Street of the Tanners

Street of the Tanners

25 Apr 1969

Not so long ago, geography consisted of a simple smattering of seemingly unchangeable economic facts—Dublin for porter and biscuits, Belfast for linen and ships, Cork for cattle and butter that was Ireland’s economy wrapped up.
We have changed all that, with a vengeance, but there was an excuse for this old rigid attitude, when you think of the tremendous continuity in the location for married women at men’ of some Dublin trades. Here Liam looks at Dolphin’s Barn, looking towards Cork Street, with the Leinster Cinema that was on the left In the 1840s, no-less than four tanners had their premises, side by side here in what was then Dolphin’s Barn Lane (there names were James O’Neill, at 35; Patrick Ledwidge, 42 to 44; Peter Byrne, 50; and Margaret Jones, at 51; and maybe their raw material came from John Kinsella, at number 52, cattle dealer). Gilbert’s “Calendar of Ancient Records of Dublin” says that in earlier times, the tanners of Dolphin’s Barn were in dispute with the City, for their alleged Interference with the Poddle water supply, upon which Dublin then depended almost entirely.

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