Did early modern Dublin have a crime problem?
Cut Purse Row
Cutt Throat Lane
Murdering Lane pic.twitter.com/R9E3G6C1Vc— Dr Coleman A Dennehy (@ColemanDennehy) September 23, 2020
Yikes.
Anyone?
Maps via John Rocque’s Dublin: a guide to the Georgian city (Irish Historic Towns Atlas)
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Not unusual in times of yore for street names to aptly describe the activities associated with a particular area. I draw this assertion from a book I read aeons ago, written by Bill Bryson. He mentioned a street in London know as a thriving outlet for the oldest profession in the world called “Grope C*nt Lane, ” mercifully renamed since then.
To be fair I’d wager that large areas of any capital city in the 16th Century were probably fairly lawless. Ironically Murdering Lane was renamed Cromwell’s Quarters.
Some were just blandly sanitised.
Hangman’s lane in Smithfield became Hammond Lane.
+ There’s an lovely little estate in Coolock developed about the time of the Apollo 11 mission. Roads briefly named after all the astronauts, until poor old Michael Collins was swapped for Woodville Court. I think in that case at least the residents of nearby Collins Avenue may have wanted their post back!
if you goto Page 28 & 72 of this book it gives a reason for the names. Its a good book to have.
Sundrive Road was renamed from Dark Lane
https://www.logainm.ie/Eolas/Data/GoogleBooks/logainm.ie-dublin-street-names-mccready.pdf