The cast of ‘The Commitments’
Luke & Staff at MyVolts Dublin HQ, write:
We’re wondering if your readers could provide some help. We’re trying to work out where in Dublin that famous “urban wasteland” photo of The Commitments (1991) was taken (above). It’s a still from the film, so there is a little more there, but not enough to be conclusive.
We even tweeted Bronagh Gallagher, [who played Bernie] who is thinking about it, but hasn’t yet got back to us.
Someone said he knows it was in Summerhill [Dublin1] that Jimmy Rabbitte [actor Robert Arkins] told him.
It’s even been suggested that this cornerstone of Northside zeitgeist is actually on the Southside, near the glass bottle factory. We’d love any useful info your readers have.
Anyone?
Update:Via the office of Alan Parker [director of The Commitments]: ‘Photographer David Appelby {who took the shot] has forwarded your query about the location of the band photo from The Commitments. According to our files and it was shot in Bond Street, behind the Guinness brewery.“
Looks like Summerhill / The Gloucester Diamond to me.
It does look like that area during those years – I think possibly around Mountjoy Square.
Tbf, it looks like half of Dublin, north and southside, during those years.
Yes true. In the late 80s/early 90s the urban decay was at its worst nearly with lots of the remaining old Georgians crumbling down. There’s still a few shabby old buildings that look like those the photo over near Cork Street and Coombe.
Yes – the place used to look like we’d had a war too.
Comparing old photos from the fifties and sixties (smart looking city) with those from the eighties and nineties (complete mess) is very thought-provoking.
do you know of anywhere you could see collections of photos from the 80s and 90s by any chance?
I’d be very interested in seeing them
Yes, if Ireland was only more like the 50s/60s. (Except the church sanctioned child rape, gomebeenism, etc, etc but atleas the architecture was nice)
Cabra West.
DOB’s Raglan Road gaff during the demolition phase of the super submarine evil basement lair construction ?
I’d say somewhere in Summerhill too
Some locations http://www.movie-locations.com/movies/c/Commitments.html#.VxYIb2PDFSU
Possibly behind the North quays, e.g. Sarsfield, Ormond, Ellis or Arran. The old tenement buildings were in a state at that time and propped up with joists.The ones to the right of the pic could very well be the rear of the quay-lining ones and the lads were admitted access to the land at the rear.
The photographer was David Appleby. His mobile and email are on his website. He may remember. http://www.david-appleby.com/
Or you could ask Glen Hansard. He’s EVERYWHERE.
Tbf, he’d probably just start singing The Aul Triangle.
Again. For hours.
cork street. just beside the turn off for newmarket, but its got some fencing and stuff where they are standing now, those buildings are still ruined and there tho.
Most of it was filmed on the southside, the real south side, not the lower east side Mr Doyle had us believe represented the entire southside. I’d rather his northside Clontarf over my Drimnagh any day of the week.
+1
I think the houses in the background are on to Sean Mc Dermott St, between Gardiner and Marlborough Streets
Reminds me of the billboards of the day, particularly along the north quays: Think that billboards ruin the view? View the ruins! with a picture of the devastation of the time.
Actually, I think I may have mentioned that before…
That land is owned by NAMA. So they can get the F*%k off it right now as we are about to offer it at a huge discount and pretend we are making a profit.
I think it’s between Summerhill and Ballybough near the North Circular road.