Dublin's Hidden History

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Bull Island

The North Bull Island has evolved over the past 200 years and came about due to the works carried out in Dublin Bay during the 18th and 19th centuries. The original purpose of the works was to counter the constant silting up of the Liffey channel in the bay. The original South Bull Wall – known as “the piles” was begun in 1715 and completed in 1730. It was built by driving oak piles through to the boulder clay in the bay and was reinforced by kishes filled with gravel, and wattles. It was successful in providing shelter for the various anchorages in the estuary, and in preventing the drift of sand into the channel, but it was eventually breached by a storm when the timbers rotted due to severe tidal stress. In 1761 it was decided to replace the then rotten piles with a stone pier. Commencing at the seaward end, the present lighthouse at the Poolbeg was completed in 1768, but the south wall, built of massive granite blocks, did not reach the Pigeon House harbour until 1795.
The wall, although a great engineering feat for its time, did not drastically improve the access to Dublin Port itself. In 1786 an engineer named William Chapman proposed the building of the North Bull wall. In January of 1801 Captain William Bligh R.N, of Bounty fame, following a survey of Dublin Bay, presented the director general of the Ballast Board with a map on which the dry part of the North Bull was marked as a very small patch, it was immediately off-shore from the large 18th century mansion known as Baymount (Manresa House). The purpose of building the North Bull Wall was to increase the draught for shipping using Dublin Bay at the low water mark of spring tides and to thereby make the harbour more accessible for seafaring vessels.bull island_1589.jpg
The first Bull Bridge was built in the Autumn of 1819 to facilitate the building of the Bull Wall itself. Construction of this wall began in 1820 based on the proposal of George Halpin, the Ballast Board’s engineer and completed in 1825 at a total cost of £95,000. With the North and South walls completed and a natural tidal scour created, the depth of the water over the bar between the North Bull and Poolbeg lighthouses at low water of spring tides increased without dredging from 1.8 metres to 4.8 metres in 1873. As a result of the sand and silt not washing into the estuary and the harbour, this residue started to accumulate on the area known as the North Bull and the island started to grow. The Bull Wall and the growing beach area fast became an amenity for the citizens of Dublin, the advent of horse trams from the city centre to Dollymount in 1873 increased the attraction which was augmented by the electric tram to Howth in the late 19th Century. In 1880 an International Rifle Match was held at Dollymount between teams from Ireland and America, thousands of people gathered on the island to witness this unique event, the American team won the match. In 1889 The Royal Dublin Golf Club obtained permission from Colonel E. Vernon of Clontarf Castle and from Dublin Port and Docks Board to lay out a course and to erect a clubhouse on the North Bull Island. In 1906/7 the first bridge was renovated and again upgraded in 2008.
In 1912 the Dollymount Sea Scouts were formed with part of the old Coast Guard station at the start of the Bull Wall becoming their Crow’s Nest (Den).
On September 5th, 1914 following the outbreak of World War I, the entire island was commandeered by the British Army for military training. The Royal Dublin clubhouse was used as officer’s quarters and its course used for the purpose of a firing range and the training in trench warfare. Up to the 1980’s it was not unusual for golfers on the island to find spent bullets on the links
Near the end of the first World War three friends, Marmaduke Montgomery Devitt, Tussy Murray and Dudley Stuart who enjoyed sailing and fishing from a boat called “Idle Hours” in Dublin Bay, spent time moonlighting on The Royal Dublin golf links but were moved on by the British Army because of the danger of being hit by live rounds of ammunition. The three decided to start cutting out golf holes on the eastern end of the island with the old 2nd Par three now the 17th being the first hole to be built in a natural dune setting, the greens were made of ox blood and chimney soot. Some difficulty arose with The Royal Dublin Golf Club who had in May of 1904 been granted a lease for a period of 21 years by Lord Ardilaun, Sir Arthur Guinness the 3rd (d. 1915) who resided in the nearby St Annes Estate to John Lumsden, Founder of The Royal Dublin Golf Club, for exclusive rights of playing golf over the entire island.
Marmaduke Devitt and Tussy Murray were granted an audience with Lady Ardilaun, previously Lady Olivia Charlotte White, which was probably due to the fact that Marmaduke’s father Leopold Montgomery Devitt worked in St. Anne’s Estate. The two got their permission to play golf, form a club and agreed on the name St. Anne’s after the estate.
On the 1st of July 1921 Marmaduke Montgomery Devitt drove in as first Captain of what would later be described by many as “the best little nine hole links in the country” which prevailed until 1989 when the club became an eighteen hole course.
The Bull Bridge was not the only access to the island. At the Blackbanks end of the Howth Road there was a slipway which allowed horses and carts down into the lagoon. From the end of this slipway out towards the island a hard cart track extended for about one hundred and fifty yards to the channel at low tide. Once through the channel which was only ankle deep, there was hard sand on which horses and carts could go across over the sand dunes onto the North Bull beach to collect timber and coal. This fuel fell from steamers on their way into Dublin port and was washed ashore in abundance.
Since 1931 various plans were proposed for the development and urbanisation of the island. The first of these plans was known as “The Blue Lagoon Scheme” in which was proposed dams and sluices at the Bull Bridge and Sutton Strand end of the island, thereby forming a permanent lake.
In early May 1944, the Golf Clubs were informed that the Irish Tourist Board had taken control of the island and were preparing for its development as a tourist resort. The Royal Dublin Golf Club got notice to be ready to leave their clubhouse as the site happened to be within the area of a proposed amusements park, creating a Blackpool type of development.
In December 1945, maps of the island with the proposed plans were published showing among other things, the positions of a cinema, a dance hall and a restaurant near the Bull Wall.
The fate of the island with its wonderful beauty and wildlife appeared to be doomed, but thankfully concerned groups such as the Dublin Naturalists Field Club and the golf clubs who argued that the North Bull Island was already a recreational ground and a nature reserve, unique apart in its proximity to the city should not be turned into an artificial playground of doubtful utility.
Luckily for the island none of these schemes developed beyond the drawing board, thus preserving the island as a unique wildlife sanctuary and recreation area for the people of Dublin.
The construction of the causeway in 1962/64, midway along the island, allowed access to the eastern section of the island and beach. In 1986 The Interpretive and Visitor Centre was officially opened on the site of the old clubhouse of St. Anne’s Golf Club close to the causeway roundabout to provide information on the island’s flora, fauna and wildlife.
The great importance of the North Bull Island as a site of both national and international scientific interest indicates a major need for nature conservation. The island was declared a bird sanctuary under the Wild Bird Protection Act. 1930. In the 1960s it was declared a no-shooting area and this protection was continued under The Wildlife Act 1976.
In recognition of the great diversity of flora and fauna on the island, and its ecological richness, the North Bull Island was recognised in 1981 as a UNESCO biosphere reserve. In 1986 because of its international importance for Brent Geese, it was designated a “sister reserve” by the Canadian Wildlife Service and linked with Polar Bear Pass National Wildlife Area, Bathurst Island, North West Territories where Brent Geese fly to breed in Summer after wintering on the North Bull Island.
In May of 1995 twenty eight wild hares were released in an effort to save the island hare population, which had fallen from a couple of hundred to just four – as a result of illegal shooting, poaching and attacks by dogs. On the Bull Island hares could be viewed with ease, on the sand dunes, salt marsh and golf courses, where they had grown accustomed to humans.
From the small accumulation of silt and sand shown off Baymount on Captain Bligh’s map of 1801, the island in 2007 has grown to an area of over 350 hectares with a length of almost 5km long and an average width of 700m. The island continues to grow with the seaward dune system from the beach, the nose of the island at Sutton Creek increasing in size with the constant tidal movements carrying sand and silt to the shore.
This small island which has been born out of the successful endeavours to create a port for the City of Dublin has been described as a “gift from the sea”, the unexpected by-product of the building of the South Wall and the North Bull Wall, is there to be enjoyed, appreciated and protected by this and all future generations to come.



