Some Irish History

From A Story of Dublin: The people and events that shaped the city by John McCormack

The first lighthouse in the world to use candlepower instead of burning coals was erected on Dublin Bay in 1761.

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Dublin Bay was described by one traveler as follows: ‘The numerous wrecks which take place every winter, apparent from the masts, which are seen here and there, pepping above the surface of the water, as it were, to warn others of their fate, are convincing proof of the assertion that the locality is a most dangerous one to shipping’

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When King George IV visited Dublin 1821 it was decided to honor the occasion by building a bridge to provide a direct route from the Royal Hospital in Kilmainham to the Royal (Collin’s) Barracks on the other side of the Liffey.
The cornerstone of Kingsbridge was laid in 1827 and the cast-iron bridge opened to traffic in 1828. In January 1922 the corporation renamed the bridge Sarsfield Bridge and finally in 1941 it became Heuston Bridge after Seán Heuston, the 1916 leader.

Kingsbridge (now Heuston Bridge) was the earliest cast-iron bridge made in Ireland. There used to be depictions of royal crowns on the parapets but they have been removed.

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Dublin’s citizens of the period [circa 1800s] certainly did not lack for drinking opportunities. There were about two thousand ale-houses, three hundred taverns and twelve hundred shops selling brandy in the city.

Ireland First