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Arthur Fields

Look! It's George Harrison as a child on O'Connell Street...

It’s 50 years tomorrow since the Beatles played Dublin, but at least one of the foursome was in the city years earlier — demonstrating a prototype ‘mop-top’ too, by the looks of it.

THE BEATLES PLAYED their first and only Irish concerts fifty years ago this week; whipping up mass hysteria as they whistled through a series of short-sharp shows in Belfast and Dublin.

Much like the GPO in 1916 and U2′s Dandelion Market concerts in the late 70s — those who claimed to have been in attendance far outstrip the numbers who actually were.

Believe it or not, the four-piece were on stage for only around 50 minutes when they played Dublin’s Adelphi Cinema on Middle Abbey Street in 1963 — completing two 25 minute sets in concerts staged at 6.30pm and 9 o’clock.

Thirteen years earlier, screaming teenage girls were conspicuous by their absence when a seven-year-old George Harrison strolled along O’Connell Street sporting what looks like an early version of the Beatles mop-top haircut.

The photo was taken by Arthur Fields — a Jewish-Ukranian street photographer who became a Dublin institution; it’s estimated he took over 180,000 images on and around O’Connell Bridge during his career before he retired in 1984.

George was snapped in 1950 as he walked through town with his mother and his brother Pete. The Harrisons were close with their Drumcondra cousins — regularly taking the ferry from Merseyside to spend their holidays in the northside suburb.

A documentary on Fields career is currently being produced by Dublin-based ‘El Zorrero Films’. Project director Ciaran Deeney told TheJournal.ie that they were currently in the middle of the shoot, and they had tracked down “dozens” of stories about the photographer since securing funding earlier this year as part of the ‘Arthur Guinness Projects’ programme.

However, they’re still hoping to raise more money to complete the project, and Deeney’s asking anyone interested in seeing the final film to help them out by heading over to t-shock.net and buying a limited edition poster of one of Fields’ works.

image

More background detail – including the facade of the old Metropole Cinema – can be made out in the picture on the right, also taken by Fields.

Check out the Dublin Beatles Festival website for more details on anniversary events.

Edit: The headline here initially referred to ‘O’Connell Bridge’, but our geography has since been corrected by a reader of a certain vintage. Many Thanks.

Related: Do you remember photographer Arthur Fields of O’Connell Bridge?

Also: Lennon or McCartney? Richard Bruton’s choice might surprise you…

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18 Comments
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    Mute Larry Whack
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    Feb 12th 2016, 10:26 PM

    A dose of thumps would do that lad no harm.

    186
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    Mute Shane McGettrick
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    Feb 12th 2016, 11:27 PM

    Douchebaggery. God be with the times when this stuff would see you labelled a bol*x, not an internet sensation.

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    Mute Jamie McCormack
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    Feb 13th 2016, 1:41 AM

    haha you guys.

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    Mute Uncle Denise
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    Feb 12th 2016, 9:26 PM

    How is this news? I want interesting news not crap like this!!!

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    Mute Tomás O'Loughlin
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    Feb 12th 2016, 9:28 PM

    It’s the Daily Edge. Want news, read a newspaper. DE is for entertainment/switching off from too much news.

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    Mute Johnneary
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    Feb 12th 2016, 10:24 PM

    I find the title of this article is a tad bit disingenuous.
    Real men don’t do these things.

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    Mute Byyys
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    Feb 12th 2016, 9:26 PM

    A whooping 82,742 Views… I guess from a journalist point of view this has gone “viral”?

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    Mute Your Defence
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    Feb 12th 2016, 9:58 PM

    1.2 million on YouTube, only been up a day.

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    Mute Eoin Milner
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    Feb 12th 2016, 10:29 PM

    Shared….

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    Mute Eoin Milner
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    Feb 12th 2016, 10:29 PM

    Like it matters anyway….

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    Mute Notthatguy
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    Feb 13th 2016, 12:42 AM

    Ya make money from hits….. This guy had a plan, and it seems to be working, so fair play, ignore what many Irish are famous for, begrudgers……

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    Mute bacoxy
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    Feb 12th 2016, 9:26 PM

    She has set a good eggsample to other mothers

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    Mute Jonny Irish
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    Feb 12th 2016, 11:51 PM

    You’re some yolk!

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    Mute Noel Tate
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    Feb 13th 2016, 11:33 AM

    That pun doesn’t egg-wash with me.

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    Mute Suzie Sunshine
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    Feb 12th 2016, 9:56 PM

    I wouldn’t dare throw an egg at my mammy , it’s so disrespectful .. Plus the fact that l would be more afraid of what gets thrown back at me !

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    Mute john truman
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    Feb 12th 2016, 10:18 PM

    I would throw him out of the house

    26
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    Mute Luke Sarpish
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    Feb 12th 2016, 9:28 PM

    Jackass was doing this stuff 15 years ago.Have no idea why there is an article on this. Is he going to become a drug addict and kill himself in a car crash too?.

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    Mute family guy
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    Feb 12th 2016, 10:15 PM

    Luke the kids of today don’t recall jackass. It’s all new to them.

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    Mute Dave Meagher
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    Feb 13th 2016, 12:14 AM

    Right that’s it, I want to leave this planet.

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    Mute baz newham
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    Feb 12th 2016, 11:16 PM

    Like throwing eggs at your mother !…..like who gives a f&&k!

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    Mute Cill Dará Abú
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    Feb 12th 2016, 11:22 PM

    Oh big man, throwing eggs and his mum. Has he no mates to this sort of idiotic prank on

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    Mute zebedee
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    Feb 12th 2016, 9:31 PM

    I do eggsactly the same to my mam each day….but my mam’s better. If she lets the egg fall its scrambled for breakfast….if she catches, it’s boiled or fried sunny side up.

    12
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    Mute John Fergus
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    Feb 12th 2016, 11:18 PM

    well presumably the video is monetized and some people will subscribe to his channel after seeing this video. this could be a very good money spinner for him, hopefully he will deal in his long suffering mother………….otherwise he’s a c##t.

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    Mute fitzz30
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    Feb 13th 2016, 12:06 AM

    Wow that guy is amazing. He should get his own tv show with a prime time slot.

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    Mute Zandranalily
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    Feb 13th 2016, 3:10 AM

    She should try throwing a few back.

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    Mute John Doe
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    Feb 12th 2016, 10:56 PM

    Mad yoke..

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    Mute Malcolm Lackey
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    Feb 13th 2016, 12:40 PM

    I like the way no one is taking responsibility for putting this tripe up!! No one wants to see a poor oul one getting egged, why yas even giving this sap publicity?

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    Mute ginger tomcat
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    Feb 13th 2016, 11:34 AM

    What would be nice is if a few people return favour to him at unexpected points throughout next year

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    Mute Lilly Ella
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    Feb 13th 2016, 8:07 AM

    I think it’s great craic…….as long as he does the cleaning up after an egg breaks.

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