Reading the Signs
  • Blog
  • Cork
    • Cork City >
      • Derelict Cork
      • Cork City Plaques >
        • Arts & Artists
        • Buildings with Dates >
          • Individual Buildings or Houses >
            • 1847 Blarney St School
            • 1854 Greenmount School
            • 1856 Kyrl's St
            • 1856 Ladyswell Brewery
            • 1860 Cornmarket Arch
            • 1860 Richmond Cottage
            • 1860 Roman St
            • 1864 Butter Market House
            • 1865 Waterworks Chimney
            • 1870 Maryville
            • 1870 St. Paul's Avenue
            • 1871 North Presentation
            • 1874 Courthouse Chambers
            • 1878 Distillery Chimney
            • 1881 Neptune House
            • 1883 Reardens
            • 1888 Waterworks
            • 1889 St. Luke's N.S.
            • 1890 Kennedy Quay
            • 1892 Cork Baptist Church
            • 1894 Jamesville
            • 1895 Courthouse
            • 1896 Dun Desmond
            • 1897 Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital
            • 1900 Lough Hall
            • 1902 Fitzgerald's Park
            • 1913 St. Joseph's N.S.
            • 1914 64 St. Patrick's St
            • 1925 1 Libertas Villas
            • 1926 Capwell P.O.
            • 1928 Castlegreine
            • 1928 College Stream House
            • 1958 Churchfield B.N.S.
            • 1968 Scouthut
            • 1971 Library
            • 1994 McHugh House
          • Developments & Multiple Buildings >
            • 1719 Skiddy's Almhouses
            • 1761 Tuckey St
            • 1766 Millerd Street
            • 1767 James St
            • 1782 Farrens St
            • 1785 Grenville Place
            • 1832 Montenotte Road
            • 1833 Rotunda Buildings
            • 1833 York Terrace
            • 1836 Millfield Cottages
            • 1836 Rockspring Terrace
            • 1837 St. Luke's Place
            • 1853 Eglinton Place
            • 1865 Langford Terrace
            • 1878 College View Terrace
            • 1880 Bellevue Terrace
            • 1880 Bloomfield Terrace
            • 1882 Friar St
            • 1882 St James's Place
            • 1883 Monarea Terrace
            • 1883 Walsh's Square
            • 1886 Madden's Buildings
            • 1889 Marina Villas
            • 1894 Wynneville
            • 1895 St. John's Terrace
            • 1896 Balmoral Terrace
            • 1897 Ophelia Terrace
            • 1898 Centenary Crescent
            • 1898 Tramore Villas
            • 1900 Corporation Buildings
            • 1903 O'Connor Ville
            • 1905 St. Vincent's Terrace
            • 1907 Millview Cottages
            • 1907 Rock View Terrace
            • 1908 Arthur Villas
            • 1915 Morton Villas
            • 1932 Ardfoyle Terrace
            • 1932 Elmgrove
            • 1934 St Joseph's
            • 1940 St Vincent's View
            • 1982 Ardfert
            • 1983 St. John's Square
            • 1994 Red Abbey Court
            • 1999 Adelaide Court
            • 2004 Alexandra Court
        • Cork City Commemorative Plaques
        • Fenian Plaques >
          • Plaques
      • Cork City Timeline
      • Eucharistic Tiles - Cork
      • Cork Wheelguards
      • Grottos in Cork City
      • War of Independence - People >
        • Terence MacSwiney
    • Co. Cork >
      • Grottos in Co Cork
      • Clonakilty Jungle City >
        • Barrister Bill
        • Children's Green Dream
        • Cloich na Coillte Tiger
        • Crocakilty
        • Dufair
        • Horny Bill
        • Make Us Safe (Lucy)
        • Old Mill Car Park
        • 8/9 Pearse St
        • 26/27 Pearse St
        • Precious Tears
        • Taidghín Tiger
        • Tara
        • Wolfe Tone Street Roundabout
  • Not Cork
    • Clare - Ennis YHS Tiles
    • Clare - Co. Clare YHS Tiles
    • Clare - Ennis Grottos
    • Clare - Grottos
    • Kerry - Civil War Memorials
    • Kerry - Grottos
    • Limerick - Civil War Memorials
    • Co. Limerick - YHS Tiles
    • Limerick - YHS Tiles
  • Not Munster
    • Dublin YHS Tiles
    • Co. Galway YHS Tiles
    • Galway City YHS Tiles
    • Co. Mayo YHS Tiles
    • Athlone YHS Tiles
  • Groupings
    • Famine Memorials
    • Irish Words
    • Old Ads
    • Post Boxes
    • Roadside Memorials
    • Ghostsigns
    • ESB Logo, etc
    • Street Art
    • People
  • Contact
Search the site

MIXED MESSAGES.

