” Built for the workers of the Great Northern Railway, which was completed in 1873″.
As the site includes an option to email suggested amendments, I did so, pointing out that the houses were built for the Dundalk Newry and Greenore Railway. I received the following response:
” Our records suggest that the workers’ houses on the east side of Euston Street were completed in 1872, which, strictly speaking, means that they were built by the Dundalk and Greenore Railway (D&GR) Company. The company was renamed a year later to include Newry in the title. “
Point taken and in fairness to the NIAH, they have advised that they will be amending the record in due course to remove reference to the Great Northern Railway.
RTE reports that An Bord Pleanála has approved the plans for the greenway along the bulk of the trackbed of the former Farranfore to Valentia Harbour railway in Kerry and associated compulsory purchase orders.
One wonders what the point in a greenway in a lockdown State is.
Meath Archaeological and Historical Society are hosting an online (Zoom) talk on the above topic. The speaker, Siobhan Osgood, has researched the architecture of the GNR(I) extensively.
Registration for the talk is required – see the MAHS website for details.
RTE reports that the bridge over the Royal Canal at Russell Street/Jones’ Road in Dublin is to be renamed Bloody Sunday Bridge, in commemoration of the events of Bloody Sunday (21 November 1920) when the Black and Tans fired on attendees at a match in Croke Park.
I’m sure when the relevant authorities commissioned and installed an art work in Spijkenisse in The Netherlands, the sculpture (of a whale) playing a part in railway safety wasn’t part of the consideration.
Another railway cottage up for sale – however, it is a complete renovation job and comes with the caveat that electricity, water and septic tank are “on site” which doesn’t mean that they are connected.
It is with great upset that I post to record the passing of one of Ireland’s greats in the area of industrial heritage research – Brian J Goggin, who has passed away due to cancer.
I first encountered Brian in his role as editor of the IWAI magazine, in which capacity, I had sent a photo to him for consideration for publication. This was of frogs swimming in frogspawn on the Royal Canal (reproduced below). I am happy to state that Brian published it.
Frogs in Spawn, Royal Canal, Longford, 17 March 2004. Copyright Ewan Duffy
As time went by and the prospect of the Ulster Canal being “restored”
reared its ugly head, I became what I thought was a lone voice in the
wilderness in opposing such restoration. It was to my great (and pleasant
surprise) that I found a bedfellow in opposing this waste of taxpayers’ money
in Brian – a former President of the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland
(and boat owner) no less!
Initially, I was unaware of Brian’s views about the Ulster
Canal and, upon seeing him at the back of an IHAI AGM for the first time, I
ignored him, thinking that he had been brought on board to bolster the IHAI
stance of tacitly supporting restoration of the Ulster Canal.
Brian, being of a gregarious nature, unlike me, approached
me at, I believe, the IHAI AGM in Belmont Mill in 2009 to compliment me on my
website (an earlier version of this one) and from there, a friendship was
formed. Over the years, Brian and I have exchanged emails back and forth about
waterways and IH matters with many snippets of information passing between us
(although, if I am to be honest, it was more information from Brian to me than
vice versa).
Included in this collaboration was Brian generously offering
me the chance to include my research into the bridges of the Royal Canal
between the sea lock and Phibsborough in Dublin in a book that he was working
on. This was subsequently published by the Railway and Canal Historical Society
in 2014 as “The Royal Under the Railway: Ireland’s Royal Canal 1830 – 1899” –
an 8 chapter work documenting previously unpublished historical matters about
the Royal Canal (Chapter 7 was my contribution).
Like myself, Brian has maintained a website (www.irishwaterwayshistory.com)
on which he has published his research (into the inland waterways and
navigations of Ireland), the maintenance of which I hope can be secured and the
information thereon – if not the site itself – transferred to another host, in
order that it can be preserved for future use by others.
Ireland has lost the most significant researcher into the
history of its inland waterways and navigations and I wish to extend my deepest
condolences to his wife Anne and their children on their loss.
