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Here's how Dublin was served by trams over 100 years ago

A little snippet of history.

trams Source: Pádraic E. Moore/Twitter

THESE DAYS IT might seem difficult to imagine Dublin and its suburbs linked up by an intricate tram network.

Preparations are underway across the city to link the red and green Luas lines, but there was a time when trams were a vital transport lifeline all across Dublin.

This image, scanned from an original document in the Dublin City Archives, shows the tram routes in the city around 1910.

The trams  in the city centre were operated by the Dublin United Tramways company, with each route named for the stations it terminated at.

Later, from around 1918, the symbols were replaced with numbers, some of which are still maintained today.

According to the Dublin Transport Museum Dublin had around 66 miles of electric tramlines at the turn of the 20th century.

Dublin, King Billy1.jpg Electric trams on Dame Street in Dublin in 1910. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Dublin_East_&_Ctr_w_Roads_&_Trams_w_Termini_inc_centre_pt_Nelsons_Pillar 1912 map shows tram lines radiating out from the centre of the city Source: Wikimedia Commons

Terenure_tram The route 16 tram (left) & the route 15 tram (centre) at Terenure Cross, c. 1900 Source: Wikimedia Commons/W. Lawrence, Dublin

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About the author:

Emer McLysaght

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