Could you imagine Dublin in 1946? The Pembroke East Ward existed then. It was a specific area within the city.
Pembroke was once a local government area. It adjoined Dublin. This township existed for local government. The Pembroke Township Act of 1863 created it. Most of the area belonged to the Earl of Pembroke. So, it was named after him.
Originally, town commissioners governed Pembroke. Later, in 1899, it became an urban district. By 1930, the City and County Borough of Dublin had absorbed Pembroke.
Pembroke Township comprised several areas. These included Ballsbridge, Donnybrook and Sandymount. Also, Irishtown and Ringsend were part of it. Ringsend was an old fishing village. Irishtown was a working-class area with industry. The rest of Pembroke was mainly affluent residential areas.
The Pembroke Estate owned most of the township. The estate agent was an ex-officio commissioner. He and 14 others were elected by property owners. The estate greatly influenced the commissioners’ actions. They even donated land. This influence decreased when a democratically elected council replaced them.
Pembroke Town Hall opened in 1880. It was on Merrion Road in Ballsbridge. The township offices were previously in Ballsbridge Terrace. Later, the town hall became the City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee headquarters.
Under the Local Government Act of 1930, Pembroke Urban District was dissolved. Its area then became part of Dublin city.
Even today, the name Pembroke remains. The Dublin City Council runs Pembroke Library in Ballsbridge. Also, Pembroke is a local electoral area for Dublin City Council elections.
Pembroke’s history stretches back centuries. Ballsbridge has Viking roots. A battle occurred there between the Irish and the Danes. A Viking grave was also found nearby.
In medieval times, two main roads served Dublin. One ran from St. Stephen’s Green to Blackrock. It passed through Pembroke Street.
In the 18th century, Ballsbridge was a prosperous settlement. It had linen printers and a gunpowder factory. The Earl of Pembroke’s family owned the farmland. George Herbert, the 11th Earl of Pembroke, inherited it in 1833. He created the Pembroke Road we know today.
Georgian Dublin was fashionable. Aristocrats lived in elegant houses. They rode carriages on wide boulevards. The Earl of Pembroke built residences along Pembroke Road. His name lives on in Dublin’s grandest streets.
The Pembroke Urban District Council became part of Dublin City Council in 1930. This area was originally part of the Earl of Pembroke’s estate. The collection includes legal documents from Lord Pembroke to Dublin City Council. The collection also includes minute books and correspondence.
So, as you stand here, remember Pembroke East Ward 1946. It was a piece of Dublin’s past. A past shaped by estates, elections and urban development.