RTE have an article on their site about Carlisle Bridge in Dublin – predecessor to O’Connell Bridge.
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Author: ewan.duffy
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Titanic Hotel, Belfast
I took my first holiday in over 2 years over the weekend with a 4 day trip to Northern Ireland. Starting in Derry, I ended up in Belfast where I spent my final 2 nights in the Titanic Hotel. The Titanic Hotel is built in the former Harland and Wolff office building and the upmarket status it claims is deserved.
In 2007, the IHAI went on a fieldtrip to Belfast and tour participants were privileged to be given access to the site where the Titanic Museum is now, as well as the semi derelict H&W offices. It was nice to be able to see the final product of the latter’s restoration and I wish this venture every success.
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Belfast Central Station
Opened in 1976 to replace Great Victoria Street and Queen’s Quay, Central Station in Belfast was supposed to spawn a regeneration of the area around East Bridge Street – something that never happened.
Things moved on and the real “central” station – Great Victoria Street – reopened in 1995, along with a new section of railway (the Blythefield curve) to make Great Victoria Street usable as a proper central train station. In recognition of this loss of status, in 2018, the station was renamed “Lanyon Place” and any pretence at centrality was abandoned.
Things move slowly in the public sector – by pure chance, I was passing by Lanyon Place on a train today and happened to see staff taking out the old “Belfast Central” platform signs from a side entrance and loading same into a van.
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Portrush Station building
The original station building in Portrush, Co. Antrim, is an impressive structure dating from 1892. No longer in railway use (a status it lost in 1974), it has seen various non railway uses since, including as an amusement arcade and a pub/nightclub.
I was in Portrush today and noticed that the building is now occupied by a factory store. I took the opportunity to get inside the building, something I had never had the chance to do previously.
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Cáca Milis
Cáca Milis is an Irish language short film which, I have been reliably informed, was imposed onto Irish teenagers as part of the Leaving Cert Irish syllabus sometime after its production.*
It is available on Youtube – the plotline is quite disturbing and can be read here.
The relevance to this website is that almost the entire film takes place on a train in Ireland. Whilst searching online for this film, I found a website – the British Railway Movie Database – which notes movies which feature British and Irish railway stations.
Their page for Cáca Milis included some screenshots of the stations featured, but noted that they did not have information as to where the stations were.
I was able to identify the unidentified locations and this information has now been updated by the site owner, with acknowledgement of my contribution.
* I am sorry to have to show my age by noting that I did my Leaving Cert before this film was produced and therefore missed having it imposed onto me.
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Texas Railroad Commission
The Texas Railroad Commission regulates things – just not railroads (railways in proper parlence). From their website:
The Railroad Commission of Texas (Commission) is the state agency with primary regulatory jurisdiction over the oil and natural gas industry, pipeline transporters, natural gas and hazardous liquid pipeline industry, natural gas utilities, the LP-gas industry, and coal and uranium surface mining operations. The Commission exists under provisions of the Texas Constitution and exercises its statutory responsibilities under state and federal laws for regulation and enforcement of the state’s energy industries. The Commission also has regulatory and enforcement responsibilities under federal law including the Surface Coal Mining Control and Reclamation Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, Pipeline Safety Acts, Resource Conservation Recovery Act, and Clean Water Act.
https://www.rrc.texas.gov/about-us/
What has them in the news is the interesting campaign launched by a prospective candidate, Sarah Stogner, for the forthcoming election for the post of commissioner.
Using the tagline “I have other assets”, this 37 y.o. lady stripped down to her underwear and donned cowboy boots and hat and had a photoshoot conducted with her atop an oil well.
They said I needed money. 🤣 I have other assets. pic.twitter.com/OI9z9EDRRG
— Sarah Stogner (@Sarah4RRC) February 14, 2022
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There is tactless and there is tactless
Many accuse me of being tactless (I prefer the term “honest”). However, compared to these guys, I am a diplomat.
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Allihies Mine ledgers restored
The Irish Examiner (soft paywall) reports on the restoration of a number of historic cost books and ledgers from the mines in Allihies in Co. Cork.
The original records were donated to the museum c.20 years ago and have now been restored thanks to a grant from the Heritage Council.
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Blade bridge installed in Cork?
Google gave me a link to this website, which reports that a footbridge made of repurposed wind turbine blades has been installed in Cork, apparently the second such example globally.
Unfortunately, the article doesn’t say where in Cork! However, I found this article, which states that it is now in situ as part of the Greenway under construction between Midelton and Youghal.
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Cork Sewer Vents
Have you spotted any sewer vents in Cork City?
If you spot a sewer vent in the Cork City area, Simon Lyons of the City Council is asking that you take a photo and tweet this to him @ThePoliteEng along with details of where the vent is.