Genealogical Office, Dublin Castle

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Where: Dublin, Ireland

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When: 01 January 1966

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This is an important day in Library Towers, your normal Morning Mary is off on her travels, please join with me to wish her Bon Voyage, I hope she has a great time. So here you are, stuck with me for the next few weeks. Before we get to the photographs, I would like to remind everyone that today is my birthday and that all types of Sticky Buns (virtual and otherwise) will be gratefully received.

We are off to Dublin Castle today, just a 15 minute walk from here, to pay a rare visit to the Wiltshire Collection. I for one know little about the Genealogical Office and I am looking forward to learning a lot more presently.

And with thanks to everyone's contributions, learn something we did :) While captured by Elinor Wiltshire in the 1960s, the main building and clocktower here (Bedford Tower) dates from two hundred years earlier, c.1760. And is in the "upper yard" of the Dublin Castle complex - which was likely at least initially laid-out by then Surveyor General, Edward Lovett Pearce. He didn't see the tower built however. It was completed in the 1750s/60s and named after the Duke of Bedford, then Lord Lieutenant. As our contributors point-out, the statue over the righthand gate (Lady Justice - with her face to the courtyard and her back to the populace outside) has been the subject of more than one wag's (somtimes poetic) commentary on how the castle's occupants considered those outside its gates....


Photographer: Elinor Wiltshire

Collection: Wiltshire Photographic Collection

Date: 1966

NLI Ref: WIL 29[7]

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: 51183
elinorwiltshire rolleiflexcamera rolleiflex wiltshirephotographiccollection nationallibraryofireland elinoro’brienwiltshire statueofjustice statueoffortitude bedfordtower dublincastle clock 1113 genealogicaloffice clocktower 1760 georgianarchitecture courtyard upperyard yard

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  • profile

    Wendy:

    • 04/Jan/2019 09:03:35

    Great way of spending your birthday : best wishes to Mary!

  • profile

    National Library of Ireland on The Commons

    • 04/Jan/2019 09:09:34

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/lizinitaly Thanks Wendy.

  • profile

    Carol Maddock

    • 04/Jan/2019 09:10:03

    Come back soon, Morning Mary! And how about a 3-tiered Sticky Bun, Afternoon Mary?

  • profile

    National Library of Ireland on The Commons

    • 04/Jan/2019 09:23:05

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/47297387@N03 Bring it on Ms Maddock!!

  • profile

    National Library of Ireland on The Commons

    • 04/Jan/2019 09:27:07

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/abandonedrailsireland I see your note Fred, are you saying that Trams actually drove into the Castle yard?

  • profile

    ɹǝqɯoɔɥɔɐǝq

    • 04/Jan/2019 09:35:36

    Bon Voyage Normal Morning Mary! Happy Birthday Sticky Bun Mary! https://www.flickr.com/photos/writemeg/4832083217/

  • profile

    ɹǝqɯoɔɥɔɐǝq

    • 04/Jan/2019 09:42:10

    Ha! The lovely Elinor took another photo one minute later, at 11:14 !! - catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000048360 Thanks again Megazoom™

  • profile

    Niall McAuley

    • 04/Jan/2019 10:00:55

    Happy Birthday! Have a streetview.

  • profile

    Niall McAuley

    • 04/Jan/2019 10:02:51

    Per wikipedia: The Genealogical Office was formerly based in Dublin Castle. It was made part of the Department of Education in 1943. The office later relocated to the National Library of Ireland (NLI), and was formally recognised as part of the NLI in 1997.

  • profile

    ɹǝqɯoɔɥɔɐǝq

    • 04/Jan/2019 10:05:51

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/gnmcauley Someone swiped the chimneys!

  • profile

    National Library of Ireland on The Commons

    • 04/Jan/2019 10:16:32

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/beachcomberaustralia https://www.flickr.com/photos/gnmcauley Thank you, just to be clear, we have Morning Mary (on vacation) Evening Mary (always wrapping things up) I am The Other Mary.

