Davy Stephens

The 'King of Irish Newspapers' is also buried in Deansgrange. Davy Stephens had a news- stand in Kingstown for nearly fifty years. The area provided a lucrative market with mailboats and the railway station. So famous was this great character that he was immortalised in Ulysses by James Joyce. The 'Irish Society and Social Review' often featured stories about him. He attended the Epsom Derby every year, renewing old acquaintances and making new ones.

Davy Stephens (postcard)

Davy Stephens was a colourful jovial character selling newspapers to those travelling to and from Kingstown (Dún Laoghaire). He began selling papers at the age of six and over fifty years later was still going strong. His clients included numerous kings, queens, lord lieutenants as well as Napoleon III and Arthur Balfour.

Courtesy of Ken Finlay

Davy Stephens (postcard)
Courtesy of Ken Finlay

Davy Stephens (postcard)

Davy Stephens was a colourful jovial character selling newspapers to those travelling to and from Kingstown (Dún Laoghaire). He began selling papers at the age of six and over fifty years later was still going strong. His clients included numerous kings, queens, lord lieutenants as well as Napoleon III and Arthur Balfour.

Courtesy of Ken Finlay

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During one of these trips he returned to find his position, at the door leading to and from the mail boats had been taken over by a boy from the Dublin newsagents. Michael Davitt raised the issued in Parliament and Davy was allowed to return to his original location. 'The Life and Times of Davy Stephens: the renowned Kingstown Newsman' was written by Davy and provides some interesting insights into the character of the man.

Davy epitomises so much of the history of Kingstown through the events/people he encountered during his career as a newspaper vendor. For example he witnessed the development of all forms of transport in the area including three generations of mail steamers. They ranged from steam packets, paddle steamers to mail boats. The list of people Davy met and sold newspapers to reads like a veritable who's who of royalty and other famous people.

 

Davy Stephens [anecdotes]

Davy Stephens was a remarkable character with a very sharp wit. He sold newspapers in Kingstown for fifty years. James Joyce even mentioned him in Ulysses. During the course of his work he met many famous and infamous people. This excerpt taken from 'The Life and Times of Davy Stephens: the renowned Kingstown Newsman' gives us a glimpse of that character.

Courtesy of Ken Finlay

Davy Stephens [anecdotes]
Courtesy of Ken Finlay

Davy Stephens [anecdotes]

Davy Stephens was a remarkable character with a very sharp wit. He sold newspapers in Kingstown for fifty years. James Joyce even mentioned him in Ulysses. During the course of his work he met many famous and infamous people. This excerpt taken from 'The Life and Times of Davy Stephens: the renowned Kingstown Newsman' gives us a glimpse of that character.

Courtesy of Ken Finlay

Enlarge image

Davy Stephen's friends

Davy Stephens was a newspaper vendor in Kingstown for most of his life. He was a colourful character who met many famous and infamous people during his lifetime. This excerpt from his book indicates the level of warmth people had for the man. He was truly unique, an integral part of ‘the landscape’ of Dún Laoghaire for many years.

Courtesy of Ken Finlay

Davy Stephen's friends
Courtesy of Ken Finlay

Davy Stephen's friends

Davy Stephens was a newspaper vendor in Kingstown for most of his life. He was a colourful character who met many famous and infamous people during his lifetime. This excerpt from his book indicates the level of warmth people had for the man. He was truly unique, an integral part of ‘the landscape’ of Dún Laoghaire for many years.

Courtesy of Ken Finlay

Enlarge image

Names like Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, King Edward VII, Napoleon III, Arthur Balfour, Lord Dunsany and Isaac Butt. The list goes on and on.

Davy also remembered vividly the tragedy in Kingstown when Captain Boyd and his crew perished as well as the storm in 1916 when the Pavilion was burnt down. Davy was described as smaller than the average height and wore a black overcoat and a trilby hat. He is buried in Deansgrange Cemetery.