(Leo “George” Devitt

24th September 2008.)

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How Valentine came to Dublin

(Source
Saint Valentine: How Love’s Martyr Came to Dublin

By Laura Marriott on Jul 15, 2016 4000BC-500AD, History)

Dublin’s Whitefriar Street Church is home to one of the most popular modern Saint’s: Saint Valentine. A shrine dedicated to the Saint has pride of place in the church and his remains are put on display every February 14th, but how though did this Italian Saint make his way to Dublin?

Religious relics have long been an important part of the Christian tradition. The word “relic” is derived from the Latin word “Reliquus” which means “left behind”. A relic is a physical or personal memorial of a Saint or religious figure. In Catholic doctrine first class relics are those which are directly associated with Jesus’ life and the physical remains of a saint, with a body part being particularly highly prized. A second class relic is an item that was worn or frequently used by the saint and a third class relic is any object that has been touched by a first or second class relic. Therefore in these terms the relic of Saint Valentine held in Whitefriar Street Church is a prized first class relic as Dublin is home to some of the saints’ blood.

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Saint Valentine

During the Middle Ages there was a boom in the popularity of religious relics as churches and religious institutions vied to be associated with the most holy items they could find. Relics were thought to act not just as a reminder of the life of the martyred but also to help guide worshippers to God. As a result of this competition, churches began to create their own relics. At one point the ardent traveller on pilgrimage could seek out the head of John the Baptist, Jesus’ foreskin and doubting Thomas’ finger. Even though the sale of relics was forbidden under Canon Law the industry continued to thrive until the effects of the Reformation rippled across Europe. A side effect of this is that it became harder to authenticate relics. When there are seven different churches claiming to have the head of John the Baptist it becomes increasingly difficult to decide which was genuine.

The origin of Saint Valentine is still debated as few facts have survived the centuries. In the third century AD a priest called Valentine was executed by the Roman Emperor Claudius II outside the Flaminian Gate on February 14th 269. Other sources suggest the date could have been 270, 273 or 280. He was then buried on the Via Flaminia to the north of Rome. Valentine was martyred for his Christian faith. The Emperor had decreed that his soldiers would be better warriors if they remained single and unmarried. However Valentine courted danger by secretly marrying couples in Christian ceremonies. At one point the ardent traveller on pilgrimage could seek out the head of John the Baptist, Jesus’ foreskin and doubting Thomas’ finger. The Catholic Church also argue that at the same time Valentine developed a relationship with the Emperor in order to encourage an interest in Christianity. It is also important to note that polyamory was relatively common in Rome at this time and Valentine’s actions were going against the norm. Claudius eventually became enraged at the flouting of his rules and gave Valentine a choice: renounce his faith or be beaten with clubs and beheaded. He refused to renounce his faith and was executed. Like most saints he is venerated for his dedication to his Christian beliefs, even though it resulted in his death.


Archaeologists have unearthed a Roman catacomb and an ancient church dedicated to Saint Valentine which some argue proves his existence as an early pioneer of Christianity. In recognition of his martyrdom in 496 AD Pope Gelasius marked February 14th as a day to celebrate the now Saint Valentine. This came at a time when Rome was still trying to establish itself as the centre of Christianity and it is likely that part of the reason for this was to overpower the pagan, and decidedly non – Christian, celebration of Lupercalia which had been celebrated on the 13th – 15th of February.

Over the centuries his bones have been scattered across Europe. While the flower – crowned skull has long been a resident of the Basilica of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, Rome, his relics were exhumed from the catacombs of Saint Hippolytus on the Via Tiburtina. They were identified as belonging to Saint Valentine. Originally the Saint’s relics were housed in the Church and Catacombs of San Valentino in Rome before being transferred to the church of Santa Prassede.

In 1835-6 Father John Spratt, a renowned preacher and Irish Carmelite visited Rome where he was well received by the Roman elite. He was gifted a small vessel tinged with Saint Valentine’s blood, presented to him by Pope Gregory XVI. The vial was transported for a special Mass dedicated to those young and in love, eventually arriving in Dublin on November 10th 1836. The reliquary (shrine) was received by Archbishop Murray of Dublin. It was decided they would remain in Whitefriar Street Church; a popular church in the centre of Dublin. After the death of Father Spratt in 1871 interest in the relics diminished and they were placed into storage.


Major renovation works to the church in the 1950 – 60s led to the rediscovery of the relics. They were then placed in a specially built altar and shrine. The Catholic Church was still in its zenith in Ireland at the time and it is likely that the relics would have been considered a bonus attraction for the popular city centre church. Due to the limited information available about the life of Valentine the Roman Catholic Church removed him from the General Roman Calendar in 1969. However he is still recognised as a Saint and remains very popular. At present the remains are kept under lock and key but lovebirds can pay them a visit each year on February 14th when they are placed before the church’s high altar and venerated at the Masses. This is one of the few religious connections to Saint Valentine that remains.