Using signs, advertisements and messages as the inspiration for observation and comment - enlightened and otherwise

BLOG

Wall Art John Redmond St

31/3/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
If a building is no longer used and it is necessary to board up the windows and doors to minimise vandalism, I think it a good idea to get your revenge in first.

Set the standard before the graffiti scrawlers get there.

0 Comments

Thoughts on Religion

30/3/2013

0 Comments

 
Since starting this blog a few months ago, a few things have changed somewhat with me. For one, I generally have a camera in my pocket. For another, I am looking at buildings, signs and messages and am conscious as to what is my first and immediate thought.

Picture
Dunbar St
Recently, I was walking up Dunbar St and a number of thoughts battled for prominence:

·         When was the most recent grotto erected in Cork? I suspect not too recently.

·         Are grottos akin to fairyforts? There appears to be an anti-religion sentiment prevailing among those I discuss the matter. I do not think I know anyone who would construct a grotto. But fairly sure I do not know anyone who would knock a grotto to create a development site.

·         Maybe another page for the blog with Grottos in Cork.

·         I wondered how many people actually stopped for thought or prayer at the grotto on a daily basis.

For most of these thoughts and queries, I did not have the answer.

Read More
0 Comments

Painted Signs - New

29/3/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
Winthrop St
A classic win-win situation.

The upper floors of commercial premises are regularly less than fully occupied and the external finish can be less than perfect – look over the shop-front on any street and you will note an amount of surfaces in need of some attention.

The cost of painting the walls to the upper floors was somewhat offset by the marketing value received.
.    .     .
0 Comments

Scotts - Ch. 2 of Rebranding Dangers

28/3/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
Caroline St., Cork
Picture
I am still lost as to why they changed the name from Scotts to The Oliver Plunkett.

I would only be an infrequent customer - and always during the day- so have no experience as to whether namechange inproved their attractiveness as a music venue but doubt it somehow.

But when they changed the name, I would have thought that the gate should also have been changed - even if it is a nice gate with its own design.

I suspect that they will have some difficulty retaining the bars and just replacing the lettering with the new longer name. Maybe an idea for a customer competition.

0 Comments

Gaelic Athletic Association

27/3/2013

1 Comment

 
Picture
Victoria Hotel, Patrick's St
I can understand a plaque for inaugural meeting of an organisation.

A notice commemorating a final meeting, I can also comprehend.

But the second meeting makes no sense to me – why not the fourth? the fifth?  or,  even every meeting ? Are they all not equally worthy of recognition?

This looks like a sign just for the sake of it.

1 Comment

William Dunlea

26/3/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
Blackpool Village
Another name that was new to me.

Education received through the internet – Cork City Library. I will keep an eye out for the book by Jim McKeon

This signs proves that one takes in alot more when walking rather than driving.

0 Comments

Doubting the Sign

25/3/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
Bridge St, Cork
Maybe it is that the premises was remodelled not too long ago.

Maybe it is because I haven't seen a skip, a van, or builders in the last week or so.

Maybe it is the current economic climate planting doubt where none ought to exist.

Maybe it is spooting and auctioneer entering the property one afternoon last week.

Or maybe, and hopefully, I am just over sceptical

0 Comments

Cork Chemical and Drug Co. Ltd

24/3/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
Elbow Lane (Off Oliver Plunkett St)
Spotted this sign recently when gates to Elbow Lane were open. I have no recollection of the company being on Cook St. but the internet is a fount of knowledge.

The Company was formed in March 1896 and dissolved in April 1999. So the sign has well outlived the company.

In 1907 they were based at 80-81 Patrick St. which is where HMV were upto recently and prior to that the Pavilion Cinema. Then in 1925, they had moved to another future entertainment venue at 108 Patrick St. – the Savoy.

By 1932, they had moved to 4 Cook St which was upto recently occupied by Tubes Surf shop. They were still there in 1945.

0 Comments

James Barry

23/3/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
Seminary Road (Late Water Lane)
Picture
Another case to prove that one does learn from reading signs.

Recently I was walking into town from Blackpool and off Great William O’Brien St., I noted a plaque on the wall referring to James Barry, The Painter.

Picture
I thought that I had never heard of him before but a search did show an exhibition in the Crawford Gallery in 2006 and I had vague recollection of noting the sign at the time but did not view the exhibition. Further searches showed some biography from Crawford , History Ireland,  and Library Ireland.

It seems that there is also a plaque in London.

Any day when one does not learn something new is a bad day.

Seemingly Seminary Road was used as a shortcut for those attending the North Mon so probably not something new to their past pupils.

0 Comments

Seamus Murphy, Sculptor

22/3/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
149 Ballyhooley Road (near Dillon's Cross)
Picture
6 Wellesley Terrace, Wellington Road
I wonder about the placing of plaques in the future.

If some of my friends become so famous that there is a suggestion to put a plaque on the house in which they lived, the organising committee may need to order ten or more plaques – a consequence of rental accommodation regularly changing and various employments.

