RING RING RING … It’s for YOU!
First introduced in the 1920s, the Kiosk No.1 (K1) design was Britain and Ireland’s first standard telephone kiosk and is now an enduring symbol of early twentieth-century street life. At their peak, over 3,300 payphone boxes were in use across the country, complemented by over 5,000 indoor units.
This iconic K1 was first located on Parkgate Street. It was later a familiar sight just around the corner on Dawson Street before its removal to accommodate the Luas extension. After more than a decade in storage, the K1 has now made a triumphant return to public view.
Telecommunication company eir has donated the kiosk to the Little Museum to ensure that this iconic piece of Irish telecommunication heritage is safeguarded for future generations. Not only that, the rotary dial and AB box are in working order thanks to the tenacity of former eir technician Brian Collins and linesmen Pat Flannery and Joe Keogh.
This is the last functioning K1 telephone kiosk in Ireland, and one of only two K1s still in existence – the other is in Foxrock village.
Museum guests can step back in time and make a phone call that’s set to impress! Thanks to the generosity of eir, visitors can make a free phone call anywhere in Ireland.
What are you waiting for? Pick up that receiver!
Special thanks to Michael Connaughton for donating the charming rotary A/B phone.