The Steps Pub Is Located Across The Road From The Wellington Monument – At The Corner Of Emmet Street And Patrick Street.
A few days ago I discovered that my Grandfather was the owner of this pub a long time ago. I had been aware that another member of the family once owned Marcie Regans Pub which is one of the oldest in Ireland.
The Steps Pub was in reasonable condition when I photographed in December 2014 but it appeared to be somewhat neglected when I photographed it today [Christmas 2023]. I was surprised when my brother, who lives in Trim, told me that the Steps Pub is no longer in business as it ceased trading in 2023. The reasons for the pub’s closure are not clear. However, it is likely that the pub was struggling, post-Covid, to compete with newer pubs in the area that offered more modern facilities and entertainment but a large number of pubs have closed in the last few years for a variety reasons. According to one recent report: “Ireland’s pubs are shutting down fast with Cork and Limerick losing almost one-in-three of all licensed premises since 2005. Of the 108 pubs that closed last year, half – 54 – were in Cork. Changing lifestyles, rural depopulation plus tougher drink driving laws and enforcement has hit rural pubs hard”. According to the Irish Times an average of 152 pubs have shut each year since 2019 and over 450 pubs have gone out of business since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Pub is not a protected structure but the letter box is a protected structure NIAH Reg. No: 14328009 … Wall-mounted cast-iron post box, c. 1905, with ER VII insignia. This cast-iron post box is an important feature in the social and urban fabric of the town and is located at a prominent crossroad. The execution of the raised lettering and crown is particularly pleasing in this simple post box. Cast-iron post boxes which are still in use are becoming less common and are often replaced by modern boxes.
INITIALLY I WAS INTERESTED IN THIS BUILDING ONLY BECAUSE OF THE OLD POST BOX ON THE SIDE WALL [THE STEPS PUB IN TRIM COUNTY MEATH]-226389-1
INITIALLY I WAS INTERESTED IN THIS BUILDING ONLY BECAUSE OF THE OLD POST BOX ON THE SIDE WALL [THE STEPS PUB IN TRIM COUNTY MEATH]-226390-1
INITIALLY I WAS INTERESTED IN THIS BUILDING ONLY BECAUSE OF THE OLD POST BOX ON THE SIDE WALL [THE STEPS PUB IN TRIM COUNTY MEATH]-226391-1
THE DECLINE OF A RED K6 TELEPHONE KIOSK IN BELFAST BETWEEN MAY 2015 AND MARCH 2922
This phone kiosk, on North Street in Belfast, is an example of a 1936 K6 ‘Jubilee Box’ and it is listed.
When I first photographed the phone kiosk in May 2015 it was in good condition and appeared to be well maintained and there was a new Belfast Bikes docking station.
In March 2022 the kiosk was in very poor condition and the Belfast Bikes docking station had been relocated.
Unfortunately, back in May 2015 it was obvious that the bike hire scheme and network was very badly managed.
The Belfast Bikes station became operational at the location on the 15th April 2015 but it was removed sometime between my visit in 2018 and my visit in 2019. Late in 2017 it was announced that a few Belfast Bikes docking stations in the city centre were to be re-located to “areas of higher demand”. The following were listed for removal: East Bridge Street/Stewart Street, Winetavern Street, Dunbar Link, Writers’ Square and North Street.
Belfast City Council claimed that the stations to be closed were in “close proximity” to alternative stops, and “therefore would not create gaps in the network.
In April 2117, the council confirmed that more than a third of Belfast Bikes had been stolen or vandalised since the project was rolled out more than two years earlier and they admitted that vandalism of the bikes was costing almost £1,800 a month. Local media had included photographs showing several bikes which had been dumped in the River Lagan and it was claimed that a bike was sawn in half.
Lower North Street which has been described as “the street that time passed by”. It was external to the security barriers during the bombing campaign and as such it was avoided by shopkeepers and customers alike. It has never recovered especially following destruction and neglect of the North Street Arcade by fire.
You must be logged in to post a comment.