URBAN EXPRESSION AND DEPRESSION

Street Photography That Highlights Urban Life

building of interest

SOME PEOPLE WANT TO BE PHOTOGRAPHED AND SOME DON’T

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PHOTOGRAPHED FEBRUARY 2016

Wood Lane – Hendrick Place [Plás Hendrick]

This photograph dates from 2016. More recently I am having problems with people demanding that I photograph them and my general policy is not to do so. Based on experience I know that some will demand payment or will be disappointed if they do not become famous overnight. I usually explain that my boss does not allow me to photograph people and in most cases they just go about their business. The gentleman in the this photograph did not engage with me in anyway and continued walking out of frame.

Hendrick Street and Place was named after its developer : local entrepreneur William Hendrick whose ancestors had a small brewing business at Islandbridge. According to Brendan Twomey, author of Smithfield and the parish of St. Paul,1698- 1750.

The attractive red brick building with the large star is described as follows: The simple form of this house is enlivened by subtle red brick detailing, which is testament to the skill and craftsmanship of brick workers in the later decades of the nineteenth century. Rebuilt sections of the wall suggest that perhaps some windows have replaced earlier, larger openings. A glazed tiled star provides decorative interest.

EWART’S WAREHOUSE BEDFORD STREET BELFAST MARCH 2022

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NOW PART OF THE NEW EWART OFFICE COMPLEX

The good news is that this building has not been demolished.

When I first photographed this building about ten years ago a waiter in a nearby restaurant told me that it was to be converted into a hotel but this proved to be untrue. It would appear that it has been incorporated into a larger 17-storey office complex. The historic building and the new build structure will be linked at first and second floor, grouped around a central courtyard.

The same waiter also told me that the Ewart building was originally a box factory but further investigation leads me to believe that the business in question was located at 35 Bedford street which is now the Bridge House JD Wetherspoon [a superpub].

Because of its size and location it is/was not easy to photograph this four-storey sandstone building, which as lain empty for about twenty years. It was designed by James Hamilton, also the architect of the Waring Street Ulster Bank, now the Merchant Hotel.

The building is/was described as follows “A large prestigious Victorian style building situated on the corner of Bedford Street and Franklin Street constructed in 1869 with further extensions in 1883 and 1937. A former linen mill the building has lay vacant for several decades which has resulted in the building falling into heavy disrepair. The three storey corner site has been provided with an impressive brown/grey Scottish sandstone façade including architectural sandstone detailing including circular columns, decorative arched window openings and a sandstone parapet wall detail at roof level. A dual pitched natural slate roof incorporating Georgian wire glazed roof light has been provided over the majority of the building whilst a dome roof structure finished in lead has been provided over the corner elevation.”

Note: In November 2015 it was announced that this former linen warehouse was to be transformed into a 21st century office development. The front of the building was to be retained [does front mean exterior?] but the rest was to be demolished if everything went according to plan. At the time the Ulster Architectural Heritage Society (UAHS) lodged an objection to the planning proposal, claiming the planned new build behind the remnant facade “appears unsympathetic to remaining characteristics in design, form, materials, techniques and detailing”.

STILLORGAN ORCHARD

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ON THE HILL

In the past I have referred to the location as Stillorgan Hill rather than The Hill Stillorgan and this attracted some negative comments.

I first photographed this pub back in April 2012 which is more than ten years ago and the area has seen a lot of change since then and a number of large buildings, across the road from the pub, have been demolished making the immediate area somewhat unattractive.

The Stillorgan Orchard is one of the South Dublin’s oldest established pubs and is very popular because of its excellent food and location. Although it is the largest thatched roof pub in Ireland you will be surprised on entering to experience a modern European style cafe look. Spacious seating, lots of natural light and atmosphere. They have great parking facilities, two heated patios and they can cater for private parties and functions.

ST COLUMBA’S CHURCH AND ROUND TOWER

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CHURCH ROAD SWORDS

The parish of St Colmcille’s Swords, has an interesting history extending right back to the 6th century. It was St Colmcille who brought Christianity to the area circa 560 AD.
The current Church building on Church Road was constructed in 1827 at a cost of £ 1,820.

The Round Tower dates from the 9th century and marks the site of an old monastery founded by St. Colmcille in the year 560 A.D. St. Colmcille blessed the local well of clear water, thus giving the town it’s name ‘Sord’ meaning clear or pure. The Tower is reputed to have held the remains of Brian Boru after the battle of Clontarf (1014 A.D.) before he was taken to Armagh to be buried.The tower is 73 feet high, 52 feet in circumference, with walls four feet thick. It originally contained five floors. The current entrance at ground level, is of more modern construction, as well as the roof and upper story. The original doorway is/was twenty feet from the ground, and but four feet high. The cross at the top of the tower was placed there in the late 17th century to let people know that it was a Christian Tower [as if they would be unaware].

The square clock tower dates back to the 14th century and added to the ancient abbey. There’s an engraving which dates from 1791 which shows the belfry tower and the remains of the medieval church walls. These walls were taken down in 1830 when St. Columba’s Church was being rebuilt.

St. Columba’s Church Lodge was build in 1870 costing £140.

Back in 2016 when I took these photographs I was told, by a local visiting the graveyard, that although previously in good condition the church building required repairs. There were signs of increasing conservation problems. There was no immediate danger of collapse but condition is such that unless urgent remedial works were carried out the building would quickly deteriorate. The community had vacated the structure following loose plaster which fell into area over font. Complex remedial works was required required.

Now in July 2022 I am unaware of the status of the building but to the best of my knowledge the church is now operational on Sundays. I hope to visit Swords again within the next few weeks.

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CHURCH TOWER ON HILL STREET

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OLD CHURCH OF ST GEORGE

I am working my way through my catalogue of photographs and in many cases repairing or reprocessing them. This series of images date from 30 April 2016.

The Old Church of St. George, commonly called “Little George’s” in Hill Street (formerly Temple Street Lower) Parish of St. Mary, Dublin was built in 1668 by the Eccles family for their workmen and also as a chapel-of-ease to a nearby St. Mary’s Church. However, that St. Mary’s Church was not St. Mary’s Church, Dublin as that church’s foundation stone was laid in 1700, and it was not St. Mary’s Abbey, Dublin as that was dissolved in 1539. Therefore St George’s church, Hill Street, may have been a Chapel-of-Ease to St. Michan’s Church in Church Street. The main body of the church, with the exception of the tower, was demolished in 1894.

Following the decision to build a new chapel the congregation moved to a temporary chapel on Whitworth Road 1793 before the new St. George’s Church, Dublin was built on Hardwick Place, (Upper) Temple Street. The Old St. George, St. George’s Chapel, sometimes called Little St. Georges was used as an Episcopal Chapel for a time.

The tower of the church is now classed as a “Protected Structure”.[ The entrance was below an old square steeple or tower, about 40 feet in height. The interior of the tower is small and was adorned with a few monuments. The communion-table was in a recess at the eastern end lit by a large circular-headed window, with a monument to the memory of Lady Galbraith on its south side. In the west over the entrance was a small, badly lit gallery.

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