
Boom!
sk any Greystonian about Bray, and they’ll all tell you, that place is well over the hill.

Damn right!
Or, if that route sounds too tough, you could always take the Cliff Walk around the hill. Which is just about the most perfect way to go visit our big brother.
And Bray is like Greystones’ big brother, with broader shoulders and more life experiences;Â the prodigal son who plays it a little more real than his spoilt little brother would ever dare.

Albert Walk June 1937
It’s easy to forget just how beautiful Bray is. Just take a look at that promenade. Take a walk along Sidmonton Road, and a diversion into any of those horse shoe hideaways of old red brick cottages.

The Promenade 1998
Take a hike up to the cross on Bray Head, look out over the sea, the town, and beyond, to Dublin and Howth. Down Lower Dargle Road, and into the park. Take the twister of Herbert Road, and on up past Ardmore Studios. Go get lost for a day or two in the remarkable grounds of the Kilruddery estate.

Harbour Bar by Val Byrne
Or you could just head down to the sea, feed that ever-growing swarm of swans, and stop off at The Greatest Irish Pub Ever, The Harbour Bar.
And then there’s the people, the craic, the spectacular Duggan makeovers, the squeaky ghost of the Eagle’s Nest Chairlift and that horny bus conductor with the great big bouncing buster of a baby.

Another Val Byrne beauty
But, hey, time for a little history…
Back in medieval times, Bray was on the southern border of the Pale, ruled over by the English crown from Dublin Castle whilst inland, it was the Gaelic Chieftains who were calling the axes.

Main Street by Val Byrne
Back in 1598, the town appeared on a map brazenly titled A Modern Depiction Of Ireland, One of the British Isles as Brey, with the O’Byrne name slapped pretty much all around it.

Meath Streets
It was in 1627 that the Earl Of Meath bought the Killruddery estate – the heir apparent today being Anthony Jacques Brabazon, aka Lord Ardee (who turns 40 in 2017) – but it wasn’t until the latter part of the 18th century that this small, manorial village started to attract visitors from the big city.
As with Greystones, it was the arrival of the train that sparked real growth in the town, the Dublin and Kingston Railway extending as far as Bray in 1854. Not long after that, Bray became Ireland’s largest seaside resort, with hotels and extensive residential terraces popping up along that illustrious and seductive promenade.

Those Turkish Baths
Railway kingpin William Dargan developed Bray’s Turkish baths around this time, to the tune of ÂŁ10,000, their slow, gradual demise finally coming to a crashing end in 1980 when the demolition squad moved in. There had been another tourist boom in the aftermath of the Second World War, as English holidaymakers looked to escape rationing. By the 1960s, foreign travel was becoming all the rage, so Bray had to settle for the day-trippers. Of which, during the summer months, there are still plenty.

At Swim-Two-Burkes
Thanks to the likes of the Bray Jazz Festival, the Bray Comedy Festival and Kilruddery’s Silent Film Festival, there’s pretty much always something groovy happening somewhere in Bray during the summer months.

W. Allen & Co c 1950s
And with internationally acclaimed natives such as knock-out merchant Katie Taylor and sensitive popster Hozier putting Bray on the world map, it’s almost enough to make a little brother jealous.

Katie goes Full Rocky
Ooh, and talking of art, we nearly forgot the mighty Ardmore Studios, Ireland’s oldest film studios, having been established in 1958, and responsible for such classics as Excalibur, Braveheart and Breakfast On Pluto.Â
And quite a few films that, you know, they’d really rather not talk about.

The Flab Four
Noted residents of the town have included James Joyce, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Neil Jordan and Sir Bono of Vox. There’s also the little matter of The Mermaid, one of the grooviest little art centres around.
So, we’re lucky to have such a big brother over the hill. And Bray’s lucky to have us too. Sure, don’t our visitors have to pass through the place every day…?
Big shout-out to Facebook page Bray – Did You Know?, who have been pulling together hundreds of shots of the town over the last few years. You can go explore their huge collection right about here.
Good luck getting their dirty big logo off the pics.
You can also find out more about Bray in our archives here, including Pathé News footage of a 1934 Round The Houses car race, and some incredible 1970s shots of Bray from Luke McGuinness. You can also view a 1968 RTE visit here.

