The Roscommon Telephone Directory
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Transcript of The Roscommon Telephone Directory
The Telephone Directory as an historic document.
A brief history of the Telephone Directory and a catalogue of the Directories that were
in use in the Co. Roscommon area.
Liam Byrne
Roscommon Collectibles.
Occasional Series.
Booklet No. 2
Brief Background.
Public, Business and Local telephone directories are a useful source for local and family
history, for social history & demographics and for the history of technology in the region.
Because they are usually discarded when a new issue is received, telephone directories are
one of the rarest forms of ephemera.
Telephone directories have been around for well over 100 years. The first directory was
produced in New Haven, Connecticut, USA in 1878 and the first London directory was
produced in 1880.
The earliest Irish Telephone Directory dates from about 1905 and 1907. The Irish classified
directory - the Golden Pages, was first produced in 1968. It went regional in 1984/85, later
became part of the regional public directory (07/09 for the West of Ireland) and in 2001 was
once again issued as a stand alone, regional 07/09 business directory.
Trade directories in Roscommon have a long pedigree. The first Roscommon business
directory dates from the 1920’s. Local directories are a more modern phenomenon, often
produced by local schools as part of Transition Year activities.
In this database a Trade Directory contains all or most of the business numbers in an area
(including unsolicited numbers) and a Trade Guide contains only advertised (i.e. solicited)
contact numbers. A Local Directory is one produced locally, usually for a town or parish.
A Public Directory is one produced for the State telephone company (Dept. of Posts &
Telegraphs / An Post / Telecom Éireann / Eircom), initially for use by switchboard operators
and later for general release. Annual directories for public issue have been produced by
Golden Pages Ltd. since 1968. Public Directories are listed in a separate listing after the
Trade and Local Directories.
The information in this booklet was originally posted online at
www.roscommonhistory.ie.
A Brief History of the Telephone Directory.
Alexander Graham Bell was granted a patent for his telephone in 1876. He demonstrated it to
visitors at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition the same year. In early 1878 he installed
the first telephone exchange in New Haven, Connecticut.
The first telephone directory - a single 14 x 21 cm. sheet - was
issued in New Haven on 21st. February that year. Closer to the
end of the same year a telephone book was issued containing
numerous pages and advertisements. This was the first telephone
directory with more than one sheet of paper. San Francisco also
issued a directory during 1878.
1878. Single sheet telephone subscribers list. The first
telephone directory.
Alexander Graham Bell's patent on the telephone gave Bell
Telephone a monopoly from 1876 to 1893. During that period
the company opened exchanges in most of the largest cities of
the United States. It also organized a number of regional operating companies. In 1899
American Telephone and Telegraph (AT&T) became the parent company.
1900. Telephone directory for Alaska Telephone Co.
Telephone numbers were introduced in Lowell, Massachusetts
in late 1879. Party lines were popular, because of their lower
cost, in the first half of the 20th century. Telephones on a party
line were electrically connected, so that they would ring
simultaneously, and transmit the same sounds. A specific
pattern of rings was used to identify each phone on the same
party line. The telephone book listing usually gave a phone
number, a hyphen, and a code to identify the pattern of rings.
The number of digits in a phone number was variable, since the
numbers were only used as identifiers.
In rural areas, they might range from one to three digits. In
larger cities, a telephone number would consist of an exchange
name and a five-digit number.
1906. Telephone directory from the time of the San
Francisco earthquake.
Individual city directories predate the telephone by many years.
Obviously, the early city directories had no telephone numbers.
Most city directories are hardbound. Reuben H. Donnelley
published a Chicago telephone directory in 1886, for the
Chicago Telephone Company; this is generally acknowledged as
the first of what today we call The Yellow Pages. Donnelley expanded to other large cities in
1906. The first telephone directory featuring classified business advertising on actual yellow
paper was issued by the Michigan State Telephone Co. in 1906, for Detroit.
1908 Zenith Telephone Co. directory.
In many parts of the country, especially the suburbs of large
cities, there are privately published telephone directories,
supported by advertising, usually covering a smaller area than
the official telephone book. These "proprietary" phone books
go back well before World War II. In the United States, the
official telephone book will usually clearly identify the
telephone company that published it. Sometimes it is hard to
tell which is the official telephone book and which is the
proprietary one for any given city.
