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Thread: Foley Street

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
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    Lightbulb Foley Street

    Having just read randyrave's review of Virginia No. 4915, I thought I'd fill in the historically challenged with a little bit of information about Foley Street, where the said Escort seems to be located.

    Prior to independence, Foley Street was called Montgomery Street and this street lent it's name to Dublin's famous red-light district, called Monto. Monto itself, must have covered a reasonably sized area which included what is now Sean MacDermott Street, because in it's heyday (1860s to 1900s) it was said that up to 1600 prostitutes where working there at any given time. It was reputed to be the biggest red-light district in Europe and the third biggest in the British Empire. According to a popular legend, the Prince of Wales, Prince Albert Edward (later King Edward VII) lost his virginity there.

    Frank Duff of the Legion of Mary, was one of those people who was instrumental in getting Monto closed down. He was supported in this by General William Murphy, the Dublin Police Commissioner. Following a series of raids, in which 120 people were arrested, the last brothels in Monto were closed down on 12th March 1925. Or so they thought anyway.

    It's great to see that an ancient Dublin tradition is alive and well and that the old red-light still shines brightly in what used to be Monto. Unfortunately, it's unlikely that it will ever reach it's pre-independence heyday, as the best customers for the girls were the soldiers of the British Army garrisoned here.

    Who knows, maybe if the Lisbon treaty is passed, our home-grown post-independence troglodytes will receive a rap on the knuckles from their betters in Brussels and be told to stop persecuting the working ladies in this jurisdiction.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
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    Thumbs up Love it!!

    Jesus Carlos I have to say I really appreciatte little tit-bits (pun intended) like that, you know the art of story telling is dying but i think you should re-invent the almost lost art.
    I like to hear stuff like that and as a result will most likely research your story further.
    Cheers mate!!

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2007
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    Default Sure Luke Kelly sang about it....

    good on you for recalling the story, the late great Luke Kelly famously sang about it.

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