Many people have seen photos of the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge in Ireland, but the Library of Congress took an interesting approach. Before St. Patrick’s Day last year, it asked for and posted more than 100 photochroms of Ireland taken between 1890 – 1900. Here’s a look at some of those same spots over a hundred years ago, then again today. ~ As you slide down the banister of life, may the splinters never point in the wrong direction. Photo #1 by Shiraz Chakera
Rope Bridge, Carrick-a-Rede. County Antrim, Ireland – Photochrom print, color, taken between 1890-1900. Photochrom prints are colorized images made from black and white photo negatives. ~ May love and laughter light your days, and warm your heart and home. May good and faithful friends be yours, wherever you may roam. May peace and plenty bless your world with joy that long endures. May all life’s passing seasons bring the best to you and yours! Photo #2 by Library of Congress
Rope Bridge, Carrick-a-Rede in Ireland as it is “now.” It was somewhat impossible to find the exact same angle of the rope bridge under a creative commons license. 🙁 ~ What’s the use of being Irish if the world doesn’t break your heart? Photo #3 by Quichot (Edwin Klein)
Devenish Island ruins, Lough Erne. County Fermanagh, Ireland. Photochrom print colorized, taken between 1890-1900. ~ If you are lucky enough to be Irish, then you are lucky enough. Photo #4 by Library of Congress
Devenish Island ruins as they are “now” in Ireland. ~ May your blessings outnumber, The shamrocks that grow, And may trouble avoid you, Wherever you go! Photo #5 by Überraschungsbilder
Ruins of Dunluce Castle in Ireland. This colorized photochrom print was taken in the 1890s. ~ May the best day of your past, Be the worst day of your future. Photo #6 by Library of Congress
The ruins of Dunluce Castle “now” in Ireland. ~ May your home be filled with laughter, May your pockets be filled with gold, And may you have all the happiness, Your Irish heart can hold. Photo #7 by Damien du Toit
Inside the ruins of Dunluce Castle “now” in Ireland. ~ May you live as long as you want and never want as long as you live. Photo #8 byjohn.purvis
The Giant’s Causeway in Ireland. This colorized photochrom print was taken in the 1890s. ~ May your neighbors respect you, troubles neglect you, the angels protect you, and Heaven accept you. Photo #9 Library of Congress
The Giant’s Causeway in Ireland as it is “now.” ~ May you be in Heaven a half hour before the Devil knows you’re dead! Photo #10 Alan Bruce
The Honeycombs at Giant’s Causeway in Ireland. This photochrom print was taken and colored in 1890. ~ Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, Love leaves a memory no one can steal. Photo #11 Library of Congress
This is The Honeycombs, Giant’s Causeway as it is “now.” ~ May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light, May good luck pursue you each morning and night. Photo #12 Überraschungsbilder
Another cool capture of The Honeycombs, Giant’s Causeway as it is “now.” ~ A wish for a friend: Wishing you a rainbow for sunlight after showers; Miles and miles of Irish smiles for golden happy hours; Shamrocks at your doorway for luck and laughter too, And a host of friends that never ends each day your whole life through! Photo #13 Ty TS Drown
This is Ross Castle, II, in Killarney, Ireland. The color photochrom print was taken in the 1890s. ~ Like the warmth of the sun and the light of the day, May the luck of the Irish shine bright on your way. Photo #14 Library of Congress
This is Ross Castle in Killarney, Ireland, as it is “now.” ~ May joy and peace surround you, Contentment latch your door, And happiness be with you now and bless you evermore. Photo #15 BlackburnPhoto
This is Muckross Abbey, Killarney, Ireland. The photochrom print was taken and colorized in the 1890s. ~ May you have all the happiness and luck that life can hold – And at the end of your rainbows, may you find a pot of gold. Photo #16 Library of Congress
This is Muckross Abbey, Killarney, Ireland, as it is “now.” ~ These things, I warmly wish for you – Someone to love, Some work to do, A bit of – sun, A bit – cheer, And a guardian angel always near. Photo #17 Clemensfranz
beautiful locations, its surprising that many of these places still are not only standing but look almost as if no time has passed
Beautiful, Magnificent and whimsically taking you back to the times of Knights and maidens.
I’m Irish and I don’t know where you got those sayings but nobody Irish will have heard of them. They’re somewhat racost
YOU are an idiot and a troll, kdance.
Here Here, what is he talking about!!
Sorry don’t know what branch of Irish you are, but I have a great Aunt that came from Dublin and quite a few of these she has said especially the one about being in heaven a half hour before the devil knows you are dead.
No, seriously, these are American sayings. Lived in Ireland for years and it was only ever the yank tourists said stuff like this.
This is in response to “kdance” – I assume that meant RACIST when you said “racost”. You have *got* to be kidding. Pride in one’s own country and heritage is highly commendable, and anything but racist. Racism is an ugly thing that is all about hate and contempt. Nothing anything close to that is expressed in these sayings, most of which, in fact, are BLESSINGS meant for anyone, not merely the Irish. Lighten up!!!
Nope. You can’t say “God bless you, nigger”, no matter what way you mean it and not come off as racist. I LIVE IN IRELAND AND ALWAYS HAVE and I agree with kdance that the sayings are a bit much. its like if someone took a picture of the Grand Canyon 100 years ago and captioned “Dances with Wolves likee firewater” on it. Another thing, you are not Irish unless you live in Ireland. having a great great great granndfather who was half Irish doesn’t make you Irish. You’re only Irish if you know what the craic is. I’m sure kdance and Debbie Payne’s grandmother would both agree
What a load of BS from you turd! I am from Ireland also, born and reared and have ancestry going way back. You sound like one hateful motherf**ker about your identity, and who is or isn’t “Irish”…the fact that those 100+ year old photos are still in existence for the pleasure to see today is a testament, not something to be shunned you c**t!!!! I bet you hog the dole, and play Xbox all day you lazy-assed d**khead!!!
Just around the corner of the modern photo of the Giants Causeway, there is a finger of land which juts out. Just off this landmark, the Spanish gold ship Giona went down in a storm. Much of the gold discovered is now in the Belfast Museum. She sank on 26th Oct 1588. This was just after the defeat of the Spanish Armada.
I love those pictures!
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Regardless of the origin of the sayings i like them and it’s good that someone cares enough about others to bestow good fortune on those just passing through. By the way, I’m Irish too. I thank you, the photographers who were kind enough to share their works with all of us the photos are very much appreciated. May God Bless you.
I grew up and lived most of my life in the South West of Ireland and I’ve heard some of those sayings. Of course that’s not the way we Irish speak to each other every day and you’re not going to hear them too often in real life.
They’re old greetings and excerpts from poems from way back when and they’re genuine enough.
Also, they sound much more beautiful in Irish.
Go n-éirí an bóthar leat, Go raibh an ghaoth go brách ag do chúl, Go lonraí an ghrian go te ar d’aghaidh, Go dtite an bháisteach go mín ar do pháirceanna, Agus go mbuailimid le chéile arís, Go gcoinní Dia i mbos A láimhe thú.
And as a member of the diaspora it’s nice to be reminded of them every now and then, and the pictures are wonderful to view as well.
Thanks for this blog and a belated Happy St Patricks Day.
And to the cynics: F**k off owa dat ya langers.
Stand up and be proud ‘Daithi’! I love your comment.