However Dublin doesn’t have the only claim to Valentine. In 2003 other alleged relics were found in Prague at the Church of Saint Peter and Paul at Vysehrad. Fragments of his skull are to be found in a silver reliquary in the parish church of Saint Mary’s Assumption in Chelmno, Poland. Alleged relics of Saint Valentine also lie at the reliquary of Roquemaure, Gard, France; in the Stephansdom Cathedral, Vienna, in Balzan in Malta, in Blessed John Duns Scotus’ church in the Gorbals area of Glasgow, Scotland and also in Saint Anton’s Church in Madrid. They (allegedly) arrived in Madrid as a present to King Carlos IV from Pope Pious VI. The relics have been on display since 1984.

Many of the remains have been placed on more prominent display in the twentieth century. Arguably this has little to do with their religious connections and more to do with attracting tourists. However it is possible that in this increasingly secular age people value the physical manifestation of their faith more and more. And of course the fact that there is an interesting story behind it cannot hurt. As Valentine’s Day becomes both increasingly commercial and derided it is possible that many seek a more ‘authentic’, physical experience of devotion and love. For some these remains symbolise the importance of marriage and of sanctifying your relationship in front of God

In an interesting twist at the same time that visiting the remains of Valentine has grown in popularity, so has the desire to rebel against the view of love and profit that has come to define February 14th. This is perhaps best typified by the fact that divorce filings arise by around 40% this time each year with The Webb Law Centre in Charleston, USA, offering one lucky (or unlucky depending on your point of view) couple a free Valentine’s Day divorce. Running for eight consecutive years the person who presents “the most compelling story” and has the fewest complications wins.

The spread of the remains across Europe highlights the continuing popularity of the Saint but also the desire individual churches have to be associated with something so holy, a direct physical link to the early years of the church. Further it shows a continuing appetite among the public to be able to see and visit the dead saints that over time have become a part of their cultural and religious narrative. In some cases there are also more nefarious attractions to the relics. One of the reasons that the Valentine reliquary is kept under lock and key is because of the fear of theft. Several religious items have been stolen in Ireland over the past few years. In October 2011 decorative crosses, made from bronze, silver and gold were stolen from Holy Cross Abbey in County Tipperary. They were said to contain fragments of the cross on which Jesus was sacrificed. In March 2012 the preserved heart of Saint Laurence O’Toole, the patron Saint of Dublin, was stolen at night from Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin. It seems that for one reason or another relics have, and are likely to, retain their popularity and importance in modern Ireland.

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Incidents in Dublin during the Troubles (1969-1994)

February 26, 2014 by Sam

A chronological list of all the major incidents in Dublin during the conflict in the North. .

1969
5 August – The UVF plant their first bomb in the Republic of Ireland, damaging the RTÉ Television Centre in Donnybrook. No injuries.
27 December – The UVF plant a bomb at the Daniel O’Connell statue on O’Connell Street. Little damage was done to the statue but the blast smashed windows in a half-mile radius.
28 December – The UVF detonate a bomb outside the Garda central detective bureau in Dublin. The nearby telephone exchange headquarters is suspected to have been the target.

1970
3 April – Garda Richard Fallon (44) is shot by members of Saor Eire during a robbery of the the Royal Bank of Ireland at Arran Quay.
26 March – A bomb damages an electricity substation in Tallaght. An anonymous letter claimed responsibility on behalf of the UVF.
2 July – A bomb damages the main Dublin-Belfast railway line at Baldoyle. Gardaí believed it was the work of the UVF.
13 October – Saor Eire member Liam Walsh (35) is killed in a premature explosion when himself and another member Martin Casey were planting a device at a railway line at the rear of McKee army base off Blackhorse Avenue in Dublin. His funeral was attended by over 3,000 people.
Funeral of Liam Walsh (Saor Eire), O’Connell St, 1970. Note two revolvers. Photos were in possession of the late Paddy Browne



5 August – The UVF plant their first bomb in the Republic of Ireland, damaging the RTÉ Television Centre in Donnybrook. No injuries.
27 December – The UVF plant a bomb at the Daniel O’Connell statue on O’Connell Street. Little damage was done to the statue but the blast smashed windows in a half-mile radius.
28 December – The UVF detonate a bomb outside the Garda central detective bureau in Dublin. The nearby telephone exchange headquarters is suspected to have been the target.

1970
3 April – Garda Richard Fallon (44) is shot by members of Saor Eire during a robbery of the the Royal Bank of Ireland at Arran Quay.
26 March – A bomb damages an electricity substation in Tallaght. An anonymous letter claimed responsibility on behalf of the UVF.
2 July – A bomb damages the main Dublin-Belfast railway line at Baldoyle. Gardaí believed it was the work of the UVF.
13 October – Saor Eire member Liam Walsh (35) is killed in a premature explosion when himself and another member Martin Casey were planting a device at a railway line at the rear of McKee army base off Blackhorse Avenue in Dublin. His funeral was attended by over 3,000 people.
Funeral of Liam Walsh (Saor Eire), O’Connell St, 1970. Note two revolvers. Photos were in possession of the late Paddy Browne

1971
17 January – Daniel O’Connell’s tomb in Glasnevin Cemetery is damaged by a Loyalist bomb. No injuries.
8 February – The Wolfe Tone statue at St. Stephen’s Green is destroyed by a Loyalist bomb. No injuries.
25 October – Saor Eire member Peter Graham (26) is shot dead in his flat at 110 Stephen’s Green in an internal feud.
30 December – PIRA member Jack McCabe (55) is killed in a premature bomb explosion in a garage, Swords Road, Santry. McCabe had been active in the IRA since the 1930s.
Pieces of the statue of Theobald Wolfe Tone on St Stephen's Green, 1971. Credit - Irish Photo Archive


1972
2 February – The British Embassy on Merrion Square is burned down in response to Bloody Sunday. A British-owned insurance office in Dun Laoghaire and Austin Reeds outfitters on Grafton Street are also petrol bombed. The Thomas Cook travel agency along with the offices of British Airlines and the RAF club on Earlsfort Terrace were also attacked.
28 – 29 October – A 12lbs bomb is planted in Connolly Station, Amiens Street by Loyalists but dismantled by the Irish Army before it went off. They are also responsible for leaving firebombs in bedrooms in four Dublin hotels (Wynns, The Gresham, The Skylon and The Crofton).
26 November – Loyalists plant a bomb outside the rear exit door of the Film Centre Cinema, O’Connell Bridge House injuring 40 people.
1 December – Bus driver George Bradshaw (30) and bus conductor Tommy Duffy (23) are killed and 127 injured in the first Loyalist car bomb planted in the Republic close to the CIÉ Depot at Sackville Place off O’Connell Street. A second car bomb exploded 7 minutes before causing massive damage to Liberty Hall and many injuries.

