By county in alphabetical order is probably the best way to go – for now!
Page updated 1/8/2022
Click on images to enlarge.
Lover’s Lane, Carrickfergus
Card by Valentine’s No.52183, postally used 1937.
Bay Cafe, Cushendun
Unknown publisher.
Glenariff
Above: The Tea House, Glenariff from an official Midland Railway Company card. The railway company did much to develop the Antrim Glens to encourage rail borne tourists to visit the area. There are striking similarities in the way that the Antrim Glens and those on the Isle of Man were opened up to the public.
Above: ‘Tears of the Mountain, Glenariff’ by E.T.W. Dennis.
Hazelwood, Belfast
A view by Valentines of the Floral Hall and Pond at Hazelwood, Belfast.
Today Hazelwood is the site of Belfast Zoo and the Floral Hall makes a sad sight, boarded up pending restoration – if it’s not already too late.
Waterfoot Village, Co.Antrim
Picturesque Waterfoot in north-east Antrim shines through in this dull 1940s (?) tinted card from an unknown publisher
Bantry Bay
Arthur Dixon (Ireland) 6625 – postally used 1978.
The Waters of Cork & Queenstown, Ireland
Interesting, early card in the “Premier” series.
Youghal Bridge, River Blackwater, Co.Cork
A view by Valentines of the ‘old’ Youghal Bridge over the River Blackwater at Youghal. The bridge was designed by the Victorian engineer Alexander Nimmo and was constructed between 1829/1832, continuing in use until it was replaced by the present structure in January 1963. Some further technical details here.
‘Bantry House in Winter’ – an unusual 1930s view of Bantry House printed in Italy. Interesting too in that I had no idea that the house was open to the public that long ago.
Shandon Steeple and North Gate Bridge, Cork
An early Valentines card.
St.Patrick’s Street, Cork City
Raphael Tuck (Heraldic Series) No.186. printed in Bavaria and postally used 1902.
Strand Street, Kanturk, Co.Cork
Posted in 1911. Strangely named street for a town many miles from the seaside but it’s not a mistake as it’s on Google Streetview. What little charm the town had back then it has even less today and no donkeys!
‘Clock House, Mallow’ – unknown publisher. Something very English about this card – could almost be a quiet corner of Chester or Stratford upon Avon.
Monkstown RC Church, Co.Cork
A pleasant view of Cork Harbour in this Emerald Series card pu in 1907.
Above: An early view of St.Anns Hill, Blarney by Fergus O’Connor & Co., postally used in 1904 – an impulse purchase on eBay.
Bunbeg Harbour
A Valentine’s view of Bunbeg Harbour and River Clady, Co.Donegal.
The Breeches, Crohy Head, Dungloe, Co.Donegal
Publisher W.Lawrence – postally used in 1915.
Malin Head, Co.Donegal
Urris Hills on the Inishowen peninsula in north Donegal – unknown publisher.
Millisle
An attractive multi-view of Millisle by Gordon & Co., Belfast.
An interesting piece of local history here: Millisle Co.Down – Haven from Nazi Terror
Newry
An early card of Newry published by Hartmann and postally used in 1906.
Warrenpoint
A multiview card by Valentines – no space wasted here!
Above: An aerial view of Bangor, Co.Down by John Hinde Ltd. No date.
An interesting aerial view of Strangford Lough published by the Ulster Card Company. I’ve not come across them before and can’t find any details online.
A pleasing view of Donaghadee Harbour by Valentines – 1950s (?)
Slieve Bearnagh – a view by Valentines.
A panoramic view of Dun Laoghaire from the East Pier – could almost be from a ship in the harbour. The town is full of major landmarks:
Left to right: The Mariner’s Church; The Royal Marine Hotel; St.Michael’s RC Church; and below them Right to left: The Town Hall; The Pavilion; the Royal St.George Yacht Club and the Carlisle Pier.
The card is by Valentines, pu in the 1950s, and the artist probably E.W. Trick or Brian Gerald.
The Vale of Shanganagh
I never tire of this view, and while much of the land between Killiney and Bray is now covered in concrete, the mountains and sea remain as picturesque as ever.
A Valentine’s card probably painted by E W Trick.
The Kylemore Mountains, Clifden, Co.Connemara
A nice early 20th century view of Connemara from the highly collectable Wrench series.