1914. Pittsburgh telephone directory.
To prepare the way for nationwide dialling, in 1947 AT&T and
Bell Laboratories developed the North American Numbering
Plan, creating three-digit area codes that would divide all of
North America. Within each area code, every seven-digit
phone number would be unique. When long-distance dialling
was first implemented, it could
only be used by operators placing
calls for customers. Customer
dialling was phased in as each
central office invested in the
necessary equipment. Generally,
area codes were first announced in telephone books in the late
1950s.
1924. Milwaukee telephone directory.
All-number calling was introduced in 1961. Some listings
immediately changed to seven digits, although exchange names
continued to appear alongside them until late in the decade.
Telephone directories have been in use in England since the end
of the nineteenth century. The telephone service was introduced
in 1879 and the first London directory was produced in 1880. The
National Telephone Company issued its first known directory on
January 15th. which contained details of over 250 subscribers
connected to three London exchanges. Post Office
Telecommunications and numerous private companies soon
followed. In 1896 the first phonebook for the whole country was
published in a single volume. It containing 1350 pages and 81,000
entries. City and county directories have been in continuous production ever since. During
the war directories were pulped because of the shortage of paper. Directories from 1884 to
1984 have been scanned and are available on genealogical websites. The BT Archive
contains an almost complete collection of directories for the UK (and Ireland, up to 1921).
1963 Sheffield telephone directory.
The first telephone used in Ireland was in 1876, the same year that
Bell invented the device. The first telephone directory may be the
one produced by The National Telephone Company dated 1904 -
05. Another Irish directory dates from 1907, but is incomplete. Up
until the 1960's directories were mainly produced for the local
Department of Posts & Telegraphs switchboard. These are usually
plain typed lists. Every exchange in the country would have had
such a list, but surviving examples are rare.
1921 Telephone Directory, Dublin & Cork Districts.
The Irish classified directory - the Yellow Pages, was first produced
in 1968. It went regional in 1984/85, later became part of the
regional public directory and in 2001 was once again issued as a
stand alone, regional business directory.
1961 Irish telephone directory.
Today telephone directories are used
for many purposes, other than those
intended. Old telephone directories are scanned and reissued on
compact disk, for family history and genealogical research. They
can also be used for demographic research, local history, the
history of technology and various other purposes.
Two examples of telephone directories as genealogical tools, one
from New Zealand and one from England are shown below. Irish
telephone directories, though not as old as those from other countries, can be used for much
the same purpose.
Most of these images are from recent sales of
telephone directories on eBay. The sale of
telephone directories is big business, especially in
the US, although there is a growing interest in UK
directories which has become evident in the recent
past. Irish directories rarely feature. The
information on US directories above is based on
a detailed history by Gwillim Law which can be
accessed at http://www.oldtelephonebooks.com.
The following catalogue of local telephone directories is incomplete but indicates the
extent of my collection as of September 2012. Additions always welcome.
Catalogue of Public, Private, Trade & Local Telephone Directories for the Roscommon Area.
Part 1: Trade (Business) & Local Directories.
Category. Year Title Remarks Image
Private
Directory. 1994 Co. Roscommon Sports & Recreation Directory.
Produced by Roscommon Regional
Youth Services. 40 page directory of
Roscommon Sporting bodies.
Local Directory. 2008 Ballymoe / Ballintubber Local Telephone
Directory.
Produced by Ballymoe Development
Group. November 2008. 090 & 094 area
code listings. Also mobile numbers for
local business.
Trade Directory. 2004 The Roscommon Trade Directory 2004. Free. 1
st edition. Local Directories of
Dundalk. 64 pp. 07 & 09 area.
Trade Directory. 2004 Roscommon Business Directory 2004. Compact disc. E. Business Digital
Directories Ltd. ROS2004
Trade Directory. No date Enterprising Roscommon. A Directory of Micro
Businesses in County Roscommon.
Roscommon Partnership Company. 14
pp. 07, 09 & mobile numbers.
Trade Directory. 2007 Roscommon & District Guide. 3rd
edition. 190 pp. Lough Ree Publishing Co. Ltd.,
Athlone. 090 66**** numbers only.
