Vitriol Towers - bad tempers in Draw'da
More from this collection
Related by When
Related by Where
Research Help!
Where: Leinster, Louth, Ireland
Try to find the spot where the photographer was standing.
When: Unknown
Try to find the date or year when this image was made.
We've been here before with Lawrence and the Stereo Pairs but this is a different view and I suspect at a later time - Drogheda on the Boyne between Counties Meath and Louth. There is so much to see here including the paddle steamers, "Chemical Manure Co." and last but not least "Vitriol Towers" (Vitrol)
Photographer: Robert French
Collection: Lawrence Photograph Collection
Date: Circa 1865 - 1914
NLI Ref: L_IMP_3825
You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie
Source: Flickr Commons
Views: 5520
Photographer: Robert French
Collection: Lawrence Photograph Collection
Date: Circa 1865 - 1914
NLI Ref: L_IMP_3825
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 CommonsSource: Flickr Commons
Views: 5520
robertfrench
williamlawrence
lawrencecollection
lawrencephotographicstudio
thelawrencephotographcollection
glassnegative
nationallibraryofireland
drogheda
countylouth
riverboyne
paddlesteamers
quays
chemicalmanurecovitroltowers
Add Tags
Add Tags
ɹǝqɯoɔɥɔɐǝq
Crackin' photo ! Not the same day as this Stereo Pair - https://www.flickr.com/photos/nlireland/28759118197/
National Library of Ireland on The Commons
https://www.flickr.com/photos/beachcomberaustralia ha ha.
ɹǝqɯoɔɥɔɐǝq
💡Aha! Mr French / Lawrence took another Imperial photo a little to the right, showing another paddle steamer, the 'Kathleen Mavourneen' (1885 - 1902), earliest and latest dates so far? L_IMP_3824 - catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000327017 WIki - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PS_Kathleen_Mavourneen_(1885) "... a paddle steamer passenger vessel operated by the Drogheda Steam Packet Company from 1855[typo for 1885?} to 1902 and the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway from 1902 to 1903. ..." And there is a reverse view with more clues - L_IMP_3826 - catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000191729
Niall McAuley
Quite the industrial zone: on the 25" there is the Vitriol and Manure works, next the gasworks (I see a gasometer), then St. Mary's Mills (Spinning and weaving), then a Brewery and finally an iron works. All replaced by Scotch Hall shopping centre and carpark now.
Niall McAuley
St. Mary's Catholic Church above the word Manure was completed in 1889 per the NIAH.
ɹǝqɯoɔɥɔɐǝq
Ship Street, bottom left, the widest street in Drogheda, is interesting - droghedalife.com/news/publication-underlines-the-importan... Streetview - goo.gl/maps/mT3ui794wjtUjhH69
Deirge (Del)
D.B. McNeill's book Irish passenger steamship services (vol.2 ) is digitised and borrowable online from open library. Page 62 onwards has information about the paddle steamers that used Drogheda and p.71 has a photo from the NLI taken from the railway viaduct (as this one likely was) over the Drogheda quays. There were passenger services to Liverpool, its unclear if you might need to share with cattle. There were no railway lines down to the quays at Drogheda which was a disadvantage for freight handling.
Deirge (Del)
Graces Guide claims Drogheda Chemical Manure Co registered on 1896-03-05 acquiring private business of a "Mr. F. St. G. Smith".
ɹǝqɯoɔɥɔɐǝq
[Aside} [https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]] Interesting 'cos "Drogheda Manu[re]" is writ large on the building in this marvellous photo of the bridge (with Mr French and family??). Now we know it is after 1896, which we suspected already from the boater hats - catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000058596
Niall McAuley
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected] that Grace's guide entry says "carried on under the same title as the company. " So I don't think the name changed in 1896? Indeed the linked ad is from 1893
ɹǝqɯoɔɥɔɐǝq
💡The Whitworth Monument seen here on North Quay (see note or better in the reverse view) - "It was first erected at the bottom of Peter Street, just opposite the Tholsel. It was a magnificent centrepiece in the centre of a very busy town. But as the town prospered, it began to cause an obstruction, and the local traders in Peter Street petitioned the Corporation to have it removed. In October 1894 it was removed from Peter Street, and re-erected at The Mall/North Quay, very close to where the Depatment of Social Welfare office is currently located. Where is the Whitworth monument now? The monument stood at the Mall for almost 70 years. But then, in 1965 it was removed once more. However this time it did not relocate to another location. It just disappeared, without a trace, without a reason. In the intervening years there have been many pleas to the Corporation to have the circumstances investigated and to have the monument re-erected and restored, but to no avail." From - homepage.eircom.net/~thewhitworth/monument.html So photo is after October 1894 ...
suckindeesel
Undoubtedly taken from the Viaduct. On old wives tale is that a coin thrown from the train without hitting the girders assures a safe return journey. That terrace on the bottom left is called Ship St. and still survives. It has direct access to the waters edge and judging from the doorways could suffer flooding. Google Earth Link earth.app.goo.gl/uQ14uw #googleearth
suckindeesel
Millmount Fort in the distance millmount.net
suckindeesel
An even higher viewpoint https://flic.kr/p/2o1YqG7
Swordscookie
I'm just back at home after spending the day up there and not a single paddle steamer or Vitriol tower to be seen!!!
suckindeesel
Vitriol is the general chemical name encompassing a class of chemical compound comprising sulphates (SO4) of certain metals – originally, iron or copper. -Wikipedia
suckindeesel
Apparently, Vitriol was part of the manure plant. It must have been a great source of chemicals as it was taken over by Gouldings in 1919. https://flic.kr/p/2o5WbKf The plant in 1893, you can just make out Mr. French perched on the parapet of the viaduct.