This week I noted the plaque on Ballyhooley Road and thought of a similar plaque on Wellesley Terrace that I had seen previously. That posed the question as to how many houses are there  in which Seamus Murphy lived.

Over Christmas, I flicked through a book on Seamus Murphy and was surprised to note that there was a statue in the Holy Family church on Military Hill. In my youth, and prior to departing the ranks of practicing Catholics, I would have regularly attended 11.30 mass at Military Hill and never ever took any notice of the statue.

Obviously opening my eyes and taking things in is not inbred – something that has developed.

0 Comments

Rory Gallagher

21/3/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
MacCurtain St
Picture
MacCurtain St

Read More
0 Comments

Saddler - 20 Great William O'Brien St

20/3/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
20 Great William O'Brien St
I suspect that the Leatherworker closed the shop some years ago but still good to see the sign - especially when it is only painted and could easily have been repainted.
0 Comments

Pine St. or Heathen St

19/3/2013

1 Comment

 
Picture
 “Pine St originally consisted of two sections, Abbot and Kelly’s St, which were both renamed in the early nineteenth century”

Tom Spalding – Layers : The Design, History and Meaning of Public Street Signage in Cork and other Irish Cities
I do not have the best of Irish – English dictionaries but something does not add up with Phaghanaigh and Pine.

Pine is translated as Giúis (tree = Crann  Giúise) or Péine. Abbot is translated as Ab.

I cannot find any reference to Phaghanaigh in the dictionary. Págánach does translate as Pagan or Heathen.

1 Comment

Charles McCarthy Services Ltd

18/3/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
Great to see an original nameplate.





Refreshing to see artwork on a building.





I am not sure what it is meant to represent but my guess is for water heading down a plughole.




If only more signs were so creative.

0 Comments

Donncha Cuttriss

17/3/2013

 
Picture
Gable Wall of Corner House, Coburg St
I remember seeing a small crowd at the junction of St Patrick's Hill and Wellington Road and wondering what was happening. When a cyclist came along, there were shouts of support.

I do recall cycling up from the bottom to the top once, very many years ago.

One hundred times up Patrick's Hill is some feat.
<<Previous

    Author

    From Cork.

    Old enough to have more sense - theoretically at least.

    SUBSCRIBE

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

    Picture
    Unless otherwise specifically stated, all photographs and text are the property of www.readingthesigns.weebly.com - such work is licenced under a Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike 4.0 International Licence


    Tweets by @SignsTheReading

    Archives

    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    March 2022
    November 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013

    Picture
    WRITE A LETTER

    Categories

    All
    Accuracy
    Arts
    Books
    Branding
    Cavan
    Cemeteries
    Clare
    Commemorate
    Cork
    Dated
    Donegal
    Dublin
    Economy
    England
    Fermanagh
    Gaeilge
    Galway
    Ghostsigns
    Graffiti
    Grammar
    Help
    Heritage
    Holland
    Humour
    Kerry
    Kildare
    Laois
    Leitrim
    Limerick
    London
    Longford
    Marketing
    Mayo
    Me
    Northern Ireland
    Offaly
    Old Ads
    Old Shops
    Other Blogs
    Plaque
    Politics
    Public
    Punctuation
    Religion
    Riddle
    Roscommon
    Scotland
    Sculpture
    Sligo
    Spelling
    Sport
    Stickers
    Street Art
    Submission
    Tipperary
    Tweets
    Waterford
    Westmeath
    Wild Atlantic Way

    Blogs I Read & Links

    Thought & Comment

    Head Rambles

    For the Fainthearted

    Bock The Robber

    Póló


    Rogha Gabriel

    Patrick Comerford

    Sentence First

    Felicity Hayes-McCoy

    140 characters is usually enough

    Johnny Fallon

    Sunny Spells
    
    That’s How The Light Gets In

    See That

    Tea and a Peach


    Buildings & Things Past

    Built Dublin

    Come Here To Me

    Holy Well


    vox hiberionacum

    Pilgrimage in Medieval Ireland

    Liminal Entwinings

    53degrees

    Ciara Meehan

    The Irish Aesthete

    Líníocht


    Ireland in History Day By Day

    Archiseek

    Buildings of Ireland

    Irish War Memorials


    ReYndr

    Abandoned Ireland

    The Standing Stone

    Time Travel Ireland

    Stair na hÉireann

    Myles Dungan

    Archaeouplands

    Wide & Convenient Streets

    The Irish Story

    Enda O’Flaherty



    Cork

    Archive Magazine


    Our City, Our Town

    West Cork History

    Cork’s War of Independence

    Cork Historical Records


    Rebel Cork’s Fighting Story

    40 Shades of Life in Cork

    
    Roaringwater Journal





    Picture
    Picture
    Best Newcomer Blog
Proudly powered by Weebly