1973
20 January – CIE bus conductor Thomas Douglas (25) is killed and 17 injured in Loyalist car bomb in Sackville Place off O’Connell Street. The car used in the bombing had been hijacked at Agnes Street, Belfast.
3 August – Cashier James Farrell (54) is killed by the IRA during during an armed robbery while delivering wages to British Leyland factory, Cashel Road, Crumlin.
31 October – The IRA use a hijacked helicopter to free three of their members from the exercise yard of Mountjoy Prison, Dublin. On of those who escaped was Séamus Twomey, then Chief of Staff of the IRA who was later recaptured in December 1977.

1974
17 May – Three no-warning bombs explode in Parnell Street, Talbot Street, and South Leinster Street during rush hour. 26 people and an unborn child are killed. Over 300 are injured. Italian restaurant owner Antonio Magliocco (37) and a French-born Jewish woman Simone Chetrit (30) are amongst those killed.
8 June – Tens of thousands attend the funeral march of PIRA volunteer Michael Gauaghan from Co. Mayo who died on hunger striker in Parkhurst Prison on the Isle of Wight.
Michael Gaughan's IRA guard of honour passes Daniel O'Connell statue, 1974. Credit - corbisimages.com.

1975
22 March – The funeral of IRA member Tom Smith, shot dead during an escape attempt from Portlaoise Prison on St. Patrick’s Day, is attacked by Gardai. Three people, including a press photographer, are injured.
11 September – An off-duty Garda, Michael Reynolds (30), is shot dead in St. Anne’s Park by two Anarchists Noel and Marie Murray, former members of Official Sinn Fein, following an armed robbery at the Bank of Ireland, Killester.
2 October – Official IRA member Billy Wright (35) is shot by members of the organisation in his brother’s hair salon on the Cabra Road. He died in hospital on 19 October. He was targeted after he made a statement to Gardai, implicating a prominent member of the Official IRA, about an armed robbery in Heuston Station that occurred in September 1973.
28 November – Two Loyalist bombs at the arrival terminal at Dublin airport injure eight and kill John Hayes (30), an Aer Rianta employee.


February – A 25 lbs. bomb explodes in the Shelbourne Hotel along with eight incendiary bombs in department stores and shops in the Grafton Street and Henry Street areas. There were no injuries. Loyalists were the main culprits.
21 July – Christopher Ewart-Biggs (55), British Ambassador to Ireland, and Private Secretary to the Permanent Under-Secretary of the Northern Ireland Office Judith Cooke (26) are killed by an IRA-planted land mine outside his official residence at Glencairn estate, Sandyford, South Dublin.
Scene after land mine destroys the car of Christopher. Credit - keptelenseg.hu


7 September – John Lawlor (38), a suspected informer, is killed by the IRA in Timmons Bar (later called Leonard’s), on the corner of Watling Street and Victoria Quay.
5 October – INLA Chief of Staff and leader of the IRSP Seamus Costello (38) is shot dead in his car on North Strand Road by OIRA member James Flynn.

1979
28 January – English salesman Arthur Lockett (29) is found dead in Ticknock in the Dublin mountains. He had been beaten with clubs by a number of men and left for dead. Lockett had been boasting in a pub that he had connections in the British Army. It emerged he had worked in West Germany for a time where he had business deals with both American and British army personnel at NATO

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The Troubles in Dublin continued

1981
24 March – Members of Revolutionary Struggle shoot and injure Geoffrey Armstrong, the chairman of British vehicle-manufacturing company British Leyland and director of the Confederation of British Industry, while he gives a lecture in Trinity College. Before shooting, the gunmen shouted: “Everybody freeze, nobody move! This action is in support of the H-Blocks’’
18 July – 15,000 strong demo in support of Hunger Striker clashes with 1,500 Gardai close to the British Embassy in Ballsbridge. 200 people are injured, including 150 Gardai. Dozens are arrested and 1 million pounds worth of damage is caused.

19 February – Garda Patrick Reynolds (23) is shot dead by an INLA member at at 33 Avonbeg Gardens, Tallaght. Reynolds and four other police officers had burst into the flat where a group of armed INLA men were counting money from a recent bank robbery.
4 June – Senior Official IRA member James Flynn (40) is shot dead by the INLA outside Cusack’s pub, North Strand Road close to where he had killed Seamus Costello five years previously.

1983
25 March – Brian Stack (47), chief prison officer at Portlaoise, is shot by the IRA while walking along South Circular Road, shortly after leaving a boxing contest at the National Stadium. He dies in hospital on 29 September 1984.
24 November – Don Tidey, an American supermarket executive, is kidnapped outside his home in Rathfarnham. He was rescued on 16 December after being held captive for 23 days.

1985
20 August – Tyrone businessman Seamus McEvoy (46), a building contractor for the British Army and Royal Ulster Constabulary, is shot dead by the IRA at his home on Eglinton Road, Donnybrook. A statement said he had been repeatedly warned against doing work for the security forces but continued to supply materials and temporary huts for barracks and military border posts.

1986
22 March – A member of the Special Branch fire shots into the air on Prince’s Street North off O’Connell Street following scuffles while Gardai rearrest Irish Republican Eibhlinn Gleholmes after a much-publicised extradition battle.
8 November – UFF plant four small four explosive devices in O’Connell Street. No injuries.

1987
February – The UDA plant incendiary bombs in a cinema and cafe in Middle Abbey Street, a bonded warehouse in Mabbot Lane and a bookshop in Talbot Street. Only the device in the warehouse exploded but caused little damage.

1991
February – Loyalists plant two crude incendiary bombs in an O’Connell Street department store. They fail to go off.

1993
18 September – On the day of the All-Ireland hurling final, Loyalists claim responsibility for planting a small bomb and cutting communication cables near to Store Street Garda station.