Ain’t that a beauty. Source: Signal Arts Centre

Around Bray Head postcard

Old Connaught c.1962

Old Bray 1870-1880

The Dargle by Ray Cranley

Bray Bridge vintage postcard

The Bridge, Bray postcard.

Bray Bridge & Little Bray postcard

Bray Bridge & Little Bray postcard #2

Bray Bridge & Little Bray postcard #3

The Bridge postcard

The Bridge postcard #2

Old 4-arch bridge 1842 (Bartlett’s Ireland)

An Irish Homestead, Bray. Tuck Oilette postcard 1907

International Hotel, Bray – looking down Quinsboro Road. Circa 1858. We think.

Quinsborough Road 1890. Coloured by GG.

Quinsborough Road 1892. Coloured by GG.

Then again, this one says Quinsborough Road c1914. Coloured by GG.

Quinsborough Road way back when. Coloured by GG.

Quinsborough Road c1950. We think. Coloured by GG.

Quinsborough Road postcard c1900

Raverty’s Medical Hall, corner of Main Street & Herbert Road

The Bray Supply Stores Quinsborough Road

Royal Corner demolition 1892

Quinsborough Road, looking east

Quinsborough Road with cobbled crossing c.1880

Quinsboro Road, Bray 1905 postcard

Bray Main Street 1910

The motor car arrives

Bray Main Street by Fergus O’Connor c.1910

Bray Main Street. Source: Unknown

Bray Main Street 1970s. Source Pam Jenkins

Bray Main Street Woolworths 45 bus

Quinsborough Road toward Main Street

Bray Main Street 1870s

Main Street c.1880

Bray Main Street. Source Fergus O’Connor c1910 colourised

Main Street 1920s

Main Street 1950s

Main Street 1960s

Main Street, with Brown’s, Morris wallpapers, The Wicklow Hills, Murdocks & Scotty’s

Get On The Bray Bus, Gus.

Bray Through A Car Window 1970s. Pic: Luke McGuinness

Main Street towards The Royal Hotel

The Sea Road 1937

Duncairn Terrace Bray 1865-1910

Wyndham Park, Bray 1867

British Army cross the Dargle as WW1 breaks

A Charabanc at Upper Dargle Road

Bray to Enniskerry horse-drawn bus

Denehey’s Coach Works (later Dempsey’s) at Sunnybank

Bray main street circa 1900

George Pearce’s Public House 1920s

Bray Town Hall, began in 1881, completed in 1884, Thomas Deane & Son architects

An Tostal meeting with Jim Pyne, Dr. Ryan, Mr. McDonnell, H.J. Byrne, Dr. Donnelly, Fr. Breen

Bray Main Street 1800s

Town centre from above

The Mill Bray Brewery (later a malt house, from 1884, then the electric light works, from 1892)

Dargle Road & Cripples Home 26AUG1905. Pic Killick

Ravenswell Row, Little Bray 26AUG05 Flood

Sheridan’s Lane, Little Bray after the Aug 1905 flood

The Cripplres Home after the floods August 1905

Little Bray after the flood 24AUG05

Flooding In Bray by James P. O’Dea 6th Mar 1962

Cassells Public House with J. Whaley, W. Brabazon, N. Moran, D. Kinsella, W. Kinsella, J. Earls, J. Byrne, J. Cassells.

