Dublin Street Names Explained and Civil Parishes

Over the years I have always wondered how on earth do researchers manage to work out which parish was the street their ancestors lived on, how do they know which set of parish records to look at.  This was one of the things I thought of also when I realised that my 1834 Dublin Directory gives me the names of the Civil parishes that streets are in.


I have many books and one of these is “Dublin Street Names, Dated and Explained” by the Rev. C. T. M’Cready, D.D., Curate of S.  Audoen’s, and minor Canon of S. PAtrick’s Cathedral, Dublin.  “History in Names”.  First published in 1892.

This morning, as I sat looking for church photographs in my files, I picked up my copy of this book and decided I would begin scanning it to put on the net, then, after I had begun I checked the net to see if a copy was already online and yes, it is there.  Personally I’m not mad about the small versions of books we have to read when we read them online, so I decided I would continue with my scanning and editing my work.  THEN, I thought – Hey, Jane, how about you scan these pages and then edit them by putting in the name of the Civil parish that the street is in when it is listed in your 1834 directory?”

The result will help the researchers work out the name of the civil parish the street was in and from there they can work out the religious parish.

This is going to take some time to complete and as you can imagine the streets whose names begin with A section is only a few pages long, but, for the moment I am going to do this on a letter by letter basis.  The creation of each section is time consuming as is everything else.  Hopefully, the finished product will help someone.

Dublin Street Names Explained with names of Civil parishes

EXPLANATION OF ABBREVIATIONs:
al. = alley.
ave. = avenue.
br. = bridge.
ct. = court.
la. = lane.
lr. = lower.
mkt. = market.
par. = parade.
pk. = park.
pl. = place.
qu. = quay.
rd. = road.
sq. = square.
str. = street.
ter. = terrace.
yd.
= yard.

A.D.C. = Artisans’ Dwellings Co.
D. K. R. = Deputy Keeper’s Report.
G. C. D. = Gilbert’s Calendar of Dublin.
G.H D. = Gilbert’s History of Dublin.
L. L. = Lord Lieutenant.
L. M. = Lord Mayor.
Cf. = confer (compare).

l.C. = loco citato (in the place last cited).
q.v.= quod vide (which see).
cr.= created.

DUBLIN STREET NAMES
DATED AND EXPLAINED

I have separated out the script for each street, underneath the details about the street I have filled in the name of the Civil parish in 1834.  In those instances where the street is not mentioned in the 1834 Directory then I have placed two asterisk.

A STREETS:

Abbey-str. 1728. -lr. -up. 1834. -mid. 1846. -old, 1836.
From S. Mary’s Abbey, q. v.
Parish 1834 according to Almanack Registry Directory 1834
Saint Mary 1-62 & 93-150 inclusive
Saint Thomas 63-92 inclusive

Abercorn-rd. (North Lots.) 1868. –ter. (N. C. R.) 1869.**
From the Duke of Abercorn, L.L. 1866-68, 1874-76.

Aberdeen-str. (Infirmary-rd.) 1886; -ter. 1888.**
From the Earl of Aberdeen, L.L. 1886.
The name was given to the street by the Artizans Dwellings Company, at whose request His Excellency opened the block of buildings containing it.

Adair-la. (Aston’s-qu.) 1840.

Adam-ct. (Grafton-str.) 1814.
Civil Parish according to Almanack Registry Directory 1834 :
Saint Anne

Adam and Eve-la. (Merchants’-qu.) 1766.
From a tavern, with the sign of Adam and Eve?
The Franciscan Church (built on the site of the lane) is often (as in the Directory for 1891) popularly called Adam and Eve Chapel.
Civil Parish according to Almanack Registry Directory 1834 :
Saint Michael

Adelaide-pl. (Baggot-str. lr.) 1840.**

Adelaide-rd. (S. C. R.) 1833.
From Queen Adelaide, 1792-1849, wife (1818-37) of Wm. IV. Called Old Circular-rd. in map of 1800.
Civil Parish according to Almanack Registry Directory 1834 :
Saint Peter

Albert-ct., -pl. (Grand Canal-str.) 1842.**
From Prince Albert, who in 1840 m. Queen Victoria. Formerly called Moira-ct., -pl.