1994
5 January – Two members of the Irish Army bomb disposal unit are injured when a parcel bomb sent by the UVF to the Sinn Fein offices in Dublin exploded during examination at Cathal Brugha barracks.
21 May – IRA member Martin ‘Doco’ Doherty (35) was shot dead by UVF gunmen in Widow Scanlon’s pub, Pearse Street after preventing two loyalist bombers entering a Sinn Fein fundraiser. A second doorman, Paddy Burke, was shot in the throat but survived. The gunmen left the scene in a car driven by a third man, leaving behind the holdall which contained an 18 lb bomb. The bomb’s detonator exploded as people attended to Doherty and Burke but the main explosives failed to ignite.
18 August – Prominent Dublin criminal Martin Cahill (45), known as The General, is shot dead in his car by the PIRA at the road junction where Oxford Road meets Charleston Road in Rathmines. The PIRA alleged that Cahill had connections to the UVF and had sold the group stolen paintings.
21 September – The UVF planted a 1.5 kg bomb on the Belfast–Dublin train. It partially exploded as the train neared Dublin Connolly railway station, wounding two people.
( from comeheretome blog )

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Origin of the word "Quiz "

There is an enduring urban legend that suggests that Irish actor, and manager of the Smock Alley Theatre and afterwards the Theatre Royal in Dublin, Richard Daly (1758 – 1813) invented the word ‘Quiz’ to settle a bet in 1791.

The story goes that there was a gathering of the Dublin Volunteers to celebrate the birth of an heir to the Duke of Leinster in the Eagle Tavern in Eustache Street on August 21 1791. Present were ‘many of the wits and men of fashions of the day’ (1) as well as Daly who ‘had an extraordinary propensity for making wagers in reference to incidental maters, however unimportant’ (2).
smock-alley.jpeg
Smock Alley Theatre today. (Templebar.ie)

During the evening a dispute arose about the exact meaning of a French phrase used by one of the volunteers named Delahoyde. In the following discussion, Daly made a bet that he could add a new word to the English language that ‘within forty-eight hours … (would) be on the mouths of the Dublin public, of all classes and sexes, young and old’. In order to win the wager, the word had to be ” altogether new and an unconnected by derivation from any wold in any other language’

As the legend goes, Daly sent all of his Theatre stage-hands and call-boys to chalk the letters ‘Q U I Z’ on the doors of shops, warehouses and people’s houses all over the city. People woke up on Sunday morning to be greeted with the word every where they looked. It soon became the talk of the town with neighbour asking neighbour what the word meant. After initial speculation that the word had something to do with politics or perhaps religion, the public of Dublin accepted that it had been successfully duped and the word became synonymous with the idea of a ‘hoax’ or something ‘strange’.

While it’s a splendid anecdote, the word ‘Quiz’ was certainly used pre 1791. It can found, for example, in Fanny Burney’s diary entry for 24 June 1782.

While this poem from Finns Leinster Journal predates the Daly story by two months:
quiz-may-21-1791-fins-lesinter-journal.jpg
Finns Leinster Journal. May 21, 1791.

While the word may not have been invented by Daly, it is true to say that it was not a commonly known word at the time, so it is possible (and quite nice to think) that Daly may have played some part in spreading the use of the word world-wide from little old Dublin.

The American website Museum of Hoaxes incidentally featured the story recently enough.

–( From comehertome blog

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Dublin Port History

It is generally accepted that Dublin was little more than a monastic settlement until the Norse invasion in the 8th and 9th centuries when they selected the Liffey Estuary as their point of entry to the country as it provided relatively easy access to the central plains of Ireland. Trading with England and Europe followed which required port facilities so the development of Dublin Port is inextricably linked to the development of Dublin City.

The original Port of Dublin was situated upriver, a few miles from it’s current location near the modern Civic Offices at Wood Quay and close to Christchurch Cathedral. The port remained close to that area until the new Custom House opened in the 1790s. In medieval times Dublin shipped cattle hides to Britain and the continent, and the returning ships carried wine, pottery and other goods.
Dublin-Port-Old-Custom-Housecustom-house-dublin-port Dublin-Port-Old-Custom-House-1.jpg


But Dublin Bay presented major dangers for shipping. In 1674 it was described as in its natural state, wild, open and exposed to every wind. Ships frequently had to seek shelter at Clontarf to the north of the city or at Ringsend. In certain wind conditions ships could not reach the city for several weeks at a time. Shipwrecks were common. So in 1716 work began on a bank to protect the south side of the channel at the mouth of the harbour, running from Ringsend to Poolbeg. A committee established by Dublin Corporation that was known as the Ballast Office Committee carried out this work.

The South bank provided only limited protection for shipping and in 1753, after a particularly stormy winter, the bank was replaced with a wall – the South Bull Wall. Bull is another word for strand, and the strands on either side of the mouth of the Liffey were known as North and South Bulls. The Poolbeg Lighthouse at the end of the Bull Wall was lit for the first time on 29 September 1767. It replaced a floating light that had been placed at the end of the wall to warn ships.

To save travel time, passengers and packets of mail landed at the end of the wall, or the Pigeon House, and they were rowed to the city in boats.

Many Dublin merchants were dissatisfied with the running of the port, and in 1786 control of the port was transferred from Dublin Corporation to a new authority-the Ballast Board which was controlled by merchants and properly owners. The Ballast Board was also given control over Dun Leary harbour – modern Dun Laoighaire – and Dalkey Sound. In 1867 the Ballast Board was replaced by the Dublin Port and Docks Board. Since 1997 the day to day running of Dublin Port is managed by Dublin Port Company.

Dublin City prospered during the eighteenth century, and trade expanded. Merchants shipped cargos of linen and agricultural produce to Britain and farther afield. Returning ships carried coal and the luxury goods that were in demand in the great Georgian Houses.

By 1800 most of Dublin’s trade was to British ports. The shipping channel in Dublin Bay was too shallow for larger vessels, and many ships were forced to unload their cargo at Ringsend onto lighters that could travel upriver.

In 1800 a major survey of Dublin harbour by Captain William Bligh, who is remembered for his role in the mutiny on the HMS Bounty, recommended that the North Bull Wall should be constructed, parallel to the South Bull Wall to prevent sand building up in the mouth of the harbour. He correctly forecast that this would create a natural scouring action that would deepen the river channel. When the North Bull Wall was completed in 1842, sand gradually accumulated along its side until the modern Bull Island emerged.


Until 1800 most trade took place on the south side of the River Liffey, but with the opening of the new Custom House in 1791, port development shifted to the north bank of the river.

