The National Library of Ireland holds the largest collection of Irish printed, manuscript and visual material in the world, spanning almost 1,000 years of Irish art, culture, history and literature.
On June 2, 2011 the NLI joined Flickr Commons where they have uploaded more than 1,700 high res photos, collaborating with the online photo community to help identify, locate and catalogue their country’s rich history.
I spent the last few days going through their archives and compiled this collection of photos from Dublin that were taken around the turn of the last century. For more, be sure to check out the National Library of Ireland at the links below.
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1. Gun Powder Office ca. 1890
View of a bustling O’Connell Bridge and Sackville Street (now O’Connell Street), Dublin. Prominent ‘Gun Powder Office’ sign can be seen on the left side of the photo.
2. The Long Room ca. 1885
This is the very beautiful Long Room Library at Trinity College Dublin.
3. Oscar Traynor (under the X) April 2, 1922
According to the Irish Independent, April 3, 1922, the Dublin City Brigade I.R.A. paraded at Smithfield on the 2nd “under officers who recognise the Executive established as a result of the recent Convention”, and were addressed by Oscar Traynor, Rory O’Connor and F[rank] Henderson.
4. Members of the Irish Women Workers’ Union on the steps of Liberty Hall ca. 1914
5. O’Neill’s Bicycles ca. 1907
Lucania bicycles were manufactured by John O’Neill at the Lucania works in South King Street, Dublin. An advertisement for the Lucania in a 1911 edition of Sinn Féin carried the information also that the company had won a contract to supply the Post Office with 400 delivery bicycles.
6. Horse-drawn Omnibus, Westmoreland Street, Dublin ca. 1865
7. Fiat Car at Rutland Square ca. 1924
Fiat car adorned with flowers and surrounded by people at 18 Rutland Square (now Parnell Square), Dublin
8. View from top of Nelson’s Pillar, Sackville Street (O’Connell Street) ca. 1921
9. Children’s Party ca. 1924
10. A Black and Tan on duty in Dublin ca. 1920
A Black and Tan on duty in Dublin. Smoking and posing with a Lewis machine gun.
11. Sackville Street ca. 1905
High view along Sackville Street (now O’Connell Street) in Dublin
12. St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin City, Co. Dublin ca. 1890
13. Funeral procession of Fenian Jeremiah O’Donovan Rossa August 1, 1915
Funeral procession of Fenian Jeremiah O’Donovan Rossa. Trams drew to a halt and crowds lined the streets as the coffin passed. O’Rossa had died on Staten Island on 29 June 1915, but his body was brought back to Ireland for burial in Glasnevin Cemetery. This photo was taken at Parnell Square East, or Rutland Square East as it was then known.
14. Trinity College, Dublin ca. 1900
15. Dáil Éireann meeting in the Mansion House August, 1921
16. Dublin Bread Company May 1916
The remains of the Dublin Bread Company at 6-7 Lower Sackville Street (now O’Connell Street) after the Easter Rising in 1916.
17. Rotunda Round Room ca. 1913
18. Driving a Panhard Car July 1903
Man driving Panhard car, possibly a late 1901 or 1902 model, with three female passengers.
19. Waiting on Westland Row June 18, 1917
Crowds on Westland Row in Dublin waiting to meet prisoners released under general amnesty, taken from the railway bridge at Westland Row station.
20. Funeral of Michael Collins August 28, 1922
National Army soldiers drive a car laden with wreaths through the streets of Dublin towards Glasnevin Cemetery for the burial of Michael Collins. The vehicle is a Crossley, military tender with the twin rear tyres. Collins was riding in a very rare Leyland 8 car when he was assassinated.
21. Trinity College Dublin ca. 1900
22. Cemetery in Kingtown ca. 1863
Graves in a cemetery in Kingstown, now Dun Laoghaire, Dublin.
23. Republican Meeting August 19, 1923
A very crowded Republican meeting on August 19, 1923 in Dublin that took place on O’Connell Street, or Sackville Street as it was then.
24. Sackville Street ca. 1902
25. Dublin Bread Company and O’Connell Bridge July 1900
