20th Century Transport in Dublin

Snowy Street Scene, College Green 1902

Snowy Street Scene, College Green 1902. This photograph shows trams, and parked awaiting hire, horsedrawn cabs known as "cars" driven by drivers known as "jarveys". The automobile is not yet a common feature on Dublin's streets.

By kind permission of Dublin City Public Libraries.

Snowy Street Scene, College Green 1902
By kind permission of Dublin City Public Libraries.

Snowy Street Scene, College Green 1902

Snowy Street Scene, College Green 1902. This photograph shows trams, and parked awaiting hire, horsedrawn cabs known as "cars" driven by drivers known as "jarveys". The automobile is not yet a common feature on Dublin's streets.

By kind permission of Dublin City Public Libraries.

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Dublin Transport: Changing Streetscapes and vehicles through the 20th Century

The following web pages remind us how Dublin's constantly changing streetscapes owe as much to the road traffic in use at a particular time, as to architecture and building structures. Transport can be credited with contributing to a city's unique appearance and its visual history and this was certainly the case in Dublin in the 20th century. The dating of a scene is greatly assisted by having a knowledge of historical transport and this is illustrated by the examples of street scene on this page.

Tinted photograph of O'Connell Bridge

Tinted photograph of O'Connell Bridge, Dublin, taken around the turn of the last century. The photograph is identifiable as being after 1899 as the first electric trams are shown. The trams with seven windows were converted horse drawn trams. Eighty-four of these were converted to electric trams.

By kind permission of Dublin City Public Libraries.

Tinted photograph of O'Connell Bridge
By kind permission of Dublin City Public Libraries.

Tinted photograph of O'Connell Bridge

Tinted photograph of O'Connell Bridge, Dublin, taken around the turn of the last century. The photograph is identifiable as being after 1899 as the first electric trams are shown. The trams with seven windows were converted horse drawn trams. Eighty-four of these were converted to electric trams.

By kind permission of Dublin City Public Libraries.

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This image is a tinted photograph of O'Connell Bridge at the turn of the last century. The photograph is identifiable as being after 1899 as the first electric trams are shown. The trams with seven windows were converted horse-drawn trams and 84 of these were converted to electric trams.

College Green: A Streetscene 1903-1906

College Green, Dublin: A Streetscene 1903-1906. All the trams are electric and the overheads are in view.

By kind permission of Seamus Kearns, Old Dublin Society

College Green: A Streetscene 1903-1906
By kind permission of Seamus Kearns, Old Dublin Society

College Green: A Streetscene 1903-1906

College Green, Dublin: A Streetscene 1903-1906. All the trams are electric and the overheads are in view.

By kind permission of Seamus Kearns, Old Dublin Society

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This is a postcard of College Green taken in the years 1903-1906. Trams are again in use. Parked in their allocated position, awaiting business, are horse-drawn cabs known as 'cars', which were driven by drivers called 'jarveys'. It is interesting that the position on the street is where there is an established taxi-rank in modern times. The automobile is not as yet a common feature.

O'Connell Bridge, Dublin 1927-1929

O'Connell Bridge, Dublin 1927-1929. The public transport of the time was trams. The automobile is now much in evidence.

By kind permission of Seamus Kearns, Old Dublin Society

O'Connell Bridge, Dublin 1927-1929
By kind permission of Seamus Kearns, Old Dublin Society

O'Connell Bridge, Dublin 1927-1929

O'Connell Bridge, Dublin 1927-1929. The public transport of the time was trams. The automobile is now much in evidence.

By kind permission of Seamus Kearns, Old Dublin Society

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This next postcard is O'Connell Bridge 1927-1929.

Trams are still being used but the automobile is much in evidence now.

O'Connell Street: A Post-war Street Scene 1946-47.

O'Connell Street: A Post-war Street Scene 1946-47. The tram-tracks are still on O'Connell St. although the last tram closed on that street in June 1940. American taxi cars are on the street and they were a feature of these years.

By kind permission of Seamus Kearns, Old Dublin Society

O'Connell Street: A Post-war Street Scene 1946-47.
By kind permission of Seamus Kearns, Old Dublin Society

O'Connell Street: A Post-war Street Scene 1946-47.

O'Connell Street: A Post-war Street Scene 1946-47. The tram-tracks are still on O'Connell St. although the last tram closed on that street in June 1940. American taxi cars are on the street and they were a feature of these years.

By kind permission of Seamus Kearns, Old Dublin Society

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This view shows O'Connell Street in the post-war years (1946-1947). The trams tracks are still on O' Connell Street although the last tram closed on that street in June 1940. The American-style taxis that were a feature of these years are on the street.

Streetscene of O'Connell St. from O'Connell Bridge
By kind permission of Seamus Kearns, Old Dublin Society

This streetscene of O'Connell Street taken from O'Connell Bridge was taken circa 1953. The tram tracks are still embedded in the ground but the trams and overheads are gone. The central traffic isle, with flower-beds on, was created for a tourism festival in 1953.

Aeriel view of traffic on O'Connell Bridge.

Aeriel view of traffic on O'Connell Bridge, Dublin, Ireland. This photgraph was taken in the mid to late 1960s. A blue and cream liveried public bus is visible going up O'Connell St. and there are no Atlanteans yet.

By kind permission of Dublin City Council.

Aeriel view of traffic on O'Connell Bridge.
By kind permission of Dublin City Council.

Aeriel view of traffic on O'Connell Bridge.

Aeriel view of traffic on O'Connell Bridge, Dublin, Ireland. This photgraph was taken in the mid to late 1960s. A blue and cream liveried public bus is visible going up O'Connell St. and there are no Atlanteans yet.

By kind permission of Dublin City Council.

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The final image shows an aerial view of O'Connell Street in the late 1960s. A blue and green liveried bus is visible going up O'Connell Street. There are no Atlantean buses yet.

Grateful acknowledgement is due to Dublin City Council Public Libraries, The Transport Museum Society of Ireland and the Old Dublin Society who have provided the illustrations of streets and vehicles. The Transport Museum Society of Ireland assisted greatly with the supply of information on the vehicles shown. Most of these can be visited at The National Transport Museum of Ireland located in Howth, County Dublin.

http://www.nationaltransportmuseum.org