To end the week where we have had doubles, rebels and Gandelows we now have a truly charming Eason shot. A man mends a bicycle outside the door of a thatched cottage with a young girl in a pinny standing behind him watching the photographer at work. In the background is a town or city marked by a high spire dominating the landscape. There is no doubt but this scene has changed drastically in the meantime, if we can locate it(?)
Rory Sherlock was quick with the location and subject: Old Town in Letterkenny, County Donegal. The spire in the background is that of the
Cathedral of St. Eunan and St. Columba, which opened in 1901....
Photographer:
Unknown
Collection:
Eason Photographic Collection
Date: Catalogue range c.1900-1920
NLI Ref:
Eas 1115
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: 21289
Rory_Sherlock
Oldtown, Letterkenny? - somewhere along here perhaps? www.google.ie/maps/@54.9434548,-7.7393262,3a,75y,351.6h,8...
derangedlemur
https://www.flickr.com/photos/139877639@N08 Well done. Looks like I need to get up early even in the holidays.
derangedlemur
OSI: bit.ly/2rQfQ4O
ɹǝqɯoɔɥɔɐǝq
Not really much help with dating, the Cathedral of St. Eunan and St. Columba in the distance was built between 1890 and 1900, and opened in June 1901. See - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_of_St._Eunan_and_St._Columba
derangedlemur
https://www.flickr.com/photos/beachcomberaustralia And yer man has a safety bicycle, so it's post 1870...
ɹǝqɯoɔɥɔɐǝq
Another similar photo from the Eason collection; I think it is earlier, see extra tree and unwhitewashed walls - catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000556917 It's also winter and the cathedral looks complete. Therefore today's photo is a few years later than 1901 ?
abandoned railways
No sign of the railway below the Cathedral. Oldtown station opened on 09.03.1903, and closed 06.01.1947.
Swordscookie
https://www.flickr.com/photos/beachcomberaustralia With regard to you final comment there it is not a winter scene! The child is out in a pinny, the old man is in his shirt sleeves, there are leaves on the trees and there is no sign of rain so it is the one day of summer that year!
ɹǝqɯoɔɥɔɐǝq
[https://www.flickr.com/photos/swordscookie] Ha ha! I was meaning it is winter in the other photo - catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000556917
John Spooner
I knew the picture reminded me of something. Is the thatched cottage the private house of a qualified doctor?
The Third Policeman pp 120-121National Library of Ireland on The Commons
Thanks https://www.flickr.com/photos/139877639@N08/all. Have updated the map/tags/etc!