Vandalism by DLRCoCo

It’s not just DLRDCC, Dublin City Council are just as guilty. DCC are culling the lovely old Gaelic street signs and replacing them with cheap muck.

A lot of these old signs are rusting away.

DCC’s answer it to tear them down and stick up these awful cheapo ones that only last for 10 years at best. The lettering can be peeled off easily.

I don’t think those covers (with the gaelic script) are that old, less than 15 years old if I’m not mistaken,correct me if I’m wrong……

I’m not sure about the exact age, shaun, but I’m pretty sure you’re right that thay’re newish. I remember seeing similar ones in various towns around the country a few years ago that looked quite crisp.

Morlan- funny you should post an image of an old Dublin street sign. Over the last couple of weeks I collected examples aroud the city for an American friend who is passionate about typography / typefaces / fonts, and I was considering posting them here, mainly for exactly that reason- they’re disappearing, and I thought it might encourage members to photograph the best examples before it’s too late. And not just Dublin street signs; any good examples of Irish script would be welcome.

Is anyone game?

The council (or someone in the depot) are probably making a fortune floggin off the old signs to the Irish Pub Company or some other oirish kit-pub designers,

There are a fair few of those old rusty green signs here & there in Dublin …. probably surviving by chance.

The whole area of street- and place-name signs is another minefield of all the usual horror: no conservation awareness, gratuitous removal of good quality old signs, poor quality replacement, cheap materials, inconsistency …….. arrrrggh!! getting depressed just thinking about it!!!

The Gaelic spellings are from the post Independence days. (Queen) Victoria Street for example was translated to Sraid na Bhuaidhe – Victory Street.

DCC are even dumbing down the Irish spellings on these new cheapo signs.
For example, Sraid na Bhuaidhe has been replaced with Sraid Victoria.
Sraid Mhaoilbhríde has now been changed to Sraid Marlborough.

The fact remains that 99% of Dubliners can’t read Irish, let alone Gaelic script.. so why not keep the Irish language in it’s original Gaelic script? It’s more pleasing to the eye IMO; and Irish speakers have no problem reading them. The introduction of italicised Gaelic signs a few years ago was purposefully designed to make the language less noticeable. I find that rather insulting.

What do you guys make of the italicised Gaelic signs compared to the old ones?

The newer flat signs are very cheapo looking – they look like someone ran them up in a shed on some home printing kit.

I don’t mind the signs you get in many suburban estates – they are the blue colour but have the names in relief. They look a bit more substantial.

Beresford Place is Plás Dúinsméara according to bus stops – I guess it’s new-wave gaelicisation.
While I realise the number of citizens with ‘good’ Irish is low, a child in second class in primary could have told DCC that ‘Dola Droichead’ was wrong.

@shaun wrote:

I don’t think those covers (with the gaelic script) are that old, less than 15 years old if I’m not mistaken,correct me if I’m wrong……

I think you are right. I don’t think they are that old either. Is it possible that they were even installed during the works carried out on the street when it was semi-pedestrianised?

Good to see these issues highlighted non-the-less. I like seeing old signs on buildings around Dublin. the ‘Trinity Ward’ sign on the corner of Merrion Square West and Clare Street coming to mind along with the old sign on Pearse Square saying ‘Queen’s Square’.

I think that the design dates from around 1932, but of course older designs were used by the local authorities for long afterward.

I am amazed that no one has yet commented on the very run down state of Georges Street in Dun Laoire.

Much of the stretch near Mc Donalds is empty and in decay, despite some interesting shopfronts. Nearby the former Gas Company building has a record shop as tenant, which is closing. The Bloomfield Centre is looking distinctly dreary, if relatively recent. There is a good number of “Pound shops” and charity shops and a closed pub, which suggest that trading is not wonderful, despite the car ban. There are, however, some nice shop facades remaining.

As for the DL Shopping Centre – well it is a shadow of what it once was, with some works going on there at present.

