Inver, Co. Donegal - Introducing Jaunty?

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Where: Donegal, Ireland

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When: Unknown

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While searching our catalogue for suitable photographs to share on this stream, I came across this one. Nothing exceptional I hear you say! But then I had a look at: General View, Bruckless, General View, Fintragh and Church, Killaghtee, all in Donegal. These photos got me thinking, I hope they get you thinking too....

.... And so it seems that "great minds" think alike. The general consensus is that this image (and more than a few others in the Lawrence series) probably captures members of a Lawrence studio "crew". Comprising a jaunting car driver (who seems to change from time to time), almost certainly an assistant (the younger man in the bowler), and perhaps Robert French himself (behind the camera and hence not captured here). The man presumed to be the assistant, and who was quickly nicknamed "Jaunty" today (for his attire and near ubiquitous presence on/near the jaunting car), has since been spotted in a dozen or so Lawrence images. To the extent that we're a little surprised we hadn't spotted him before :)

Thanks to mcginley2012, we also learned today that the actual titular subject of the image (Inver Bridge) was washed away in the 1960s. A modern roadbridge now carries the N56 over this stretch of the Eany....

Photographer: Robert French

Collection: Lawrence Photograph Collection

Date: c.1880-1900 (likely 1880s)

NLI Ref: L_ROY_01503

You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie

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Owner: National Library of Ireland on The Commons
Source: Flickr Commons
Views: 18316

robertfrench williamlawrence lawrencecollection lawrencephotographicstudio glassnegative nationallibraryofireland inver codonegal ulster eany inverbridge jaunty lawrencecrew assistant driver lawrencephotographcollection

