Presbyterian Church

GREAT VICTORIA STREET PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IS NOT ON GREAT VICTORIA STREET

April 12, 2022 by Infomatique

GREAT VICTORIA STREET PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IS NOT ON GREAT VICTORIA STREET

I think that this building has been painted different colours a number of times since I photographed it in 2014 which is a pity because I much preferred to original combination. I am not saying that I do not like the current paint-job because I appeals to me as it currently is.

The building, described as classical stucco, was built to accommodate 800. It was designed by ‘Mr McNea’ and it opened in January 1861. It was originally the Sandy Row Presbyterian Church.

It never struck me before that this church is not actually on Great Victoria Street. It is in fact positioned at the corner of Stroud Street and Shaftesbury Square where there is a large number of derelict buildings and sites. It should be mentioned that Stroud Street is well known for its murals.

I was in the area as I was looking for Shaftesbury Square, which I thought was a public park, but I eventually discovered that there is no entity that could be described as a square and that it is an area that was once described as the crowning glory of Belfast’s “golden mile” which stretched from Lisburn Road along the full length of Great Victoria Street. In recent decades there has been a steady decline and is now noted for its empty premises and dilapidated facades. I must admit that I have visited the area many times but was unaware of its past reputation.

The square, first recorded in 1887, was named after the Earl of Shaftesbury. Lord Shaftesbury was Lord Lieutenant of Belfast from 1904 to 1911 and Lord Lieutenant of Dorset from 1916 to 1952. He was also Lord Mayor of Belfast 1907 and Chancellor of Queen’s University, Belfast 1909–1923.

CLONTURK HOUSE ON ORMOND ROAD IN DRUMCONDRA

June 20, 2021 by Infomatique

CLONTURK HOUSE ON ORMOND ROAD IN DRUMCONDRA

I must admit that this is my first time to see Clonturk House and that I was not expecting to see much of interest on Ormond Road in Drumcondra.

Clonturk is an area on the Northside of Dublin, in Ireland. It is located in the south of the suburb of Drumcondra, just north of the River Tolka, but previously, Clonturk had been an alternative name for Drumcondra and the wider area.

Clonturk lies within the Dublin 9 postal district. The name Clonturk translates from the Irish as “Pasture of the boars”.There is some evidence that the name originally was Ceann Torc or the “Headland of the boars”, but had changed to Clonturk by the middle of the 16th century.

Clonturk House on Ormond Road was built in 1830 by the then City Architect, as a gentleman’s residence and was one of Drumcondra’s fashionable big houses. It was extensively renovated in 1880 and given its Georgian frontage. The carved stone balustrade which now forms its boundary came from the original Carlisle Bridge (built by James Gandon) and was moved there by the builder of the present O’Connell Bridge (who was living in Clonturk House circa 1880).

For a number of years until 1960 Clonturk House was run by The Presbyterian Church which gave accommodation to girls attending school in dublin both as fee paying and on a susidised basis.

In 1955, The Rosminians were appointed by the Archbishop of Dublin to run services for the Blind in St Joseph’s, Drumcondra, Dublin. The School which became known as St Joseph’s School for the Blind, and Visually Impaired, was residential and was officially opened in 1960 by the Dept. of Education. Until 2009 Clonturk House was a home for blind men.

A number of neighbouring streets bear the name Clonturk, including Clonturk Park, Clonturk Gardens, and Clonturk Avenue, probably as a result of their proximity to Clonturk House. There is also Clonturk Community College, further north on the Swords Road at Whitehall.

URBAN EXPRESSION

December 29, 2020 by Infomatique

URBAN EXPRESSION AT LINDSAY ROAD NATIONAL SCHOOL IN GLASNEVIN

Lindsay Road National School is a primary school in Glasnevin and it opened in 1910. It is co-educational, and as of 2016 had 6 teachers, including 4 mainstream classes. The Schools Patrons are representatives of the Presbyterian Church. The school has merged with a number of Protestant faith schools over the years, such as the Methodist School on Clonliffe Road.

The school is a feeder school for Mount Temple Comprehensive School. In case you are unaware Mount Temple was the school where the rock band U2 was formed. In September 1976, 14-year-old drummer Larry Mullen, Jr. posted a notice on the school’s noticeboard, looking for fellow musicians. All four members of U2 are former pupils of the school.