This beautiful shot of Sir John Gray's monument and a pristine Sackville Street, (O'Connell Street) taken in the early morning, The street is clear apart from some hackneys waiting for fares with Nelsons Pillar standing proud and the GPO in all its grandeur unaware of the devastation to come!

Apart from connecting the statue, its subject and its inscription to our recent Vartry Works photos, the main learnings here were from Niall McAuley. On date. Niall has whittled down the 50 year catalogue range - to perhaps just a decade or so (1880-1890 - give or take a year or so). On the basis of the statue itself.....


Photographer: Robert French

Collection: Lawrence Photograph Collection

Date: Catalogue range c.1865-1914. Definitely after 1879 (statue). Before 1892 (railings gone). So c.1880-1890

NLI Ref: L_CAB_01721

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

Info:

Owner: National Library of Ireland on The Commons
Source: Flickr Commons
Views: 19844