The original Custom House Dock opened in 1796. In 1821 it was supplemented by George’s Dock, which included large warehouses and storage vaults. These formed part of the Custom House Dock Area. In 1836 construction work began on deep-water berths at the North Wall and this was extended in the 1870’s. Further deep-water berths, in the AlexandraBasin opened shortly before World War I and Ocean Pier, to the south-east of AlexandraBasin was completed after World War II. The 1950s brought the first roll-on, roll-off services, and container traffic has increasingly dominated port business since the 1960s. Cargoes have changed in line as the Irish economy has revolved: live cattle have given way to chilled meat; oil is now more important than coal, and the containers carry the products of many of Ireland’s high-tech factories.



Today Dublin Port Company Head office is located in the heart of Dublin Port on Alexandra Road. Dublin Port Company is a self-financing, private limited company wholly-owned by the State, whose business is to manage Dublin Port, Ireland’s premier port. Established as a corporate entity in 1997, Dublin Port Company is responsible for the management, control, operation and development of the port. Dublin Port Company provides world-class facilities, services, accommodation and lands in the harbour for ships, goods and passengers.

[bojangles]

The wide streets commission

Administrative & Biographical History The Wide Streets Commission (full title ‘Commissioners for Making Wide and Convenient Ways, Streets and Passages in the City of Dublin’) was established in 1757 by Act of Parliament (31 Geo. II, c. 19). It was one of the earliest town-planning authorities in Europe. The Commission’s original brief was to make a new street ‘from Essex Bridge to the Royal Palace or [Dublin] Castle.’ This was opened as Parliament Street in 1762, the name chosen to honour the Irish Parliament at College Green, which provided funding for the project. The Commission went on to widen and develop such major thoroughfares as Dame Street, Westmoreland Street, D’Olier Street and Lower Sackville (now O’Connell) Street. It was also responsible for building Carlisle (now O’Connell) Bridge, thus shifting the city centre axis downriver from Capel Street to Sackville Street.

The Wide Streets Commission originally held its meeting at the Dublin Tholsel, and later at Commercial Buildings, Dame Street and at the Royal Exchange, Cork Hill. The Commissioners were appointed by the Irish Parliament and were drawn from Dublin merchants and minor gentry; many had undertaken the Grand Tour and were influenced by English and Continental examples of town planning. The Lord Mayor of Dublin was ex-officio a member of the Commission; other members included John Beresford (the driving force behind construction of the new Custom House, designed by James Gandon); gentleman architect Frederick Trench; and William Burton Conyngham, responsible for planning and developing the village of Slane, Co. Meath.

The Wide Streets Commission had the authority to acquire property by compulsory purchase; demolish it; lay down new streets; and set lots along these new streets by way of building leases issued to developers. In practice, the Commission re-designed medieval Dublin (which was built along a west-east axis, following geological formats) replacing it with a city aligned along a north-south axis, with streets following mathematically-straight lines. The Commission also had power to determine and regulate the facades of buildings erected along the line of new streets and to decide on the number of houses in a terrace; the materials to be employed; and the type and spacing of windows. This ensured that even where each house was constructed by a different builder, the resulting terrace was regular in appearance. Doors and fanlights were not covered by the Commission’s regulations and here each builder could put his own stamp on the design. The outcome was a series of formal terraces, varied by individuated doors and fanlights, which became the characteristic feature of Georgian Dublin.

The Wide Streets Commission’s activities were originally financed by grants from the Irish Parliament, and by a duty of one shilling per ton levied upon coals imported to Dublin. The Commission also levied a Card Tax on Dublin gaming houses, such as Daly’s Club House. After the abolition of the Irish Parliament under the Act of Union 1800, the revenues available to the Commission were severely restricted as no further grants were forthcoming and gaming clubs went into decline; a further blow came in 1832, with abolition of the Coal Tax. The Commission reacted by issuing debentures at 6% and 4% but was eventually obliged to mortgage some of its considerable land-bank.

From 1800 onwards, the Wide Streets Commission adopted a supervisory role in the development of Dublin, rather than initiating major re-structuring of the city as it had done in the second half of the 18th century. With the successful establishment of Dublin City Council under the Municipal Corporations Reform (Ireland) Act 1840, the centralization of the city’s administration became politically feasible. The Wide Streets Commission was abolished under the Dublin Improvement Act 1849 (12 & 13 Vict., c. 97). The Commission’s powers and property were transferred to Dublin City Council, with effect from 1851.

Archival History The Wide Streets Commission’s records were transferred to Dublin City Council in 1851 and were placed in the Royal Exchange, which had just been purchased to serve as Dublin’s City Hall. The Commission’s archives were arranged, numbered and listed in 1892 by J.P. McEvoy of the Town Clerk’s Office. In 1954, Dublin City Council transferred most of the Commission’s archives on long-term loan to the Public Record Office of Ireland, retaining only the Commission’s minute books in City Hall. The publication of seminal works by architectural historian Dr. Edward McParland and by historical geographer Dr. Nuala Burke generated interest and further research by others. A retrograde step was the re-arrangement of the Commission’s map collection by Dr. Burke to reflect her own areas of interest. The original McEvoy arrangement was restored in 1976 by archivist Miriam Lambe, under the supervision of Dr. Philomena Connolly of PROI. In 1979 Dublin City Council appointed its own archivist and in 1982 the archives of the Wide Streets Commission were returned by PROI and were re-united in City Hall. A conservation programme was established for the collection. The minute books were re-bound by Antiquarian Bookcrafts (1984); the architectural drawings were cleaned, repaired and mounted before being photographed by the Green Studios (1985-88); and a long-term conservation project was launched for the extensive map collection. Conservators have included Patrick McBride of the Paper Conservation Studio; David Skinner of Celbridge Paper Conservation Studio; Susan Corr; and Elizabeth D’Arcy of PaperWorks. A number of architectural drawings and maps were mounted on acid-free card and framed for display in an exhibition to mark Dublin’s term as European City of Culture 1991, ‘A Vision of the City: Dublin and the Wide Streets Commissioners’ funded by the Heritage Council. In recent years, the Heritage Council has also provided funding for ongoing conservation of the map collection. Dublin City Archives was based at the Civic Museum 1995-2002 and moved to Dublin City Library & Archive in 2003, which is now the home of the Wide Streets Commission archives.

