list of ‘Protected Structures’ in their jurisdictions. Permission is required to demolish a building and that usually triggers publicity, usually An Taisce or the Friends of the Environment. If it is an important building it will be recorded either by professionals, others by keen amateurs. There is a heritage officer for every county and some counties have produced a photo database although I believe that funding for this has now stopped and the task is far from completed. Prosecutions for interfering with a protected structure do happen but generally they are for the major infractions and punishment is not very onerous when measured against the material gain. See http://www.independent.ie/national-news/businessman-told-to-halt-demolition-of-listed-mansion-2956133.html
    One very serious / famous case was an Art Deco garage in Dublin, Archers in Fenian Street – it was demolished over a weekend and the developer had to rebuild it, although he got away with replacing the facade and doing what he wanted behind the front wall. Another was the demolition of a convent in Harolds Cross a couple of years ago.
    Have a look at www.archiseek.com, lots of links & info there. The Lawrence collection at the NLI (many photos available online http://www.nli.ie/en/PDBLawrS.aspx ) is another good source mainly for the ‘Big Houses’ but they also have streetscapes.
    An Taisce might have what you require and certainly could give you a pointer or two.


  • Options
    #3
    Jellybaby1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,108 ✭✭✭Jellybaby1


    Thank you for all that info pedroeibar1. It makes very interesting reading. I expect the space left by the larger properties would be noticed when they 'disappear', but I was wondering about smaller buildings which can go unnoticed. A family member wanted to photograph an old disused huckster shop in her area but by the time she had the idea to do it, and bringing her camera to the site, there it was and it gone! Typical! I often notice on the Genealogy forum folk looking for their old family homes, long gone, and wondered how wonderful if there had been a record kept and stored somewhere like the NLI. I now carry my camera around with me permanently.


  • Options
    #4
    Archeron
    Registered Users Posts: 6,174 ✭✭✭Archeron


    If there was an image of a particular building you wanted, is it possible it might still be visible on Google earth street view? Cant imagine that gets updated too often.


  • Options
    #5
    slowburner
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 5,218 Mod ✭✭✭✭slowburner


    Jellybaby1 wrote: »
    Thank you for all that info pedroeibar1. It makes very interesting reading. I expect the space left by the larger properties would be noticed when they 'disappear', but I was wondering about smaller buildings which can go unnoticed. A family member wanted to photograph an old disused huckster shop in her area but by the time she had the idea to do it, and bringing her camera to the site, there it was and it gone! Typical! I often notice on the Genealogy forum folk looking for their old family homes, long gone, and wondered how wonderful if there had been a record kept and stored somewhere like the NLI. I now carry my camera around with me permanently.
    There is an extensive collection of digitized photos at the NLI, although not specifically to do with buildings. You're probably well aware of the collections, but here's the link anyhoo. The Lawrence collections are a spectacular record.
    http://www.nli.ie/digital-photographs.aspx


  • Options
    #6
    Jellybaby1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,108 ✭✭✭Jellybaby1


    slowburner wrote: »
    There is an extensive collection of digitized photos at the NLI, although not specifically to do with buildings. You're probably well aware of the collections, but here's the link anyhoo. The Lawrence collections are a spectacular record.
    http://www.nli.ie/digital-photographs.aspx

    Yes slowburner, I remember first finding that particular collection online. I must have spent hours going through it into the wee hours. Very enjoyable.
    Archeron wrote: »
    If there was an image of a particular building you wanted, is it possible it might still be visible on Google earth street view? Cant imagine that gets updated too often.

    Thanks for reminding me of that. We found it there. Much obliged! From there I found someone else had photographed the little shop too and they had it on Flickr too. Really happy to see that. Ta very much.


  • Advertisement
Advertisement