Category: Limerick - Reading the Signs

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What Is It About Limerick Lawns?

25/3/2019

Ghostsign: Limerick - Was: ??? Many Lawn?? Now: O & F Café
Limerick Lane (off Little Catherine Street)
Photos Taken: 23/3/19
Google Streetview HERE

Saturday was spent in Limerick where I spotted a few ghostsigns that will help my self-challenge of one ghostsign per day on twitter.

I spotted this on a gable on Limerick Lane, off Little Catherine Street and have been unable to read what it was. I have included all my photos below so would be delighted to hear of suggestions.

My guesses include:
Last Line: ???AGOOS?
Second Last Line: ??ANY LAWN

The rest remain a mystery

Listing of Ghostsigns uploaded to site to date HERE

Map of Ghostsigns viewable HERE

Details of other collections of items in the public space HERE

A Ghost Pig

5/11/2018

I cannot remember seeing a ghost pig previously.

There is a first time for everything.

Here’s Looking at You Kid

3/2/2017

Two weeks ago I spotted this in Limerick, near King John’s Castle.

The art installation did bring a smile to this observer.

On Twitter yesterday, I learned that I had only had a preview.

The final version combined art with some guerrilla gardening. It now appears complete.

Cue, bigger smile hereabouts.

Photograph from LimerickWalkingTours on Twitter

Is that not beautiful?

31/1/2017

From Wabash to Limerick

23/1/2017

For a while, I have been keeping an eye out for manhole covers. Well, not just manhole covers but covers to any chambers in the ground.

I have spotted a few gems included the mouse and the Marian Year.

Yesterday morning’s stroll around Limerick brought this one to my attention.

J Fryer, Cork

The older ones that I have seen generally have the names of local ironmongers, forges or plumbers. I consider it a success when I spot the name of an old foundry.

After walking away from the quayside by Barrington’s Hospital, I wondered why it was deemed necessary or economically beneficial to source a cover for a roadway in Limerick from Wabash, Indiana.

The internet advises that the Ford Meter Box Company was founded in 1898 and is still trading, so maybe the cover is new and not many years old as I thought yesterday morning. Modern transportation might go some way to explaining the economic viability.

Irishtown and Englishtown

22/1/2017

Some time ago, I learned of the origins of the placename and expression “Irishtown” from author/playwright, Cónal Creedon.

Cónal published his Second City Trilogy under the name Irishtown Press which demanded of me to ask the question. When I did ask, I learned.

Cork was originally a walled city based around North and South Main Streets. There were gates at either end with bridges over the river – North Gate Bridge (Griffith Bridge) and South Gate Bridge.

The native Irish were not permitted or able to reside within the walled city and so created a community outside – not too far away, but outside.

In Cork, the native Irish created an enclave close to Shandon. This place became known as Irishtown, the town of the Irish.

I knew of an Irishtown in Dublin, close to Ringsend. Logainm advises that there are 20 such places in the country.

This morning, I had a very pleasant couple of hours around Limerick. As well as seeing the location of the old wall of Irishtown, I discovered that there was also an Englishtown. Upto then, I had assumed that the walled town or city was called Dublin, Cork, Limerick or wherever and the outside area called Irishtown.

“Later, however, as the Anglo-Saxon influence began to make itself felt, the Normans themselves came under pressure and laws were enacted to inhibit their assimilation into the Gaelic way of life. The city was closed to the Irish and they were compelled to live outside the walls, on the site of the present Shandon and Blarney Streets in the north and French’s Quay and Barrack Street in the south. Even to this day some of the older residents refer to Blarney Street as ‘Irishtown’ “

The Story of Cork – Sean Beecher (1971)

Logainm lists 7 Englishtowns in the island of Ireland – but its location for the Limerick one differs from the location of this sign.

Limerick’s Life does provide some interesting history on the bridge between Irishtown and Englishtown.

I repeat, it is a bad day when one does not learn something new.

A Limerick Head

21/1/2017

I think it is great when I spot something unusual on a building – something that the many who pass by regularly do not appear to notice.

Cinema Fire - 48 dead

5/9/2016

Last April was the first time hearing of the Dromcollogher Cinema Disaster.

Maybe it is a sign of my own vintage – taking fifty years to hear of such a human tragedy.

I still remember waking up on a February morning to do some study for my Inter Cert, turning on the radio and hearing of the Stardust Disaster.

As one who would have been with my grandfather to many different sports grounds, watching the F.A. Cup semi-final at Hillsborough unfold on the television is well engraved on my own grey surface – on our recent visit to Liverpool, I was happy that my nine-year old accompanied me while we went to stand and remember at the memorial at Anfield – just a week after the inquest jury findings.

In May 1985, four of us should have been studying for our second year exams – results subsequently proved that 75% of us needed extra study time. Study lost out to a trip to the beach at Clogherhead. I still remember heading through the pub door with the Bradford City fire disaster on the television – I thought of how many timber stands I had stood to watch matches and get out of the rain.

As blogged previously, I first learned of the collapse of the Carmody Hotel from a sign. Last April, taking a road not previously travelled and involving a decent detour on the trip to Baile an Fheirteártaigh / An Buailtín, I stopped in Dromcollogher and was photographing a plaque at the old co-operative when spotted by JOD.