For Albert-qu. see Quays.**

Aldborough-ct., -pl.(North-strand.) 1800. ,
From its proximity to Aldborough House, erectedin 1796, at a cost of £40,000, by Viscount Aldborough, cr. Earl of Aldborough and Viscount Amiens in 1777. (Cf. Amiens-str.)
Civil Parish according to Almanack Registry Directory 1834 :
Saint Thomas

Alexandra-pl. (North-strand.) 1865. -ter. (S. C. R) 1871.**
From Alexandra, who in 1863 became Princess of Wales

Allen’s-ct. (Mullinahack.) 1789. (Gilb. Hist. Dubl., i. 353-4.) From Viscount Allen (cr. 1717), whose town residence was situated here.
Civil Parish according to Almanack Registry Directory 1834 :
Saint Catherine

Allen’s-yd. (S. Kevin-str.) 1766. **

Alphonsus (S.)-rd. See S. Alphonsus-rd. **

Amiens-str. (Talbot-str.) 1800.
From Viscount Amiens. cr. Earl of Aldborough in 1777, who erected the neighbouring Aldborough House, now a military barrack. (See above.)
In 1728 this thoroughfare was called the Strand, -and in 1800 the name Amiens-str. was borne only by the eastern end of Gloucester-str. N. In a map of 1829, the name is found transferred to the thoroughfare which bears it now.
Civil Parish according to Almanack Registry Directory 1834 :
Saint Thomas

Anderson’s-ct. (Greek-str.) 1756.
Civil Parish according to Almanack Registry Directory 1834 :
Saint Michan

Andrew (S.)-str., -la. See S. Andrew-str., -la.**

Angel-alley, -ct. (High-str.) 1766.
Civil Parish according to Almanack Registry Directory 1834 :
Saint Nicholas, within

Anglesea-market. (Little-green-str.) 1834. -row.
Civil Parish according to Almanack Registry Directory 1834 :
Saint Michan

Anglesea-st. (Dame-str.) 1728.
From Arthur Annesley,-cr. 1661, Earl of Anglesey,–who in 1657-62 took from the Corporation the land extending backwards from his house in College-gr. to the Liffey. (Gilb. Hist. Dubl., i. 321.)
Civil Parish according to Almanack Registry Directory 1834 :
Saint Andrew

Anne-str. N. (King-str. N.) 1756.
Civil Parish according to Almanack Registry Directory 1834 :
Saint Michan

Anne-str. N.E. (N. C. R.) 1818.
Civil Parish according to Almanack Registry Directory 1834 :
Saint George

Anne (S.)-str. S. See S. Anne-str.**

Annesley-br., -pl. See under Bridges (Tolka).
Civil Parish according to Almanack Registry Directory 1834 :Saint Anne

Appian-way, the. (Leeson-park.) 1846.**
From the famous Roman-rd., called the Appian-way from Claudius Appius Caecus, by whom it was made 313 B.B.
It was probably thus designated by Mr. Samuel Roberts, a builder, who lived here. It had been called in 1845 Tivoli-ave.,-Tivoli being the residence there of Francis Morgan, esq.

Arbour-hill. (Stoneybatter.) 1603. (‘Earber-hill.’)
Civil Parish according to Almanack Registry Directory 1834 :
Saint Paul

Arbutus-pl. (Lombard-str. W.) 1887.**

Arcade, the Royal. See Royal-arcade.
Civil Parish according to Almanack Registry Directory 1834 :
Saint Andrew

Archdall’s-row. (Temple-bar.) 1766.**

Ardee-str. (Coombe.) 1792. -row.
From Sir Edward Brabazon, knight, cr. Baron Ardee, 1616, whose son, Sir William, was cr. Earl of Meath, 1627.
Cf. the streets called Reginald, Brabazon, Earl, and Meath, in the same neighbourhood. (Cf. also Earl-str. N., q.v.) To Wm. Brabazon, ancestor of the Earls of Meath, the. Abbey of S. Thomas the Martyr (hence the neighbouring S. Thomas-str., q.v.) was granted in 1545.
Formerly called Crooked-staff.
Civil Parish according to Almanack Registry Directory 1834 :
Saint Luke 1-15 inclusive
Saint Catherine 19-28 inclusive
The above numbers as given with no mention of No’s 16-18

Ardilaun-ter. (N. C. R.) 1881. **
From (Sir Arthur E. Guinness, bart.) Lord Ardilaun, cr. a Baron, 1880.
Ardilaun (Ardillaun) is the name of an island in Lough Corrib, at Cong, near Lord Ardilaun’s residence.

