Calling all nerds - Dublin City Streetnames :)

Victor

In doing submissions on the current round of public consultations by Dublin City Council (Taxi Ranks and Speed Limits) I've come across streets, bridges, etc. that even I didn't know about. Hands up who has heard of Middle Gardiner Street?

Dublin City Council consider this list about 98% definitive and is official http://www.dublincity.ie/YourCouncil/SeirbhisiGaeilge/Pages/SraidainmneachaBhaileAthaCliathDublinCityStreetNames.aspx However, there are problems, e.g. the once upon a time re-naming of one street as "Nassau Street", but retaining the Irish "Sráid Thobar Phádraig" (St. Patrick's Well Street), named after the well in TCD.

Another problem is streets named for saints - Luke Street and Andrew Street were originally named after the saints. Luke Street seems to have been shortened at all levels, but maps still refer to St. Andrew Street - the dropping of the "Saint" is in speech only. An associated problem is whether it is "St. Michan Street" or "St. Michans Street" or "St. Michan's Street"

Then there is Upper & Lower, Little & Great, East & West (there are four Liffey Streets - upper, lower, West and South). This brings the quandry - is Little Britain Street (Sráid na Breataine Bheag) a small street named after Britain or a street name after Little Britain (An Bhreatain Bheag = Wales)?

Someone has carried out an English-Irish exercise here, but I don't know if it includes missing "streets"

http://www.photopol.com/signs/sraidbac/sraidbac.html
http://www.iol.ie/~sob/sraid/
http://www.iol.ie/~sob/sraid/tablabac.html

Anyway, I've compiled a list of things that could be added to the council list and attached it. Feel free to add.

Micilin Muc

Victor wrote: »

... is Little Britain Street (Sráid na Breataine Bheag) a small street named after Britain or a street name after Little Britain (An Bhreatain Bheag = Wales)? ...

I came across this last night and originally thought it was a mistake!

Sráid na Breataine Bheag is a small street named after Britain, whereas Sráid na Breataine Bige would be a street named after Little Britain/Wales.

What do you mean by 'missing "streets"'?

Victor

Missing from the council list.

spurious

Is Little Britain Street not entirely under the ILAC now?

spurious

I see Dublin City Council suggest the much more sensible Plás Beresford for Beresford place instead of Dublin Bus' hilarious Dúin Sméara which used to occasionally appear.

Micilin Muc

spurious wrote: »

Is Little Britain Street not entirely under the ILAC now?

The Little Britain Street I saw last night is near the junction of Parnell Street and Capel Street.

Victor

spurious wrote: »

Is Little Britain Street not entirely under the ILAC now?

You may be thinking of Little Denmark Street.

Little / Britain Street / Little http://www.bing.com/maps/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCP&cp=53.349341~-6.269419&style=r&lvl=17&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1

humberklog

Well the name Great Britain came about to distinguish it from Lesser Britain which is refering to Brittany, France. That's what I'd always thought(in adulthood at least) that the name of Little Britain St. was in reference to. Perhaps a Huguenot connection?

spurious

Victor wrote: »

You may be thinking of Little Denmark Street.

Little / Britain Street / Little http://www.bing.com/maps/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCP&cp=53.349341~-6.269419&style=r&lvl=17&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1

That's right - I was mixing it up. Thanks.

Wishbone Ash

Victor wrote: »

Hands up who has heard of Middle Gardiner Street?

I thought that was common knowledge Victor! The recently demolished Fr Scully House and the Hill 16 pub are on Gardiner Street Middle.

(AFAIK it's one of only two streets in Dublin with a "Middle").

Victor wrote:

This brings the quandry - is Little Britain Street (Sráid na Breataine Bheag) a small street named after Britain or a street name after Little Britain (An Bhreatain Bheag = Wales)?

I tend to think of it as Little Britain - Street" as opposed to "Little - Britain Street.

Others will argue that it is the lesser end of Great Britain Street as they are almost aligned (Great Britain Street is now Parnell Street) and we have Britain Place (not Great Britain Place) off Great Britain Street.

Here's a few pics of Little Britain Street for those not familiar with it. It links Capel Street to Halston Street.

_blank_

spurious wrote: »

I see Dublin City Council suggest the much more sensible Plás Beresford for Beresford place instead of Dublin Bus' hilarious Dúin Sméara which used to occasionally appear.

I'll tell you what else is hilarious on Dublin Busses.

Any bus that uses the Whitworth Road will sometimes have

Via Bóthar Fuitbeirt - which is assume is some Gaelicisation

But inexplicabley some of them will have

Via Bóthar Ard Liath - which is actually Ardlea Road, in Artane.

Micilin Muc

humberklog wrote: »

Well the name Great Britain came about to distinguish it from Lesser Britain which is refering to Brittany, France.

According to this source on the etymology of the term 'Great Britain', that's how it got it's name.

Micilin Muc

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

I tend to think of it as Little Britain - Street" as opposed to "Little - Britain Street.

Others will argue that it is the lesser end of Great Britain Street as they are almost aligned (Great Britain Street is now Parnell Street) and we have Britain Place (not Great Britain Place) off Great Britain Street.

If the Irish equivalent can be trusted, it's "Little - Britain Street". The Irish name on the sign below is grammatically correct if it is "Little - Britain Street". There are plenty of mistakes in the Irish names of the streets, but "Little Britain Street" is not a name an Irish translator would automatically translate correctly without having done any research.


[/quote]

humberklog

Micilin Muc wrote: »

According to this source on the etymology of the term 'Great Britain', that's how it got it's name.

Indeed, I should have been more specific. The terms Britania Major and Britania Minor were used to differentiate the regions.

Wishbone Ash

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

(AFAIK it's one of only two streets in Dublin with a "Middle").

Middle Abbey Street (Luas tracks)
Middle Mountjoy St. (near the black church)
and, er, Middle third? (Killester)