Photographs help to create long lost memories and preserve views of
the past. The photographs with this
week’s Eye confirm this, as well as being an eloquent statement of the
importance of photographs in recording places, events and people of yesteryear.
The first photograph shows the garage and yard belonging to the
Leinster Arms Hotel which in the days before motor cars were stables for
visitor’s horses and carriages. The
substantial complex was located in Leinster Street directly opposite the hotel
and the present Baronessa Shop occupies what was the front portion of the
yard. In the background can be seen the
top of the malting kiln forming part of the maltings which fronted onto
Stanhope Street. I cannot recall if the
row of houses on the right hand side of the hotel yard were occupied by hotel
staff or tenanted by local families.
Perhaps someone will be able to help me answer that question.
The second photograph shows a group of locals standing around what
we all knew as ‘swing boats’. That simple popular entertainment was one of
the main stays of the annual carnivals which were an important part of
community leisure and entertainment up to recent decades. I recognise a number of those photographed
but will hold back identifying any of them to give my readers an opportunity to
do so. Let me know if you can identify
anyone in the photograph and the year of the carnival and where it was
held. There are a number of possible
locations including the field next to the Dominican Church, the Fairgreen, the
People’s Park and Geraldine Park.
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