Portobello, Dublin
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In Dublin, Portobello is an area near the South Circular Road near South Richmond Street and including Clanbrassil Street. The area was also known as Little Jerusalem because in the first half of the Twentieth century, it was the heart of the Jewish community in Ireland.
Portobello also refers to a bridge across the Grand Canal at Rathmines and South Richmond Street. Like the Portobello area of London, Dublin's Portobello was named for the capture by Admiral Vernon in 1739 of Portobelo on Panama's Carribean Coast, during the conflict between the United Kingdom and Spain known as the War of Jenkins' Ear.
Originally there was a large harbour on the canal, with an hotel, but the harbour was drained in 1948 and largely filled in. The Grand Canal is still thriving in a leisurely way and now serves as a picturesque amenity much frequented by the local population.
The area is home to the private Portobello College, as well as various pubs and restaurants and has a lively and vibrant air. The Irish Jewish Museum is located nearby on the South Circular Road, as this was formerly Dublin's Jewish quarter. Leopold Bloom, the fictional Jewish character at the heart of the James Joyce novel Ulysses, lived at 52 Clanbrassil Street Upper; a plaque commemorating this can be found on the wall of that house. The famous playwright George Bernard Shaw was born on Synge Street, in the Portobello area.
The area declined following the end of World War II, with a number of Jews emigrating to Israel, and the majority leaving for New York. Though the main jewish population that remained in Dublin have migrated to Terenure, just three miles away, a small number still live in the area, but their own shops, schools, and small businesses no longer exist.
Altona is a local landmark, less preferred though than the red brick St. Kevin's Church at Bloomfield Avenue.
The correct name of the bridge at Portobello is La Touche Bridge named after a prominent Dublin business family.
