"Nothing came in but the ironwork" was The Irish Times headline over a report of the stripping of the last tram to use the Dalkey line, which trundled along Dublin streets as far as Blackrock 50 years ago last Saturday.
"When the last tram ran from Dublin to Blackrock early yesterday, strange things happened," was the moderate Irish Times introduction to an account of near riots which saw the residents of Ballsbridge light fires in the road as trams across the city were virtually dismantled by souvenir-hunters.
"A band was lost in dense yelling crowds," according to the report, which outlined how six trams reported severe damage while a further three were almost completely wrecked.
At approximately 12.30 a.m. on July 10th, the last tram - number 252 - struggled free from the clutches of thousands of souvenir hunters and set out for Blackrock. Two hours later - not unknown for that distance in today's gridlock - the tram crawled into its home depot - seats gone, windows smashed, side panelling ripped away, but still accompanied by a roaring, singing, hooting crowd which had to be forcibly restrained by Garda reinforcements.
Some of the last trams "came in for severe usage", The Irish Times said, with the control handle being stolen from the front of one, forcing the tram to return to depot in reverse. The kind of language used was "wild young men", "melees" and "hilarious youths".
There appeared to be little hilarious to CIE officials though, as they were ignored by six people singing and dancing on the roof of number 252, completely unheedful of the officials' warnings of imminent electrocution.
Rattling past a street fire in Ballsbridge, the tram, preceded by a "police" car - although the Garda was well established at that time, the Irish Times style was to describe the law enforcement officers as "policemen" - and followed by a CIE breakdown wagon, made its way out to Blackrock.
Had it not been for the work of a CIE inspector who leaned far out over the upstairs deck, holding the trolley on to the overhead lines, there would have been no progress at all. The tram lurched along Merrion Road while those on the roof cut trolley ropes and a Radio Eireann team gave up attempts to deliver a commentary.
By this stage the electric lights had been completely stripped away and in complete darkness, with one man ringing "an auctioneer's hand-bell" from the top deck, it made its way into Black rock. "Nothing came in but the ironwork" commented an official, giving rise to the headline. "The night," concluded The Irish Times, "was hideous with the sound of motor horns".
The following day at 8.30 a.m., the first trim and shining number 8 bus left Dublin for Dalkey, closing an era in tram travel. It was, for those who remember it, the year that Mr Harry Bradshaw of Kilcroney lost to Mr Bobby Locke in a play-off of what The Irish Times then called the "The Open Golf Championship at the Royal St George course at Sandwith". Such a competition is now more exactly referred to as the British Open Golf . . . etc.
On the national stage that year, the Minister for External Affairs, Mr Sean MacBride, said the British claim to sovereignty in Northern Ireland made it impossible for Ireland to subscribe to NATO, which came into being in April. It was the same month that Eire left the Commonwealth and became known as the Republic of Ireland - as well as Eire. By November, bread was again being rationed in the Republic.
On the world stage, it was the year that Chinese Communists occupied Peking, ousting nationalist forces and marking the beginning of the end of the civil war there. In the US, a site was cleared on the East River for the development of a 39-storey skyscraper in aluminium and glass which would house the United Nation at a cost of $24 million.
Israelis went to the polls for the first time, electing David Ben Gurion as prime minister.
While chroniclers of history may wax sentimental about the year the last tram, the 252, trundled out, they are not strictly correct. While 252 was undoubtedly wrecked on the last night of service - even the no-spitting sign was removed - tram number 253 survived the night and, restored, makes selected appearances in Dublin to this day.
Tram number 253 was built at Spa Road, Inchicore, at the Dublin United Tram Company workshops - later CIE - which continued to turn out vehicles until 1978. Originally one of the nine trams built for the Lucan line, number 253 worked that route until its closure in 1940.
It then migrated to the Dalkey line where it operated until closure. Number 253 was used as a classroom and even as a dormitory at St Joseph's Convent, Dun Laoghaire.
Following closure of the last route in 1949, the Transport Museum was founded and in the intervening half-century has saved more than 160 vehicles - including tram 253, which the nuns at St Joseph's donated in 1987.
Following a rebuilding programme undertaken by FAS with National Lottery funding, the tram reappeared on the streets for the first time in the 1990 St Patrick's Day parade.
It took to the streets again in February 1993 and November 1994 to publicise new transport plans for Dublin. It now rests in the Transport Museum in Howth where it is a particularly popular exhibit, standing beside the Hill of Howth number 9 tram - the last tram to run in Ireland, which had its closing journey in 1959.
Number 253 was out again at the end of last month when it attended the Inchicore Village Festival, going on show at the Inchicore Railway Works. Because of its size and disruption to traffic, it was returned to Howth on June 30th at 6 a.m., being lifted from an articulated trailer on a set of traditional tram jacks used since the introduction of electronic traction in 1896.
The tram body was then lowered on to its wheels and pushed back into the museum, re-enacting a routine which was very much part of the transport scene more than 50 years ago.
Also in the museum is a partially restored Giant's Causeway car, believed to be the world's oldest surviving electric tram.
The National Transport Museum is run by volunteers and Transport Museum Society member Mr Michael Corcoran is compiling a book on Dublin tram lines. "Dublin is the only city in the world which does not have a book written on its tram lines," he said.
A comprehensive photographic exhibition is also being organised for this autumn, he added.