This is my first upload for the year 2024 and it is also my birthday. I wish everyone a wonderful New Year.
I had intended to devote about four hours to photographing the streets of Trim in County Meath. After about two hours the weather became so bad that it was impossible to use my Canon 5DIII and I decided to walk back to base but I decided to use my iPhone 12 Pro Max but after about twenty minutes not even that idea was practical so I had to phone for a taxi.
The term “High Street” usually referes to the primary business street in a town or city. The name likely originated from the fact that these streets were often built on higher ground than the surrounding areas, providing a vantage point and making them prominent locations for commerce.
The term High Street is far less commonly used in Ireland than Britain [I am not sure about Northern Ireland]. Here, like in the United States, Main Street tends to be used instead. Neither of Dublin’s two main shopping streets (Grafton Street and Henry Street) carry this name, for example, nor does its main thoroughfare (O’Connell Street).
While Dublin has a street named High Street near Christchurch, formerly the centre of the medieval city, it is not a shopping street. The city of Cork’s main shopping street is St Patrick’s Street. The city’s oldest streets are named North Main Street and South Main Street. Limerick’s principal thoroughfare, like Dublin, is also O’Connell Street (the name is used in a number of other Irish towns in honour of Daniel O’Connell).
The term Main Street (Irish: An tSráid Mhór, literally “The Big/Great Street”) is used across various types of settlements; from densely populated inner suburbs of Dublin such as Ranelagh, to satellite suburbs of the capital such as Swords, and also in villages and small towns throughout the country. For example, the OSI North Leinster Town Maps book lists sixteen “Main Streets” and only two “High Streets” in its thirty-town index of street names. Similarly, the OSI Dublin Street Guide (covering all of Dublin City and County Dublin) lists twenty “Main Streets” and only two “High Streets”.
Some Irish towns do have a major shopping street named High Street (Irish: An tSráid Ard), including Killarney, Galway, Wexford, Ballinrobe, Westport, Bagenalstown, Macroom, Tuam, Wicklow, Trim, Monaghan, Kilkenny, and Kilrush.
Bantry, County Cork is an interesting variant; the main shopping street is called High Street in its western part and Main Street in its eastern part. The same is found in Athlone and Birr, County Offaly.
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WINDMILL ROAD AND THE REPARATION CONVENT CONNECTING SOUTH SUMMERHILL TO HIGH STREET
This was my first time to photograph Windmill Road which is in the Turner’s Cross area of Cork City.
The main feature is a large convent and church complex that currently appears to be in poor condition. Before my visit I was aware of the convent but I had difficult discovering its name or history but I eventually established that it was known as the Reparation Convent or the Convent of Marie Reparatrice. Note – The Sisters of Marie Reparatrice are an International community of vowed women religious serving in 23 countries.
All the external walls are painted green as is much of the street. The complex or site is officially described as a former chapel with six-bay side elevations and gabled entrance porch, built c. 1885, now in use as health care offices. This former convent chapel formed part of a group of religious related buildings with the adjoining former convent to the east. They played a significant role in the social development of the city. Though no longer in use as a chapel, the building retains much of it’s original form and is enhanced by the retention of interesting features and materials, such as the ashlar limestone dressings, pointed arch openings, cast-iron finials and slate roof, while the stained glass windows add artistic interest to the building.
I searched planning applications for the area and came across the following description: The site comprises approximately 0.53 ha, bounded with high stone walls along both, High Street on the northern site boundary and Windmill Road on the southern boundary. Adjacent to the western boundary are the grounds and buildings of the former Reparation Convent. The site contains one large detached dwelling house and extensive garden area with mature trees along its periphery. The site is gently sloping upwards in southern direction.
The area is part of the inner suburbs of Cork City, within the administrative area of Cork City South Central. The city centre is within 10 min walking distance. The Douglas Street neighbourhood and its services.
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