Armstrong-str. (Harold’s Cross-rd.) 1885.**
From Richard Owen Armstrong, esq., one of the Directors of the A. D. C., by whom this name was given.

Arnott-str;. (S. C. R.) 1873.**
From Sir John Arnott, knighted 1859. He and Mr. Lombard and Mr. MacMahon purchased property here, where three streets were called after their several names.

Arran-br., -quay. See under Bridges (Queen’s-br.) and Quays.
Civil Parish according to Almanack Registry Directory 1834 :
Saint Michan 1-20 inclusive
Saint Paul 22-44 inclusive

Arran-str. [E.] (Ormond-qu. up.) 1728.
The northern part was formerly Boot-la., q.v.
Civil Parish according to Almanack Registry Directory 1834 :
Saint Michan

Arran-str. W. (Arran-qu.) 1756. ·la:. 1756. **

Arranmore-ave., otero (N. C. R.) 1880. **

Arthur’s-la. (Golden-la.) **
From Sir Thos. Arthur, lessee from the Earl of Longford, of the Whitefriars estate.
Called Maiden-la., 1766.

Artichoke-rd. 1832. **
Now called Grand Canal-str. up. and Shelbourne-rd.
Arundel-ct. (S. Nicholas-str.) 1709. (Gilb. Hist. Dubl., i. 191.) From Robert Arundel, who rented ground here from the Corporation.
It was subsequently known as the City-market and Black-hall-market. It is now known as S. Nicholas-pl.

Asdill’s-row. (Crampton-qu.) 1822.
Civil Parish according to Almanack Registry Directory 1834 :
Saint Andrew

Ash-str. (Coombe.) 1735.
Civil Parish according to Almanack Registry Directory 1834 :
Saint Nicholas, without

Ashbrook-ter. (S. C. R.) 1846. Aston’s-Pl. (Aston’s-qu.) 1885.**

From the adjoining Aston’s-qu., which see, under Quays.
Formerly called Lee’s-la., q.v.

Atkinson’s-al1ey. (Coombe.) 1756.
Civil Parish according to Almanack Registry Directory 1834 :
Saint Luke

Auburn-hill (Aughrim-str.) 1875. -str. (Shamrock-str.) 1878.
From Auburn, the name of Goldsmith’s Deserted Village, Cf. Goldsmith-str.-but not Oliver’s-alley.
Civil Parish according to Almanack Registry Directory 1834 :
Saint Grangegorman

Audoen’s (S.)-arch. See S. Audoen’s-arch.
Civil Parish according to Almanack Registry Directory 1834 :
Saint Audeon

Aughrim-str. (N. C. R.) 1792.
From Aughrim in Co. Galway, the scene of a battle in 1691,-the name being given to the street probably as a centennial memorial.
Previously this thoroughfare formed the Sth. end of Black-horse-la.
Civil Parish according to Almanack Registry Directory 1834 :
Saint Grangegorman

Aungier-str. (S. Stephen-str.) 1670. -ct. 1766. -pl.
From Sir Fras. Aungier, Master of the Rolls, who became Baron Aungier in 1621. His dau. Alice m., 4 Jan., 165 5/6, Sir Jas. Cuffe, Knt., M.P. (Cr. the neighbouring Cuffe-str.)
Civil Parish according to Almanack Registry Directory 1834 :
Saint Peter

Austin’s-ct.**
1. (Church-str.) 1840. From the Augustinians here?
Formerly Field’s-court, W.
2. (S. Andrew’s-la.) From Geo. Austin, T. C.

Avondale-rd. (N. C. R.) 1882.**
From Avondale, Co. Wicklow, the residence of C. S. Parnell, M.P.

Ayre’s-ct. (Purdon-str.) 1840. **

to be continued