Cahirciveen
The Daniel O’Connell Memorial Church of the Holy Cross, a massive structure built between 1886 – 1892, must have seemed like an alien spaceship in the tiny village when completed. The first card by W.Lawrence doesn’t do justice to its scale, but the second card of the monthly cattle fair with the church in the background certainly does!
Above: an early Killarney card from Raphael Tuck – undivided back.
Above: Tralee Courthouse which dates from 1835 and was designed by William Vitruvius Morrison. Outside stand two matching monuments to the Kerry men that died during the Crimean War of 1854-56 and the Indian Mutiny of 1857.
Long Lake, Sneem, Co.Kerry – a Lawrence card, printed in England.
Two highly collectable silhouette cards by Stewart & Woolf, London.
Left: The Guildhall and Right: the Walker Monument (blown up in 1973 during the Troubles).
Above: An early view of the Carlisle Bridge, Derry City – unknown publisher – postally used 1903. The bridge was an iron framed double deck structure built between 1859 and 1863. An unusual feature was that the lower deck was for rail use only and connected the city’s four railway terminals with a series of mixed gauge tracks.
Left: Ness Waterfall published by Valentines. Apparently Northern Ireland’s highest waterfall. Located in the Faughan Valley – a short distance from Derry City.
Right: The Weir, Castledawson (No.244) by Butler.
Lough Corrib from Ashford Castle, Cong, Co.Mayo
Real photo card with no photographer or publisher indicated.
Cope’s Mountain, Sligo
An early Valentines view.
For the more adventurous here’s some hill walking information for Cope’s Mountain.
CAHIR
Church and Weir, Cahir, Co.Tipperary
Published by J Sampson, Cahir.
The Park, Cahir, Co.Tipperary
Published by J Sampson, Cahir.
Card published by William Lawrence, Dublin.
The Bridge, Cahir Park
Milton series.
Main Guard, Clonmel
Published by J.Carey, The Punnet, Clonmel.
West Gate, Clonmell
A wonderful card from an original painting showing the old West Gate in Clonmel, Co.Tipperary which, mercifully, still exists. Published in the USA – as if you needed to be told!
The John Redmond Bridge, Waterford (1913-1986)
A Valentine’s view of the John Redmond bridge taken from the Kilkenny side of the River Suir. More about Waterford City bridges here.
Eden Vale, Castlebridge, Co.Wexford
I recently visited this hidden glen for the first time and was very taken with the largely unspoilt beauty of the place. A one and a half mile walk through the woods, along the banks of the River Sow, brings one to the source of Wexford Town’s water supply. Eden Vale has been owned by Wexford County Council since the 1930s but it’s only in relatively recent times that it has been opened up as a public walk. Perhaps one day the council will do something to tidy up their water installation which comes as an unpleasant surprise at the end of a pleasant walk?
There’s no trace left of the house in the early Lawrence view – top.
Above: Powerscourt it isn’t, but the several small falls at the top of the glen are quite pretty. No publisher indicated. Postally used in 1906.
Enniscorthy
Bridges and River Slaney, Enniscorthy – 1951 – unnamed publisher.
Bray Head from the southern side.
A nice 1940/50s view of Bray Head from Greystones Golf Links – published by Valentines.
A John Hinde multi-view of a strangely empty looking Bray from the late 1980s?
Naylor’s Cove, Bray by Valentines. Sadly, the pools have almost returned to nature today but it was a popular spot in its day – so much so that there was even a halt built on the adjacent Bray/Greystones railway to bring visitors. This was the swimming pool used by Aravon school when I was a pupil there in the 1960s – cold, stony and full of crabs!
The Royal Starlight Hotel, Bray
A landmark building and a classic view looking towards the Main Street from the Dargle bridge. I haven’t been in the hotel in decades but I have happy memories of many a ‘high‘ tea there in the early 1970’s. Card by Litho, Canada and posted to Belgium in 1973.
An early view of Glendalough by Fergus O’Connor, Dublin.
The Scalp, Co.Wicklow
The glacial feature that is “The Scalp” actually straddles the county border between Wicklow and Dublin, but for the purpose of this site I’ve favoured the former. I suspect this view published by Hildesheimer (No.5337) was actually painted from a point on the Dublin side of the pass. Postally used in 1905 and no artist credited.
Golf Links, Greystones, Co.Wicklow
Published by William Lawrence, Dublin.
Irish Postcards 