Category. Year Title Remarks Image
Trade Directory. 2003 Roscommon & District Guide. 2nd
edition. 192 pp. Lough Ree Publishing Co. Ltd.,
Athlone. 090 66**** numbers only.
Trade Directory. 2001 Roscommon & District Guide. 1st edition.
168 pp. Lough Ree Publishing Co. Ltd.,
Athlone. 0903 area only.
Local Directory. No date. Elphin Local Directory. Elphin Community College project. 31
pp. 071 9630/35 area only.
Trade Guide. 2007/08 The Handy Business & Services Directory 2007
/ 2008 (The Select Guide)
Free. 32 pp. Colour advertising only.
Midland counties. A JRI Publication.
Trade Guide.
2007
(July /
August)
Roscommon Guide to Local Services. Free. 11 pp. Colour advertising only.
Local Business Promotions, Ballyhaunus.
Local Directory. 2006/07 Kilbride Phone Directory 2006/07. 40 pp. Scoil Mhuire, Strokestown TY
Project. Kilbride area numbers.
Category. Year Title Remarks Image
Trade Directory. 1920 Roscommon Directory (Commercial &
Historical) 1920.
ca. 100 pp. Hard Back. W.H. Cartan,
Manager “Messenger” Printing Works,
Roscommon.
Trade Directory. No date. 0907 Your Directory 094. Ballyhaunus Rugby Club. 423 pp.
Includes 0907 area in Roscommon.
Local Directory. No date Boyle Residential & Business Directory
1st edition.
Úna Bhán Tourism Co-Operative, Boyle.
79 pp. Stapled.
Local Directory. 2007 Boyle Residential & Business Directory
2nd
edition.
Úna Bhán Tourism Co-Operative, Boyle.
86 pp. Stapled.
Local Directory. 2007 Boyle Residential & Business Directory
3rd
edition.
Úna Bhán Tourism Co-Operative, Boyle.
87 pp. Spiral bound.
Local Directory. 2008 Boyle Residential & Business Directory
4th
edition.
Úna Bhán Tourism Co-Operative, Boyle.
83 pp. Spiral bound.
Category. Year Title Remarks Image
Trade Directory. No date Ballinasloe & District Guide. 2nd
edition? 224 pp. Lough Ree Publishing Co. Ltd.,
Athlone. 090 96**** numbers only.
Trade Directory. No date Ballinasloe & District Guide. 1st edition.
192 pp. Lough Ree Publishing Co. Ltd.,
Athlone. 090 96**** numbers only.
Trade Directory No date Castlerea and District Business Directory. Castlerea Community School Student
publication. 0907 area.
Trade Directory 1999 Roscommon Business Directory. Roscommon County Enterprise Board
Ltd. 75 pp. Countywide.
Trade Directory. 1996 Athlone Traders Guide & Local Area Index
1996
248 pp. Desmond Egan Clef Promotions
Ltd., Athlone.
Trade Directory. 1999 Athlone & District Guide. 288 pp. Lough Ree Publishing Co. Ltd.,
Athlone. 0902 numbers only.
Category. Year Title Remarks Image
Trade Directory. 2003 Athlone & District Guide. New Edition. 304 pp. Lough Ree Publishing Co. Ltd.,
Athlone. 090 64**** numbers only.
Trade Directory. 2007 Athlone & District Guide. 3rd
Edition. 304 pp. Lough Ree Publishing Co. Ltd.,
Athlone. 090 64**** numbers only.
Trade Directory. 2002 Athlone Traders Guide & Local Area Index. 288 pp. Desmond Egan International
Designs Ire. 0902 area only.
Trade Directory. 2008/9 Athlone Business Guide & Local Area Index. 272 pp. Desmond Egan International
Designs Ire.
Trade Directory. No date. Business & Shopping Guide for Sligo /
Roscommon / Leitrim 11th
edition.
Business & Shopping Guide Ltd. Navan.
224 pp.
Trade Directory. No date. Business & Shopping Guide for Sligo /
Roscommon / Leitrim 12th
edition.
Business & Shopping Guide Ltd. Navan.
216 pp.
Category. Year Title Remarks Image
Trade Directory. No date. Business & Shopping Guide for Sligo /
Roscommon / Leitrim 13th
edition.