[quinner]

Administrative & Biographical History The Wide Streets Commission (full title ‘Commissioners for Making Wide and Convenient Ways, Streets and Passages in the City of Dublin’) was established in 1757 by Act of Parliament (31 Geo. II, c. 19). It was one of the earliest town-planning authorities in Europe. The Commission’s original brief was to make a new street ‘from Essex Bridge to the Royal Palace or [Dublin] Castle.’ This was opened as Parliament Street in 1762, the name chosen to honour the Irish Parliament at College Green, which provided funding for the project. The Commission went on to widen and develop such major thoroughfares as Dame Street, Westmoreland Street, D’Olier Street and Lower Sackville (now O’Connell) Street. It was also responsible for building Carlisle (now O’Connell) Bridge, thus shifting the city centre axis downriver from Capel Street to Sackville Street.

The Wide Streets Commission originally held its meeting at the Dublin Tholsel, and later at Commercial Buildings, Dame Street and at the Royal Exchange, Cork Hill. The Commissioners were appointed by the Irish Parliament and were drawn from Dublin merchants and minor gentry; many had undertaken the Grand Tour and were influenced by English and Continental examples of town planning. The Lord Mayor of Dublin was ex-officio a member of the Commission; other members included John Beresford (the driving force behind construction of the new Custom House, designed by James Gandon); gentleman architect Frederick Trench; and William Burton Conyngham, responsible for planning and developing the village of Slane, Co. Meath.

The Wide Streets Commission had the authority to acquire property by compulsory purchase; demolish it; lay down new streets; and set lots along these new streets by way of building leases issued to developers. In practice, the Commission re-designed medieval Dublin (which was built along a west-east axis, following geological formats) replacing it with a city aligned along a north-south axis, with streets following mathematically-straight lines. The Commission also had power to determine and regulate the facades of buildings erected along the line of new streets and to decide on the number of houses in a terrace; the materials to be employed; and the type and spacing of windows. This ensured that even where each house was constructed by a different builder, the resulting terrace was regular in appearance. Doors and fanlights were not covered by the Commission’s regulations and here each builder could put his own stamp on the design. The outcome was a series of formal terraces, varied by individuated doors and fanlights, which became the characteristic feature of Georgian Dublin.

The Wide Streets Commission’s activities were originally financed by grants from the Irish Parliament, and by a duty of one shilling per ton levied upon coals imported to Dublin. The Commission also levied a Card Tax on Dublin gaming houses, such as Daly’s Club House. After the abolition of the Irish Parliament under the Act of Union 1800, the revenues available to the Commission were severely restricted as no further grants were forthcoming and gaming clubs went into decline; a further blow came in 1832, with abolition of the Coal Tax. The Commission reacted by issuing debentures at 6% and 4% but was eventually obliged to mortgage some of its considerable land-bank.

From 1800 onwards, the Wide Streets Commission adopted a supervisory role in the development of Dublin, rather than initiating major re-structuring of the city as it had done in the second half of the 18th century. With the successful establishment of Dublin City Council under the Municipal Corporations Reform (Ireland) Act 1840, the centralization of the city’s administration became politically feasible. The Wide Streets Commission was abolished under the Dublin Improvement Act 1849 (12 & 13 Vict., c. 97). The Commission’s powers and property were transferred to Dublin City Council, with effect from 1851.

Archival History The Wide Streets Commission’s records were transferred to Dublin City Council in 1851 and were placed in the Royal Exchange, which had just been purchased to serve as Dublin’s City Hall. The Commission’s archives were arranged, numbered and listed in 1892 by J.P. McEvoy of the Town Clerk’s Office. In 1954, Dublin City Council transferred most of the Commission’s archives on long-term loan to the Public Record Office of Ireland, retaining only the Commission’s minute books in City Hall. The publication of seminal works by architectural historian Dr. Edward McParland and by historical geographer Dr. Nuala Burke generated interest and further research by others. A retrograde step was the re-arrangement of the Commission’s map collection by Dr. Burke to reflect her own areas of interest. The original McEvoy arrangement was restored in 1976 by archivist Miriam Lambe, under the supervision of Dr. Philomena Connolly of PROI. In 1979 Dublin City Council appointed its own archivist and in 1982 the archives of the Wide Streets Commission were returned by PROI and were re-united in City Hall. A conservation programme was established for the collection. The minute books were re-bound by Antiquarian Bookcrafts (1984); the architectural drawings were cleaned, repaired and mounted before being photographed by the Green Studios (1985-88); and a long-term conservation project was launched for the extensive map collection. Conservators have included Patrick McBride of the Paper Conservation Studio; David Skinner of Celbridge Paper Conservation Studio; Susan Corr; and Elizabeth D’Arcy of PaperWorks. A number of architectural drawings and maps were mounted on acid-free card and framed for display in an exhibition to mark Dublin’s term as European City of Culture 1991, ‘A Vision of the City: Dublin and the Wide Streets Commissioners’ funded by the Heritage Council. In recent years, the Heritage Council has also provided funding for ongoing conservation of the map collection. Dublin City Archives was based at the Civic Museum 1995-2002 and moved to Dublin City Library & Archive in 2003, which is now the home of the Wide Streets Commission archives.

Great stuff bo..........Your posts are a ''Must read''...

[bojangles]

Great stuff bo..........Your posts are a ''Must read''...

Thanks Joe .

[Vico2]

Thanks Bo, absolutely fascinating.

[bojangles]

Thanks Bo, absolutely fascinating.

Muy apreciado Vico

[bojangles]

Rotunda Hospital and Social Rooms

The Rotunda Hospital officially the Dublin Lying-in Hospital was the first maternity hospital in Britain or Ireland and was at one time the largest in the world. Really it is two separate complexes, the hospital proper and the Rotunda or social rooms from which the hospital derives its name.
rotunda.jpg
Originally the hospital was started in 1745 in South Great Georges Street but was moved here in 1748 by its founder Bartholemew Mosse (1712-1759). At this time the site at the top of Gardiners Mall was bordering on the open countryside. The design by Richard Cassels who was a friend of Mosse is based on his design for Leinster House. The design of the building and its environs were intended to aid fundraising (the hospital was totally dependant on charity) – the social rooms were intended to provide entertainment, there were pleasure gardens around the hospital, and the exterior façade was designed to attract attention from the fashionable quarters of Dublin society.

Visually the exterior of the Hospital is a country house composition with its wings and curving links. The central block is distinguished by the large window in the centre that lights the chapel inside and the campanile with its decorative baroque copper dome. The campanile is placed centrally in elevation but is sited to the rear of the block.

