17 Earlsfort Terrace Dublin. Completed

[mike13959]

Hello everyone, although I've been registered a while, this is my first post, please go easy with me.

The above address is, according to my Dads birth certificate, his place of birth in 1930.

I was wondering if anyone knew what this building was in the 1930's, maybe a hospital, a private

clinic, or other ? I know it's wasn't his home address, as his parents are listed as living in Carysfort

Avenue Blackrock at that time. I believe it's now the residence of the Maltese embassy.

I would be so grateful if anyone could shed some light on this, as it may be helpful to me in finding

out about my Grandparents who, for the moment, are a complete mystery as to their whereabouts

and what they were doing between 1900 and the mid 40's.

Thank you in advance.

Mike.

[kintree]

Mike

It appears to have been the Stella Maris Nursing Home, see:

http://www.universitychurch.ie/ChurchServices.html

and

http://www.pgil-eirdata.org/html/pgil_datasets/authors/d/Durcan,Paul/life.htm

Adrian

[mike13959]

Thank you so much Adrian, for taking the time and effort
to search that information out for me.

I had never heard of the Stella Maris nursing home before
and now that's given me, at least somewhere to start, and
try to find out my Dad's, and his Parents life, when they lived
in and around Dublin.

Again, thank you.

Mike.

[darian]

the Stella Maris was an upmarket nursing home so most likely upper middle class background. Good luck with your search. Incidentally the National Concert Hall is in the same Tce if you get to dublin. gabby21

[Marc Mc Namara]

The registered electors for your address in '39 were as follows:

You may note some family names ?

Marc

[eadaoin]

Thoms Directory 1956 shows it still there ..


17 Gaffney, Mrs Margaret, "Stella Maris" private nursing home

eadaoin

[mike13959]

Thanks to all for your replies.

I cant say I recognize any of the names from the electoral roll, so I'm
assuming, Margaret Gaffney was possibly the owner of the premises.

Would that have been a common thing in Ireland at the time, for women
to go to a private nursing home to give birth ? or would it, as Gabby
suggests, more for the upper/middle class.

Mike.

[eadaoin]

it was fairly common for middle-class women to go to a nursing-home to give birth .. I was born just around the corner in a nursing home in Hatch St in the 1940s - my father was a professional man (??class B?) but not rich.
The area was full of such establishments .. the last ones probably died out in the early 1960s, when medical advances made it more sensible to go a Maternity Hospital.

I think it's likely that Margaret Gaffney was the owner/matron of Stella Maris.

eadaoin

[annieoburns]

The Stella Maris I believe was still around into the 1980's.  It was also the practise to give birth in the nearby maternity hospital of Holles Street and then to transfer there to recover for those that could afford to be away from their families.  I recall it as an upmarket private nursing home with silver service cutlery etc!  The names listed in the earlier thread may well have been staff living in the establishment .

You should be able to get information online from the 1911 census on the Nationl Archives site.  Also there is a certain amount of voters electoral register digitalised for the Dublin area and available on a database in Pearse Street library.  The Thom's street directories could provide further information.  A set of these is located in Pearse Street as well as newpapers of the time, both hard copies and digital versions.

Good luck!