Vintage photos from the 19th and 20th centuries tend to be a fascinating combination of the familiar and the unrecognisable. When looking back at archive shots of Irish towns and cities, some landmarks remain barely changed, but it can be disorientating seeing unfamiliar structures in familiar places.

It's not just photos from the distant past that can surprise, though. It's easy to forget how much some areas of the country have changed in a much shorter time. Case in point: Dublin's Grand Canal Dock. Just over a decade ago it was a very different place to the lively modern business and cultural hub it is today. Indeed, many locals will recall that Grand Canal DART station only opened back in 2001.

Urban renewal has completely transformed the area, however, with major additions like the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre and the office spaces that now house many major international and domestic businesses. The likes of Google have chosen the area as their European headquarters, and Facebook are moving their Irish offices to Grand Canal Square. It is easily one of Dublin's most vibrant areas.

It's a successful transformation effectively illustrated in the photo below, as tweeted by Dara Quilty. A simple but powerful reminder of how one area of Dublin has radically changed in only eleven years:

Very cool pic. Now occupied by @spin1038 @98fm @google @facebook @TwitterDublin a bank or two... pic.twitter.com/0etjdwpbT6

— Dara Quilty (@daraquilty) December 2, 2013