I began by looking at this old map of Dublin, and I found Richmond Street on it. I found myself intrigued by the space makring out "Croke Park". I noticed that Croke Park does not exist in the present day. Indeed, it seems to overlap with a way in which the street has been extended. I intend to check up on what is going on here, and what happened to the park, and whether the Araby area is in fact smaller than today we suppose, based on the possiibility of a shorter street.
Comments
Jeff Drouin
Thu, 11/13/2014 - 14:36
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This is a great question, and
This is a great question, and you are in fact correct: Richmond St and its neighborhood used to be smaller than they are currently. However, you'll notice in the old map that Croke Park Athletic Grounds are across the canal and railroad tracks from the blind end of Richmond St.
Croke Park is still there today in the form of a modern soccer stadium. Looking at historical maps is a great way to find places Joyce was writing about in the current map of Dublin. Can you find a map of Dublin in 1890 or 1900? The story is probably set closer to the beginning of the 20th Century.