The Harbour Bar: The O’Toole Years

Harveys, Scariff & Joe Kelly

St Kevin’s Hibernian Boys Brigade Pipe Band c 1915 Bray

On the way to Christ Church

Christ Church, constructed 1863, spire between 1865 & 1870

Christ Church

Christ Church, Bray. Pic: Robert French

Bray Strand by lithographer T. Packer c.1860

Bray Head Postcard stamped 1906

Bray Seafront from above by Robert French c.1890

Bray Head Vintage Signal Postcard

Bray Seafront by Robert French c1890

That Robert French pic with some colour in its cheeks…

Bray Head Regatta by Robert French c.1890

Naylor’s Cove by Robert French colourised

Naylor’s Cove Bathing Place postcard P53366

Naylor’s Cove, Bray Postcard

Naylor’s Cove c1950s RP Postcard

Naylor’s Cove Bray Harry Kernhoff

The Veranda Cafe, Eagle’s Nest

Living the high life in The Eagle’s Nest 1959

View From Bray Head postcard

Bray Head Cable Car View 1963

Bray Head Chair Lift 1970s. Pic Luke McGuinness

Chair Lift to Eagle’s Nest. John Hinde

Chairlift to heaven…

Cable chairs postcard…

Bray Swimming Baths

If the mountain should crumble to the sea…

Bray Head Hotel by Robert French c.1890

Bray Head Hotel circa 1914

Crofton Bray Head Hotel

Bray Promenade by Robert French c 1890

Bray lighthouse stumbles into the sea Sept 25th 1957

Bray Swimming Gala 1943. Colourised by GG.

Fassaroe Castle Sand Company (later Roadstone) 1947

Bray Train Station 1890. Source: Gary Paine

Bray Dart Station 1895. Source: Gary Paine

Bray Train Station 1908

Bray Railway Station by Fergus O’Connor 1990

Railway Station, Bray by Robert French c.1890

Learner Driver 1970s. Pic: Luke McGuinness

Bray Round The Houses Race British Pathe 1934. Colourised by GG.

Strand Road Bray 1930

Martello Terrace by Robert French c.1890

Bray Head Boats by Robert French c.1890

Bray From Above Pic Steve McGarr

The International (built by John Brennan, opened in 1862)

International Hotel Bray 1870s

International Hotel Bray Source Michael O’Reilly

International Hotel Bray postcard – circa 1960

The Turkish Baths

The Baths shortly after they were built 1850s at the cost of ÂŁ10,000

Ladies Baths Bray demolished 1965. Sealife today. Colourised.

Look Out, It’s Aer Lingus.

Bray Seafront vintage postcard

Bray Promenade

Bray Promenade

The Esplanade, Bray 1857

That 1857 scene, different day, & colorised

Bray Promenade Victorian-era – colorised

Regatta Day at Bray circa 1936. Source: National Library

Esplanade, Bray 1920-1930

The Sandy Years.

Bray Promenade postcard

Bray Promenade Beauty.

When the grass was greener…

Three fine & refined ladies, out on the pull

Up against the rail…

Bray Promenade 1951

Flag Day at Bray Beach vintage postcard

Vintage 1898 Print Bray Promenade

Bray Glass Lantern 1890

The Esplanade & Bray Head 1950s

Bray promenade goes Full John Hinde

Bray By The Sea postcard

Bray Head Dollard postcard

Promenade & Bray Head postcard with rockin’ motors

Bray Promenade with a rockin’ tent. Pic: Robert French c.1890

And the living is easy…. c1870

The view from 9 Strand Road – then & now. Bottom pic: David Salmon

Up Seacrest Hill 1972.

Walking Downtown.

Down by the Dargle 1970s

Sea Front Bray 1950s Ray Cranley

Bray Beach Toytown Aoife Hester

Bray Moon Rising by Andrew Nolan

Bray Head by E. Brian Dempsey

Bray Head Cross John Hinde postcard

Bray Head Sunrise. John Hinde postcard

The Esplanade, Bray Valentine postcard

Bray Head & Esplanade vintage postcard

The Regatta Bray vintage postcard

Hand drawn map of Bray’s old place names by William Gibb Forsythe

Bray Multiview Postcard John Hinde

Tinnihinch Road, Bray 1871

Victorian watercolour June 1881
6 comments
Excellent,brought back so many memories.
Thank you.
Hozier is from Newcastle, Not Bray.
Shame about the some of the buildings we’ve thrown away in Ireland – the hotel right at Bray train station looked magnificent. Espec compared to how shabby the area looks now. Great collection of photos.
fascinating collection. Well done.
This is a brilliant compilation done with real affection. Thank you.