A Dublin Street in the Olden Days
10 Jun 1924Famous and Fashionable
In the account of the landing of human remains under the walls of 7-8 Upper Stephen’s Street, it was stated correctly that, this was in former times a fashionable locality. It was, moreover, the most important and populous suburb of the city from early Anglo-Norman times, and is certainly the most interesting from an historical point of view. Being in close proximity to the Castle, it shared in its life, its joys and its vicissitudes.
The High Road.
St. Stephen’s Street, named after the church and hospital of St. Stephen for poor lazars or lepers, was, down to about the year 1630, the. only thoroughfare or high road connecting the old ” Kingdom of Dalkey, and its thriving harbour of Bullock, and Carrickbrennan of the Monks (Monkstown), with the southern suburbs of Dublin.
The. city walls, pierced with gates and towers, admitted the inhabitants and travellers on this side by the Pole, or Poddle, gate at St. Werburgh St. In Great Ship (Sheep) St. stood the quaint round towered church of St. Michael-la-Pole (St. Mac Thail) whose history is the most interesting of all our Dublin churches- At the top of Upper Stephen St., near the spot now acquiring notoriety, the Whitefriars of old gave entrance to their enclosed church and lands by a strong gate. Green fields and woods stretched to the south until they merged in the Dublin mountains.
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