North Wall

North Wall, the site of ships arriving and departing in Dublin, features in both “Eveline” and “A Little Cloud” as a place of frustrated dreams for their main characters. It’s where Eveline watches Frank set out for yet another adventure without her and where Little Chandler, eight years prior to the story’s setting, watches his friend Gallaher set off for a life he would come to envy. The place reference begins the story of “A Little Cloud” and begins the final movement of “Eveline:”

“Eight years before he had seen his friend off at the North Wall and wished him godspeed” (“ALC” 70).

“She stood among the swaying crowd in the station at the North Wall. He held her hand and she knew that he was speaking to her, saying something about the passage over and over again.” (“E” 40)

In both cases, the main characters are contrasted with someone who gets to leave, and the fact that they have stayed or must stay in Dublin is the source of their paralysis. Their Dublin responsibilities, while offering a certain level of comfort, are also their bindings. The North Wall, which offers some the chance to escape, is yet another unassailable boundary for the likes of Eveline and Little Chandler.

The National Railway Museum has digitized this photo from its collections with the following description: "Sailing ships and steam passenger ferries at North Wall docks, Dublin, about 1906." — The National Railway Museum has digitized this photo from its collections with the following description: “Sailing ships and steam passenger ferries at North Wall docks, Dublin, about 1906.”

North Wall can refer to the general area north of the Liffey and east of the canal or the North Wall Quay which spans the north wall of the Liffey from the Custom House to East Wall. In the case of both stories, it would seem to refer to the docks from which ships sailed, which are indeed along the quay. The photo above is from the National Railway Museum and shows “[s]ailing ships and steam passenger ferries at North Wall docks, Dublin, about 1906.” Many of the ships that would dock here would take their passengers to Liverpool or Holyhead. From there, they could travel anywhere in the world.

jordan 11 low bred low georgetown 11s low hornets 13s low georgetown 11s low bred 11s jordan 13 low hornets low hornets 13s low hornets 13s low georgetown 11s metallic silver 5s jordan 13 low hornets metallic silver 5s low georgetown 11s jordan 5 metallic silver low bred 11s jordan 5 metallic silver jordan 5 metallic silver jordan 5 metallic silver jordan 11 low georgetown metallic silver 5s

low georgetown 11s low bred 11s jordan 11 low georgetown jordan 11 low georgetown jordan 11 low georgetown low georgetown 11s metallic silver 5s low georgetown 11s coach outlet jordan 11 low georgetown jordan 11 low georgetown low bred 11s metallic silver 5s low georgetown 11s low georgetown 11s low bred 11s jordan 5 metallic silver low hornets 13s low georgetown 11s jordan 11 low bred

air max one pas cher nike free run nike free run christian louboutin sale nike air max air max 90 hyperfuse air max enfant nike air max 2015 free run 2.0 michael kors outlet uk michael kors outlet uk nike roshe run louboutin uk nike roshe run noir et blanc nike roshe run femme free run pas cher nike free run homme christian louboutin uk michael kors bags uk roshe run noir

Author: Jasmine Mulliken

Jasmine Mulliken is Digital Production Associate at Stanford University Press. Prior to that she spent five years as Visiting Assistant Professor of English at Oklahoma State University. She has a PhD from the University of Texas at Austin and specializes in 20th-Century British Literature, Digital Humanities, and Digital Literacies. View all posts by Jasmine Mulliken

Author: Jasmine Mulliken

One thought on “North Wall”