Business & Shopping Guide Ltd. Navan.
255 pp.
Trade Directory. No date. The Red Book Business & Shopping Guide for
Sligo / Roscommon / Leitrim 14th
edition.
Business & Shopping Guide Ltd. Navan.
255 pp.
Trade Directory. No date. The Red Book Business & Shopping Guide for
Sligo / Roscommon / Leitrim 16th
edition.
Business & Shopping Guide Ltd. Navan.
320 pp.
Trade Directory. No date. The Red Book Business & Shopping Guide for
Sligo / Roscommon / Leitrim 17th
edition.
Business & Shopping Guide Ltd. Navan.
288 pp.
Trade Directory. 2010
"Spend Time in Boyle ..." Business Directory for
Boyle Town. Shows images of business cards for
local suppliers.
Boyle Chamber of Commerce.
Local Directory. 2011 Elphin Phone Directory 2011. Transition Year Mini-Company project.
Part 2: Public Telephone Directories issued by Dept. of P & T, An Post, Telecom Éireann & Eircom.
Category. Year Title Remarks Image
Public Directory. 1961
Eolaí Telefóin na hÉireann - Irish
Telephone Directory. Deireadh
Fómhair - October 1961.
National directory. 403 pages for Dublin City & County (01
area). 16 pages of Business (pink) pages. 298 pages of
"Outside Dublin" numbers. 14 pages of "Late Entries".
Cahill & Co. Ltd., Dublin for Dept. of Posts & Telegraphs.
235mm X 180 mm.
Public Directory. 1966 Eolaí Telefóin na hÉireann - Irish
Telephone Directory. 1966.
National directory. 332 pages for Dublin City & County (01
area).19 pages of Business (pink) pages. 242 pages of "other
than 01 area" numbers. 14 pages of "late entries". Cahill &
Co. Ltd., Dublin for Dept. of Posts & Telegraphs. 290mm X
215mm.
Public Directory. 1972 Classified Telephone Directory -
Part 2.
288 pp. The Golden Pages business listing. Part 2 (outside
Dublin (01) area). Compiled by ITT World Directories
Ireland Ltd.
Public Directory. 1982
Eolaí Telefóin na hÉireann - Irish
Telephone Directory. Part 2 -
1982.
1016 pp. National Directory for all telephone numbers
outside the greater Dublin (01) area.
Public Directory. 1983
Eolaí Telefóin na hÉireann - Irish
Telephone Directory. Part 2 -
1983.
1119 pp. National Directory for all telephone numbers
outside the greater Dublin (01) area.
Public Directory. 1983/84 Classified Telephone Directory -
Golden Pages Part 2.
574 pp. The Golden Pages business listing. Part 2 (outside
Dublin (01) area). This was the last non-regional Golden
Pages.
Category. Year Title Remarks Image
Public Directory. 1984/85
Classified Telephone Directory -
Golden Pages New Regional
Directory.
176 pp. The Golden Pages business listing. The first
Regional Directory for telephone numbers in the 07/09 area.
Public Directory. 1985 Irish Telephone Directory - Part 2. 1288 pp. Public listing. Part 2. (all numbers outside Dublin
(01) area).
Public Directory. 1990/91
Irish Telephone Directory.
Including Golden Pages 07/09
area.
496 pp public & 256 pp business listing for 07/09 area. 29
pp of mobile phone (088) numbers.
Public Directory. 1991/92
Irish Telephone Directory.
Including Golden Pages 07/09
area.
418 pp public & 279 pp business listing for 07/09 area. (No
mobile numbers).
Public Directory. 1992/93
Irish Telephone Directory.
Including Golden Pages 07/09
area.
441 pp public & 303 pp business listing for 07/09 area.
Public Directory. 1993/94
Irish Telephone Directory.
Including Golden Pages 07/09
area.
592 pp public & 320 pp business listing for 07/09 area.
Category. Year Title Remarks Image
Public Directory. 1994/95
Irish Telephone Directory.
Including Golden Pages 07/09
area.
528 pp public & 304 pp business listing for 07/09 area.
Public Directory. 1995/96
Irish Telephone Directory.
Including Golden Pages 07/09
area.
552 pp public & 320 pp business listing for 07/09 area.
