Down Memory Lanes and Streets

Just short of thirty-eight years after he first introduced fieldwork into the practice of the Geography Department in St Patrick’s College, Pat Kelly recently recently led a fieldtrip with 26 Third Year B.A. students in which they explored the urban origins and development of Dublin from the 11th Century to the present day.  In analysing the changing physical morphology of the urban landscape over time Pat provided a detailed overview of both the historical and contemporary processes of social, economic and political change responsible for shaping the nature and form of the city.  Students were provided with a unique opportunity to analyse the various layers in the landscape (both physical and human) and to interpret the changing nature and geography of the city of Dublin over time from the perspectives of changing economy, society, environment and political governance.

Beginning at O’Connell Bridge (built in 1790), emphasis was placed on the continuity of function of buildings with only the GPO and the Rotunda Hospital (first Maternity Hospital in Britain or Ireland) today retaining their original functions.  In Dame Street, Pat discussed the primacy of the street in terms of Ireland’s colonial heritage with the location of Parliament House (now Bank of Ireland) and Trinity College (with its classical Greek architecture) and its route way to Dublin Castle.  In the 19th century Dame Street was the financial district of Dublin and still retains some of that function through the location of the Central Bank and the Commercial Building.  Temple Bar, originally an industrial area, today represents a regenerated space with a range of social, cultural, economic and heritage/historical activities and representations.  In Christ Church, in the heart of the Medieval City, Pat discussed its Gothic and Romanesque architecture, the location of the Tomb of Strongbow, the City Guilds in the 1800s, the location of the City Wall and the existence today of the last remaining gate of Dublin.  In the Liberties, Pat examined the philanthropic role of the Iveagh Trust in the provision of housing (and educational and play spaces) in the 1890s and how this relates to changing profile of public and private housing provision in the area today.

 

 

 

 

Last Updated: Tuesday April 22 2008