I explained my interest in signs and plaques and was then educated for the first time as to the Cinema Fire – and the memorials at the Library and the church. A tweet this morning from Irish History Links reminded me of the event.

The Dromcollogher Cinema Fire claimed 48 lives – the same number of fatalities as the Stardust in 1981.

The fire at the Dromcollogher Cinema happened 90 years ago – 5th September, 1926.

All Round Gaelic Champion of Ireland - 1895 & 1896

20/6/2016

ALL ROUND GAELIC CHAMPION OF IRELAND 1895

Not for the first time, a trip to the cemetery has led to learning and connecting of historical dots of information.

The cemetery in question is at St Bartholomew’s Church in Kinneigh, Co Cork – the location of the only round tower with an hexagonal base, as well as headstone commemorating O’Mahony Mór.

Boxes, boxes

7/6/2016

The ReimagineCork crew were out a short while back adding to the range of messages on utility boxes.

There are five locations where one can learn of some Cork words. A few years back, I posted an Evening Echo calendar to the UK with a similar message for each month.

For those wishing to improve their Cork vocabulary, there is a book.

I decided to put a slideshow together of the many utility boxes that I have spotted. Enjoy.

Sophie Peirce d. 9th May, 1937

9/5/2016

There is only one house in Dromcolliher

3/5/2016

Last Wednesday, the daily update from Stair na hÉireann advised that on 27 April, 1911 the ‘first ever Irish musical comedy, The Irish Girl, written by Percy French and Dr. W. Houston Collisson, is staged at the Queen’s Theatre, Dublin’.

It reminded me of this plaque in Dromcollogher, Co. Limerick that I had only seen days previously.

I hadn’t heard of either ‘The Irish Girl’or ‘have yez been to Dromcolliher’ previously – still learning from the signs

‘Says I, have yez been to Dromcolliher?
Ye haven’t? Well now I declare.
You must wait till you’ve been to Dromcolliher
And seen the fine house we have there.
There’s only one house in Dromcolliher:
For hardware, bacon and tea:
If your master would come we would treat him in Drum,
Oh! Drum is the place for me’
Percy French, 1894

Mousetrap

22/4/2016

I really liked this street art that I spotted in Newcastle West.

It was probably difficult enough to see before but the metal leg of the ALDI sign make it even harder now.

The fact that many walk past completely unaware of its existence probably added to the appreciation in the viewer.

The Man who Bought Croke Park

20/4/2016

I suspect that many do not know that Jones Road site was purchased by a Limerick man who then sold to GAA ‘for the same consideration’.

Yesterday, I spotted a tweet from Jean with a copy of the notification of the death, 100 years ago on 18th April, 1916, of Frank Brazil Dineen and it reminded me of this plaque on the side wall of a building in Ballylanders.

Joining those two dots of knowledge was justification for today’s blog.

“This plaque was erected by Baile an Londraigh CLG in honour of the late Prionsais Breasil O Duinnon – Frank Brazil Dineen (Athlete, Journalist, Patriot)

Born in this house 28th December 1862, Frank B. Dineen came to prominence as an athlete holding the record for the 100 yards sprint and high jump in the 1880’s.

Úachtaran Cumann Luithchleas Gael 1895-1898 agus Ard Stiurthoir 1898-1901.

He was the first President of the Athletic Council and published the “Irish Athletic Record” in 1906. He founded Ballylanders Shamrock Football Club in 1886. Frank will be best remembered as the man who in 1908 purchased Jones Road now Croke Park, which he gave to the GAA for the same consideration. He was the Athletic Editor of “SPORT” published by the Freeman’s Journal when he died on 18th April 1916.

This plaque was unveiled on the 15th August 2009 by Criostóir O Cuana Úachtaran Cumann Luthchleas Gael”
Plaque at Ballylanders

St Brigid's Well, Kildimo

30/3/2016

There are benefits to being the designated driver – not many, but some.

With the rest of the house still in a slumber fuelled by drinking into the early hours, I was up and out in the Limerick countryside early on a bright sharp Saturday morning. The rural location and time of day conspired to restrict the number of other road users that I came across to just one.

We had passed the sign to St. Brigit’s Well on a few occasions when travelling to friends, but we had never stopped and paid a visit. That box was ticked firmly that Saturday, just me and nature.

The Well is a bit of a walk from the road – up and over the field; down a wooded passageway beyond the electric fence; across another field; then another glade opens up to reveal the Well site. The site is enclosed by a stone wall with a solitary gate. The well itself has a concrete surround with the statue above.

There is an old donation box in the wall which appears to be rusted shut. There were a small few memorial cards adjacent to the statue – nowhere near the amount left with St Bridget in Co Clare.

There are two Rag Trees, one adjacent to the well; the other on the final wooded pathway before the Well site.

Driving away, I spotted that there was a Lenten Walk later that day, including a visit to the well. As we were making our way home that morning, we spotted some on the walk and it brought some thoughts to the fore.

The walk organisers had arranged for Stations of the Cross along the route for the participants.

There were quite a few walkers that morning – more than one might observe leaving a city church after a Saturday morning mass.

With Pilgrim Walks and Pattern Days, I do think that any increase in catholic religious observance may involve old traditions – but this agnostic may not be the best judge of such matters.

Even with my religious persuasion, a very pleasant twenty minutes were enjoyed that morning.