Public Directory. 1996/97
Irish Telephone Directory.
Including Golden Pages 07/09
area.
576 pp public & 348 pp business listing for 07/09 area.
Public Directory. 1997/98 Eolaí Telefóin na hÉireann. 608 pp public & 368 pp business listing for 07/09 area.
Public Directory. 1998/99 Eolaí Telefóin na hÉireann. 628 pp public & 409 pp business listing for 07/09 area
Public Directory. 1999 -
2000 Phone Book. 649 pp public & 467 business listing for 07/09 area.
Category. Year Title Remarks Image
Public Directory. 2000 - 2001 Phone Book. 700 pp public listing for 07/09 area.
Public Directory. 2000 – 2001 Golden Pages. 572 pp business listing for 07/09 area.
Public Directory. 2002 Phone Book. 685 pp public listing for 07/09 area.
Public Directory. 2002 Golden Pages. 584 pp business listing for 07/09 area.
Public Directory. 2003 Phone Book. 712 pp public listing for 07/09 area.
Public Directory. 2003 Golden Pages. 584 pp business listing for 07/09 area.
Category. Year Title Remarks Image
Public Directory. 2004 Phone Book. 664 pp public listing for 07/09 area.
Public Directory. 2004 Golden Pages. 588 pp business listing for 07/09 area.
Public Directory. 2005 Phone Book. 654 pp public listing for 07/09 area.
Public Directory. 2005 Golden Pages. 563 pp business listing for 07/09 area.
Public Directory. 2006 Phone Book. 659 pp public listing for 07/09 area.
Public Directory. 2006 Golden Pages. 580 pp business listing for 07/09 area.
Category. Year Title Remarks Image
Public Directory. 2007 Phone Book. 688 pp public listing for 07/09 area.
Public Directory. 2007 Golden Pages. 566 pp business listing for 07/09 area.
Public Directory. 2007 / 2008 Phone Book. 694 pp public listing for 07/09 area.
Public Directory. 2007 / 2008 Golden Pages. 518 pp business listing for 07/09 area.
Public Directory. 2008 / 2009 Phone Book. 640 pp public listing for 07/09 area.
Public Directory. 2008 / 2009 Golden Pages. 496 pp business listing for 07/09 area. West / North West.
Category. Year Title Remarks Image
Public Directory. 2009 / 2010 Phone Book. 576 pp public listing for 07/09 area.
Public Directory. 2009 / 2010 Golden Pages. 424 pp business listing for 07/09 area. West / North West.
Public Directory. 2010 / 2011 Phone Book. 566 pp public listing for 07/09 area.
Public Directory. 2010 / 2011 Golden Pages. 328 pp business listing for 07/09 area. West / North West.
Public Directory. 2011 / 2012 Phone Book. 544 pp public listing for 07/09 area.
Public Directory. 2011 / 2012 Golden Pages. 264 pp business listing for 07/09 area. West / North West.
End.
WANTS LIST.
I am trying to put together a collection of telephone directories for the Roscommon area. I need the following editions to complete the set. If you
have any old telephone directories that you no longer need please contact me. Thank you.
I need the following Public Telephone Directories:
All pre 1960, including Roscommon local exchange, typed or handwritten.
1960, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965 and 1967.
1968 and Golden pages.
1969 and Golden pages.
Part 2 Public Directory: (Numbers outside greater Dublin area) for;
1970 and Golden pages.
1971 and Golden pages.
1972 only.
1973 and Golden pages.
1974 and Golden pages.
1975 and Golden pages.
1976 and Golden pages.
1977 and Golden pages.
1978 and Golden pages.
1979 and Golden pages.
Total: 10 and 9
1980 and Golden pages.
1981 and Golden pages.
(1982) Golden pages only.
1984 only
(1985) Golden pages only.
Regional 07/09 Area for:
1986 (& Golden Pages?)
1987 (& Golden Pages?)
1988 (& Golden Pages?)
1989/90 (& Golden Pages?)
Total: 7 and 4 (+ 4?)
1994/95 (better quality copy required)
Total: (1)
2001 and Golden pages.
Total: 1 and 1
Compiled, edited and published as an eBook by Liam Byrne
September 2012.
First Edition.