The Sheds Whitworth Road

[sangal]

Hi
I just got a cert dated 1890  from the GRO today .The address listed is The Sheds Whitworth Road.
Has anyone ever heard of this Address or have any information about 'THE SHEDS'.
any help gladly appreciated.
Thank you
Sangal

[shanew147]

I'm not sure what the term the Sheds refers to in this context, but I have seen it used in other listings - e.g. see this 1848 listing for Clontarf street listing and Description of Clontarf  I believe in this case in Clontarf the address was named after a location where fish-processing sheds were located. Other listings mention locomotive sheds..

Whitworth Road is along the north bank of the Royal Canal and most of the houses seem to have been built sometime between 1884 and 1894.


Shane

[sangal]

Thank you Shane
My first thought when I read the address was that these people were living in real poverty (in sheds not even in a house)
Sangal

[shanew147]

I think part of the road may have been called that after the fever sheds that were in the location during the famine years. There was a dispensary/hospital located there from the early 1800s which had various names including the Whitworth Hospital and Drumcondra Hospital. (the name was changed later as here was another Whitworth hospital in Dublin)

see : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drumcondra_Hospital

there's an explanation about the Clontarf name here :

'The coast road at the foot of Vernon Avenue is still called Clontarf Sheds from sheds which once stood here for curing fish. Captain Perry's Map of Dublin Bay and Harbour in 1728, marks "Herring Sheds" at this point.....'


Shane

[Ms. Smokestoomuch]

I've heard of the sheds in Clontarf alright. I think the name was carried on to a pub in more recent years.
One thing that Whitworth RD and Clontarf would have in common would be the railway. Maybe it is a common name that turns up around the rail line.
Whitworth Rd housing would not really be considered roughing it. It's quite nice.
The railway line takes up one side of the road, and then the Canal is next to that. The other side of the rail and canal I'd imagine wouldn't go by the name of Whitworth Rd. But I may be wrong.
The only thing on Whitworth that may not have been there as long as the houses may be Charville tennis court or the Porterhouse pub which use to be a large mechanics garage.

[sangal]

thank you very much. very interesting stuff.

[ewanduffy]

Unlikely to be railway related. The railway that parallels Whitworth Road opened in 1864 but is in a cutting all the way - no lineside activity. The other line (in use as the railway to Sligo) didn't open until 1901 so too late for 1890.