Picture this Stillorgan village in 1901. A small community of 562 souls lived within 111 houses. Life in Stillorgan ED 1901 was simple. It was also hard.
The village boasted two pubs two schools and two churches. A dispensary a post office and even a railway station served the residents. Despite its proximity to a reservoir running water was a luxury. Two water pumps provided the village’s supply. Cullen’s Pub generously offered the use of its pump when the public ones failed. Houses lined one side of the Dublin road and both sides of the Lower Kilmacud Road. They extended as far as the old Kilmacud Church.
Imagine the darkness. There were no streetlights. Gas lamps didn’t arrive until 1902. Most houses were humble two-roomed cottages. Many villagers worked as domestics in larger houses. Some lived in these houses. Others commuted daily.
Men often worked as general or agricultural laborers. Many women took in washing. The Rathdown Rural Council and St John of God employed some villagers as laborers and laundry attendants. Some houses had sewer connections but an open stone sewer at Jolly’s Lane remained until 1906.
The street directories didn’t list cottage occupants. The 1901 census only assigned numbers to houses. It didn’t pinpoint their location. Many of these families remained in their homes until the 1960s. Then demolition made way for a shopping center.
Life in Stillorgan ED 1901 wasn’t easy. It lacked modern conveniences. Yet the community thrived. People helped each other. They endured hardships together. Their resilience shaped Stillorgan into what it is today. A place with a rich history. A past worth remembering.