The Rotunda itself contained entertainment rooms and was extended many times from its original design by James Ensor including additions by Richard Johnston and James Gandon. While the exterior is relatively undistinguished for a building closing such an important vista – it closes the top of O’Connell Street, the interior of the rotunda was considered to be one of the finest circular rooms in Britain. James Gandon was responsible for the sculpted stone frieze around the exterior of the round room as well as the entrance block to the theatre.

The Round Room is now the Ambassador Theartre, the Supper Rooms are the Gate Theatre, and the Pillar Room underneath the Theatre is occasionally used for concerts. The curving wings that link the smaller blocks to the main body of the hospital create some interesting public spaces – the bar of the Gate Theatre for example.

The most important feature of the hospital interior is the sumptuous chapel – again this was a form of fundraising as Charity sermons were a popular form of entertainment for the social classes and so the chapel was placed at the center of the design, above the main entrance at first floor level.

The most important features of the hospital interiors are the public rooms, the staircase and the chapel at the heart of the complex. The public rooms are designed as a processional route through the hospital to the main public room – the chapel. While these room are elegant, with beautiful plasterwork by Robert West, they are as nothing in comparison with the chapel.

The chapel is a rococo vision of gilt plasterwork and decoration by Bartholemew Cramillion – a german stuccodore. The original intention was to supplement the plasterwork with paintings by the Italian artist Giovanni Battista Capriani which were never installed. This is all to the better of the interior as the empty spaces act as a foil to the decorative plasterwork.

The decorative scheme is based on a line from Corinthians – ‘And now abides Faith, Hope, Charity, these three; but the greatest of these is Charity’. Accordingly in the coved ceiling there are alcoves in which sit figures symbolising the virtues, surrounded by cherubs and angels. As one of the primary uses of the chapel was the raising of money, accommodation was maximised by placing a balcony on corinthian columns around three sides of the chapel.

[bojangles]

The Hellfire Club

The Hell Fire Club, situated at 1275 feet, near the summit of Mount Pelier overlooks Dublin city from the south west. The site was originally a passage tomb. The tomb dates from the Neolithic Period (4500 BC to 2000 BC) and was constructed within a circle of large boulders known as a cairn.

montpelier-hill-abandoned-5.jpg
William Conolly, a Speaker of the Irish Parliament built the house on Mount Pelier Hill in 1725. Connolly was one of the wealthiest men in Ireland; he had a Dublin house in Capel Street and a country estate at Castletown, near Celbridge. He constructed the club as a hunting lodge. Connolly is said to have destroyed the cairn while building the hunting lodge, making use of the boulders in its construction. Some time later the roof, which originally was slated, was blown off in a great storm. Locals attributed this misfortune to the work of the devil, in revenge for the destruction of the cairn. Following this event the lodge was seen locally as a place of evil. However Connolly replaced the slated roof with an arched one of stone.


The building consisted of two large rooms and a hall on the upper floor. A small loft was over the parlour and hall. The hall-door was reached by a flight of steps. On the ground level was a large kitchen, servant quarters and a number of small rooms. All the windows faced north, commanding a magnificent view of Dublin.


After Connolly's death in 1729, the Hunting Lodge remained unoccupied for a number of years until it was acquired by the infamous Hell Fire Club, from whom it got its name. Hell-Fire clubs were established in the eighteenth century and became associated with outrageous behaviour and depravity.


Richard Parsons, the first Earl of Rosse, established the Hell-Fire Club in Dublin in 1735. The president of the Hell Fire Club was named 'The King of Hell' and was dressed like Satan, with horns, wings and cloven hoofs. One custom was that of leaving the vice-chair unoccupied for the devil in whose honour the first toast was always drunk.


The Clubs became associated with excessive drinking. Scaltheen, a drink made from whiskey and butter was served in abundance during meetings of the Hell Fire Club. Malachi Horan, in the book, Malachi Horan Remembers, says how they always had scaltheen ready at the Jobstown Inn.


Current urban lore tells us that it was, and still is, a site commonly used for the practice of Satanism and other occult activities, and that the Devil himself made brief appearances at some unspecified times in the past.


One story tells us a mysterious stranger seeks shelter on a stormy night, and a card game ensues. A member of the household drops a card, and sees that below the table, the otherwise affable and charming visitor has a cloven hoof. His or her screams made the Devil 'aware of her discovery, and he at once vanished in a thunder-clap leaving a brimstone smell behind him'.


Another story mentions a priest, who stumbled across the club's fun'n'frolics late at night, and discovered that the centre of attention was a huge black cat. 'Breaking free from his captors the cleric grabbed the cat and uttered an exorcism which tore the beast apart. A demon shot up from its corpse. Hurtling through the roof it brought down the ceiling and scattered the assembly.'


Another story tells us that Conolly 'is said to have met the devil in the form of a "black man" in the lodge's dining room, which is probably a variation on the card-game story.


Another story about the club concerns a young Bohernabreena farmer, who curious to find out what went on at the meetings, climbed up Mount Pelier one night. He was found by the members of the Club, dragged into the building and allowed to see the nights' activities. He was found the next morning wandering around the area, unable to speak and tradition says he spent the rest of his life deaf and dumb, unable even to remember his name.


Fact:

Richard Parsons, the first Earl of Rosse, who established the Hell-Fire Club in Dublin in 1735 was twice Grand Master Mason of Ireland, in 1725 and 1730.
Hell-Fire Club

[Vico2]

The family of a friend of mine had a farm in Bohernabreena, and that ruins was on his land.

I remember my mother telling stories about that place, about Buck Waley and his activities up there. She also told me about a stranger getting lost in the area and finding himself at the Hellfire Club. He was invited in to play card. He accepted the invitataion and was doing very well at the cards and winning a lot of money. Then he dropped card on the floor, and like the earlier story, when picking it up, saw the cloven hoof. The devil disappeared through the roof with a clap of thunder. The stranger put his winnings in his pocket and left. Later when he put his hand into his pocket, the money was gone and replaced by manure.

[quinner]

The family of a friend of mine had a farm in Bohernabreena, and that ruins was on his land.

I remember my mother telling stories about that place, about Buck Waley and his activities up there. She also told me about a stranger getting lost in the area and finding himself at the Hellfire Club. He was invited in to play card. He accepted the invitataion and was doing very well at the cards and winning a lot of money. Then he dropped card on the floor, and like the earlier story, when picking it up, saw the cloven hoof. The devil disappeared through the roof with a clap of thunder. The stranger put his winnings in his pocket and left. Later when he put his hand into his pocket, the money was gone and replaced by manure.

A game of ''crap''...