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MukeshPhoto
- 28/Feb/2017 06:40:42
Beautiful composition
National Library of Ireland on The Commons
- 28/Feb/2017 07:26:17
Roman Catholic Church, Bruckless, Co. Donegal might help with the date?
Hannahs Lens
- 28/Feb/2017 07:48:22
Beautiful, but I'm biased as I grew up in beautiful Donegal.
National Library of Ireland on The Commons
- 28/Feb/2017 08:03:55
https://www.flickr.com/photos/hannahs_lens Hanna, you are allowed to be "biased" here!!
Hannahs Lens
- 28/Feb/2017 08:06:13
I love this site, Thanks for Posting all the photos.
DannyM8
- 28/Feb/2017 08:32:20
This reminds me of Mr O'Dea's Austin Cambridge! https://www.flickr.com/photos/nlireland/18035451128
Niall McAuley
- 28/Feb/2017 09:33:16
I think we would see the railway if it was built?
Niall McAuley
- 28/Feb/2017 09:34:43
Inver station opened in 1893.
BeachcomberAustralia
- 28/Feb/2017 09:35:06
Streetview - goo.gl/maps/SA9U8ohfwTs 25" - maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V2,582192,878294,11,9 ?? not 100% sure ...
Niall McAuley
- 28/Feb/2017 09:57:50
Unfortunately at Bruckless, the railway line would be out of sight between the road and sea level. The RC church pictured in [https://www.flickr.com/photos/nlireland]'s link burnt down in 1912 per the DIA.
BeachcomberAustralia
- 28/Feb/2017 10:15:11
IN ONE HOUSE 111 YEARS. The death is announced on December 12 [1908] at Inver, near the little town of Mount Charles, County Donegal (Ireland), of a farmer named Charles Kelly, who was 111 years of age, and who had lived during the whole of his long life in the house in which he was born. Both Kelly and a son who resided with him had been registered for old-age pensions. Up to his death the old man retained all his faculties, and it was his boast that he had never had a day's serious illness in his life or taken medicine of any kind. He was a moderate smoker, and enjoyed an occasional glass of whisky. On the Sunday before his death Kelly attended service at Frosses Chapel, and the following day assisted to "draw" turf from a bog.
From - trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/113351175 (1909)
BeachcomberAustralia
- 28/Feb/2017 10:23:51
I think the thin young fellow in the bowler is also the same as "Jaunty" seen here and associated linked photos - https://www.flickr.com/photos/nlireland/31636807885
Niall McAuley
- 28/Feb/2017 10:49:09
Killaghtee CoI no help - built in 1826, renovated in 1877.
Niall McAuley
- 28/Feb/2017 10:50:27
There is an AUCTION poster on the gatepost at Killaghtee Church, sadly illegible.
DannyM8
- 28/Feb/2017 10:57:10
https://www.flickr.com/photos/gnmcauley Niall, I see Saturday 23rd July on that poster, cannot read the year. 23 July 1881 is a Saturday 23 July 1887 is a Saturday 23 July 1892 is a Saturday 23 July 1898 is a Saturday
DannyM8
- 28/Feb/2017 10:58:29
Is this the same Chap (with the mystery box?) https://www.flickr.com/photos/nlireland/31636807885/in/dateposted/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/beachcomberaustralia Snap
DannyM8
- 28/Feb/2017 11:03:24
And the same boxes as here? https://www.flickr.com/photos/nlireland/32532046430/in/dateposted/ Are these photos of the Lawrence Crew???
DannyM8
- 28/Feb/2017 11:06:50
https://www.flickr.com/photos/beachcomberaustralia "Jaunty" is also in the Buckless shot referenced in the description...
DannyM8
- 28/Feb/2017 11:09:59
I also think that is him in the Fintragh shot too? It seems to be the same horse and trap in the Killaghtee shot?
Niall McAuley
- 28/Feb/2017 11:22:01
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected] Bless your eyesight, I can't make it out at all. I think the Railway at Inver rules out 1898, and I think summer 1892 is dodgy, when the station was opened in 1893, so likely 1881 or 87.
philfluther
- 28/Feb/2017 11:47:33
Leprechaun scale, living interest.
National Library of Ireland on The Commons
- 28/Feb/2017 12:44:13
https://www.flickr.com/photos/gnmcauley https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected] Squinting to the Nth degree it is possible that the date reads 1887 - but not 100% sure. I also see a Haystack, which in a good weather year could tie in with a July date.
Niall McAuley
- 28/Feb/2017 13:03:16
Is this Jaunty outside the Nesbitt Arms Hotel, Ardara? Crossing Clonmany Bridge? (A different driver/horse, though).
guliolopez
- 28/Feb/2017 13:24:38
[https://www.flickr.com/photos/nlireland] [https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]] [https://www.flickr.com/photos/beachcomberaustralia] [https://www.flickr.com/photos/gnmcauley] - Is the suggestion that all these images were taken on the same "trip"? (Seems plausible to me). And that the travellers are a Lawrence crew of driver, photographer and assistant? With the assistant the thinner chap with bowler/deerstalker? (Equally plausible). If so, there's been a shortening of odds that the top-hatted man at Crookedwood is French himself. (Increasingly plausible).
DannyM8
- 28/Feb/2017 13:31:48
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected] I think the Donegal photos suggest the same trip, the Crookedwood shot has enough similarities for the suggestion. I am suggesting that it is a Crew (if that is the correct word) of three.
Niall McAuley
- 28/Feb/2017 13:35:41
Here is Jaunty in his pale cap at Doochary, with his box nearby.
Niall McAuley
- 28/Feb/2017 13:51:53
Jaunty climbs the rocks at Muckross Head to gaze out to sea... but leaves the box below with the natives.
Niall McAuley
- 28/Feb/2017 14:12:17
Jaunty is back on the sidecar at Muckish Mountain.
DannyM8
- 28/Feb/2017 14:38:55
https://www.flickr.com/photos/gnmcauley I think it is proven that Jaunty is in some way part of the Lawrence Crew.
Niall McAuley
- 28/Feb/2017 14:47:06
[https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]] I am also looking to see if there are date mismatches - if Jaunty appears in a motor car, or on the light railway, or in front of a church built in 1900, we would know that there were at least a few trips widely spaced in time including him to Donegal. But so far, all the shots I've seen are consistent with one or more trips in the 1880s, maybe just one in 1887. This would mean hard to date shots like Muckross Head above are likely also 1887. (There are many Lawrence shots of Donegal from much later - just not with Jaunty).
DannyM8
- 28/Feb/2017 15:02:35
[https://www.flickr.com/photos/gnmcauley] I think this is him in Mayo Croagh Patrick, Westport, Co. Mayo
DannyM8
- 28/Feb/2017 15:07:49
[https://www.flickr.com/photos/gnmcauley] Is this the Driver in Croagh Patrick, Westport, Co. Mayo And both here Croagh Patrick, Westport, Co. Mayo
DannyM8
- 28/Feb/2017 21:01:40
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected] I would be interested in your observations on today's comments.
mcginley2012
- 28/Feb/2017 22:48:11
Inver Bridge, washed away in October 1965. Nice work finding Jaunty. It would have been a very boring image without the focus of the horse & trap/crew which is facing towards the Doorin Line which leads to the town of Mountcharles. The other road leads to Drumbeg House.
oaktree_brian_1976
- 01/Mar/2017 00:08:19
looks like an old railway bridge
mcginley2012
- 01/Mar/2017 00:24:40
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected] It's not a railway bridge, that was further up river near Keelogs school. It's the old road from Donegal Town to Killybegs.
National Library of Ireland on The Commons
- 01/Mar/2017 01:24:22
Thanks all! Have updated map and description. Great to hear confirmation/consensus that "Jaunty" (loving the name) was very likely French's assistant. It doesn't seem beyond the bounds of possibility that we might one-day discover his real time.....