Regarding street signs, this website has some interesting examples and comments, including some on the use of inappropriate Irish translations.
http://www.photopol.com/

Wow- that photopol site is great, dc3. Thanks.

I think we’re in danger of hijacking KB2’s thread with this street sign stuff, though. I’ll try to start a dedicated thread later.

dc3 Dun Laoghaire town is on it’s knees. The councillors are considering reintroducing one way traffic to help trade! yes they are that braindead! Dundrum is killing it, Bray will be the final nail. Unless of course someone with some vision comes along and nukes the shopping centre, and creates a new spectaular focal point with that junction made into a great public space. People and the reps in the area don’t see the link between the state of the town, and the militant obsession with saving the golf club, deerhunter site, and every infill site, etc etc from development. For an area with so many natural and societal advantages, it’s an absolute disgrace that it’s fallen into such a state of disrepair.

Sorry about that. Back to the original topic

@dc3 wrote:

Regarding street signs, this website has some interesting examples and comments, including some on the use of inappropriate Irish translations.
http://www.photopol.com/

GRMA as sin, dc3. I’ve been looking for a site like this for ages.

I’ve been planning to make a street signs thread for a while now. Anyway, yes back on topic.

@dc3 wrote:

I think that the design dates from around 1932, but of course older designs were used by the local authorities for long afterward.

I am amazed that no one has yet commented on the very run down state of Georges Street in Dun Laoire.

Much of the stretch near Mc Donalds is empty and in decay, despite some interesting shopfronts.

That could be correct, they certainly pre-date the pedestrianisation. Anyone got any idea of what the initials W S C-R stand for?

dc3 – that row of shops is owned by Dunnes Stores and for the last few years was sub-let on short tenancies, hence the plethora of coffee bars, internet cafes, etc. It recently became the subject of a planning application, apparently Dunnes is going to redevelop….. Hope the shopfronts are preserved. I think the old Gas showrooms is a protected building, it certainly looked much better in the pre-video shop days.

Dun Laoghaire started to die when Cornellscourt opened. Instead of agreeing to late opening, the unions of the main shops in DL (Lees, McCullaghs, Cassidys, Liptons, Findlaters) all protested and refused to work late on Thursdays and Fridays. Guss where they are now! The eastern end of the town was killed by the demolition of the Adelphi, left as a bomb-site for years, and the brick monstrosity that was eventually built there did nothing for the streetscape. Much of that building has now ben gutted and is being re-fitted.
There’s progress for ya!
KB

The old Gas showrooms looks like it is to be vacated again. Whilst Music City has lasted quite alot longer than Wendy’s or Cafe Society, it seems its days are numbered. It could do with some work, but is a nice shopfront none the less. Dunnes have been trying to get their hands on those buildings for years now. I remember seeing that planning application a while ago, but didn’t know what happened to it.

re the original topic,these cant be very old as thats the exact style used in bray at the moment…even in my estate they were installed last year!There a great design strange that dcc are replacing them and bray udc has started using them?

re dun laoghaire,there is not a single cinema in wicklow now so that may help trade and the bray development wont be started for many years,plenty of time to clean up their act!

I noticed today that the sign in Woodies DIY stores use Gaelic script for the Irish words.

The metal water covers require a special key to open – the ‘modern’ plastic eyetrash aparition can be opened by anyone. Thanks DLRCOCO for your consideration in facilitating any member of the public gaining access to vital water controls. My sympathy goes to those unfortunate individuals who undress for a shower, turn the tap and a few droplets land on their big toe.

@KerryBog2 wrote:

That could be correct, they certainly pre-date the pedestrianisation. Anyone got any idea of what the initials W S C-R stand for?

Water Service Control – Round (I know, how disappointing…)
http://www.iplgroup.ie/meter_boxes.html

@newgrange wrote:

Water Service Control – Round (I know, how disappointing…

Disappointing indeed! I had been thinking along the lines of “Water Stop Cock..R ..something. :confused: Very British, must have been a hang-over from the military, along the lines of “‘Pots, chamber, India rubber, officers, lunatic, for the use of’.”:D