Sheriff Street
 Sheriff Street, Dublin | |
  | |
| Native name | Sráid an tSirriam (Irish) |
|---|---|
| Namesake | Sheriffs in general |
| Length | 1.2 km (0.75 mi) |
| Width | 12 metres (39 ft) |
| Location | Dublin, Ireland |
| Postal code | D01 |
| Coordinates | 53°21′02″N 6°14′26″W / 53.350569°N 6.240527°W |
| west end | Commons Street |
| east end | East Wall Road |
Sheriff Street (Irish: Sráid an tSirriam), known by locals as "Sheriffer" or "The Street", is a street in the north inner city of Dublin, Ireland, lying between East Wall and North Wall and often considered to be part of the North Wall area. It is divided into Sheriff Street Lower (west end) and Sheriff Street Upper (east end).
History
It is one of a group of streets named after civic offices and concepts: Mayor Street, Guild Street, Harbourmaster Place and Commons Street are all nearby.[1]
The Sheriff Street area might be defined as Upper and Lower Sheriff Street, Mayor Street, Guild Street, Commons Street, Oriel Street, Seville Place, Crinan Strand and Mariner's Port. One of the most visible buildings is St. Laurence O'Toole's Roman Catholic Church, which was built in the 1840s and officially opened in 1853, and is accessible on Seville Place. Traditionally, work on the docks provided employment for local men, but the arrival of containerization led to mass unemployment in the late 1980s.[2]
Reputation and Gentrification
Sheriff Street has a reputation as a run-down area with a high crime rate.[2] the area was for many years notable for the Sheriff Street flats which consisted of St Laurence's Mansions, St Bridget's Gardens and Phil Shanahan House. Many residents of Sheriff Street suffered from social stigmas and were denied employment due to being from the area. Issues with poverty and crime peaked during the heroin epidemic of the 1980s and 1990s. In the late 1990s, the flats were demolished and the area underwent major gentrification. Many residents of the flats were housed nearby whilst others left the area. Many of the now gentrified buildings, constructed on the former site of the flats, are accessible on Mayor Street. Lower Sheriff Street still remains a working class area consisting of houses. Noctors's Pub which has been a fixture of the area for many decades still remains in business today.
In the media
In 1973, RTÉ Radio 1 producer, Seán Mac Réamoinn set out to capture life in the North Wall and Sheriff Street area of the city in a radio documentary, Inner City Island, looking to the past, present and future, which aired on RTÉ Radio 1 on 17 March 2009.[3] Parts of the film In The Name Of The Father were shot in Sheriff Street in the early 1990s, as well as the film The Commitments.
Notable people
- Luke Kelly of the band The Dubliners was born in Lattimore Cottages, 1 Sheriff Street. His place of birth has since been demolished.
- Gemma Dunleavy, singer-songwriter, was born and raised in Sheriff Street.[4]
- Stephen Gately, Boyzone
- Jim Sheridan[citation needed]
References
- ^ M'Cready, C. T. (1987). Dublin street names dated and explained. Blackrock, Co. Dublin: Carraig. p. 117. ISBN 1-85068-005-1. OCLC 263974843.
- ^ a b 'You keep your mouth shut and your head down', Rosín Ingle, The Irish Times, 24 July 2010
- ^ "Inner City Island". RTÉ.ie. December 2009.
- ^ "Gemma Dunleavy: Proud of her northside roots as she brings a slice of reality to her music". 16 September 2020.