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    National Library of Ireland on The Commons

    • 04/Jan/2019 10:17:39

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/gnmcauley All of us here in Library Towers knew that! ;)

  • profile

    oaktree_brian_1976

    • 04/Jan/2019 10:51:59

    Happy Birthday! My first thought was that it looks like our Law Society of Ontario head office, minus tower. goo.gl/images/Yj3B9n

  • profile

    abandoned railways

    • 04/Jan/2019 10:53:56

    The building is Bedford Tower www.tourist-information-dublin.co.uk/bedford-tower-dublin... Dublin Castle isnt really a Castle, but a collection of buildings.

  • profile

    oaktree_brian_1976

    • 04/Jan/2019 11:01:31

    Bedford Tower, Dublin Castle, Dublin, Ireland www.flickr.com/photos/runningwithbulls/4909298580/ The Bedford Tower (part of Dublin Castle) was built in 1760 it houses the Chief State Solicitor's Office and the Genealogical Office. Dublin Castle off Dame Street, Dublin, Ireland, was until 1922 the fortified seat of British rule in Ireland, and is now a major Irish government complex. Most of it dates from the 18th century, though a castle has stood on the site since the days of King John, the first Lord of Ireland.

  • profile

    abandoned railways

    • 04/Jan/2019 11:20:22

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/nlireland Remaining signs of the Gravy Train in the Dail. 😎

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    National Library of Ireland on The Commons

    • 04/Jan/2019 12:05:47

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/abandonedrailsireland You might very well think that; I couldn't possibly comment.

  • profile

    National Library of Ireland on The Commons

    • 04/Jan/2019 12:06:29

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/66151649@N02 Thanks Brian.

  • profile

    National Library of Ireland on The Commons

    • 04/Jan/2019 12:07:22

    Anyone know anything about the Statues to the left and right of the building?

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    abandoned railways

    • 04/Jan/2019 12:42:47

    Could it be these. The Bedford Tower of 1761 comprises the centrepiece of the Castle's principal Georgian courtyard. The statues of Fortitude and Justice on the gates were sculpted by John Van Nost the Younger in 1753. https://www.flickr.com/photos/nlireland

  • profile

    abandoned railways

    • 04/Jan/2019 12:43:45

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_van_Nost_the_younger

  • profile

    abandoned railways

    • 04/Jan/2019 12:45:54

    It was from this building the Irish Crown Jewels were 'mysteriously' stolen in 1907. They were never recovered.

  • profile

    National Library of Ireland on The Commons

    • 04/Jan/2019 13:35:52

    [https://www.flickr.com/photos/abandonedrailsireland] Thanks Fred. Lady Justice The statue was erected by the British authorities in 1751 and was sculpted by Van Nost. Its design was a source of outrage and amusement for many in Dublin city, for it betrays many of the characteristics that statues of this type normally exhibit. Lady Justice is often pictured blindfolded, so as to be blind to discrimination. Here she is fully able to see. Her scales, normally depicted as being perfectly leveled are actually tilted to the Revenue office. The sword she carries, which frequently points downwards (though not always), is held upright and she gazes at it with a smile on her face. Her position on the building is what drew most attention to the statue. While statues of this kind can be found on government buildings all over the world, the majority of these statues faces out over the city and it’s people. Only in Dublin castle does she face inward to the courtyard, turning her back on the people of the city. This obscure positioning of the statue gave rise to the saying: “The Statue of Justice, mark well her station, her face to the castle and her arse to the nation!” From stairnaheireann.net/2016/10/25/iustitia-lady-justice-dubl...

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    Swordscookie

    • 04/Jan/2019 18:05:37

    NLI, The scales of "Justice" were affected by the weather. One was exposed to the elements while the other was sheltered by the arm of the statue. That which was exposed filled with rain water and accordingly dropped to show imbalance. This was remedied by drilling holes in the exposed dish but now it was lighter than the other so one way or another they wrong😂

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    BultacoFan

    • 07/Jan/2019 15:06:17

    Happy Belated Birthday, Other Mary. Friday is also my birthday. Unfortunately though, I don't have anything to add to the picture.

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    National Library of Ireland on The Commons

    • 07/Jan/2019 16:25:35

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/bultacofan I really like and admire you, Capricorns unite!

  • profile

    oursonpolaire

    • 09/Jan/2019 00:20:36

    Does Bewley's still do sticky buns? If so, I send a psychic sticky bun---no! I send you a psychic Mary cake.

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    National Library of Ireland on The Commons

    • 09/Jan/2019 04:24:18

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/oursonpolaire They do, thank you for both!!