Officially known as Daly’s Bridge, the “Shakey Bridge” is located over the River Lee in Cork and the indefatigable YouTuber Tom Scott has published a short video about the bridge.
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Author: ewan.duffy
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The Ulster Canal shibboleth
Thon Sheugh, to use the phrase coined by the late Brian J Goggin, continues to generate copy, to the extent that it makes me wish for another recession to deprive the Irish Government of money and bring the IMF back.
I came upon this article, which is nothing more than pious platitudes from people who want to spend taxpayers’ money, solely because they can. From the article:
“The Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, has called Waterways Ireland’s Ulster Canal restoration project a “long-standing government priority, with an important north-south dimension”.
Like draining the Shannon or restoring the Irish language as a living language. It is hyperbole, designed to play to an audience but not intended to be a commitment.
Dating back to the mid-19th century, the Ulster Canal formed a strategic link between the waterways of Ireland but, by the 1930s, a drop in its usage for commercial purposes saw the abandonment of the canal which then led to its deterioration.
The Ulster Canal was anything but strategic. It was a white elephant even upon opening, due to small size of the canal locks and difficulties keeping the summit level in water. Within a generation, the arrival of the railway killed off any prospect the canal could have had (but didn’t), rendering it as nothing more than an expensive drainage channel.
The second phase, which is now being progressed thanks to the Irish Government funding, focuses on Monaghan – from Clones to Clonfad. Mr McMahon is hopeful that this phase will be completed by the end of 2023.
I have discussed this previously. This is a short section of canal, disconnected from anything else – effectively just an elongated open air swimming pool on the outskirts of Clones. This is akin to the building of the Kilkenny Canal from the Kilkenny end, rather than the Inistioge end (end of river navigation), which meant that the built section could not be used commercially and therefore failed.
The Irish Government should focus on the creation and completion of the Ulster Canal Greenway and accommodate the built heritage of the Ulster Canal by leaving the bridge towpaths and locks intact by running the cycle path element of the greenway along the bed of the former canal and through the locks. The footpath element can use the original towpaths and have ramp access to the public roads at each bridge for disabled/family access.
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The real Belfast Central Station
We all knew that Belfast Central Station was anything but central and the reopening of Great Victoria Street in 1995 proved that.
The name “Belfast Central” has been consigned to history, however, Translink have decided to name the new bus/rail interchange station at the Europa Bus Centre/Great Victoria Street station as “Belfast Grand Central Station.”
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Mayfield House, Portlaw
Portlaw, Co. Waterford, was an industrial town, built by the Malcomson family, local industrialists who developed a cotton mill in the town and were also active in other businesses including shipping and local railways.
Mayfield House was built for the family and later became the offices for Irish Tanners, who had operations in the town and elsewhere (co-incidentally, the father of an uncle by marriage of mine was a senior manager in the company).
The building has been empty since 1994 and has fallen into dereliction. The Irish Examiner reports that it has just been sold at auction for €300,000, with plans to restore it to use as a luxury hotel.
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Game of Thrones
I can honestly state that I have not watched any of this series, but am aware that sections of the series were filmed in Northern Ireland.
Whilst geo-referencing railway stations for my gazetteer, I noticed that Gracehill Station on the Ballymoney to Ballycastle railway is immediately adjacent to the Dark Hedges of Game of Thrones fame.
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The Guinness Brewery in the Great War
The Dublin Branch of the Western Front Association are holding this event on 23rd April 2022 in the Conference Room, Pearse Street Library, Dublin 2 at 14:00 (doors open 13:30).
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Dunboy Castle sold again
Dunboy Castle on the Beara Peninsula in Co. Cork was the home of the Puxleys – owners of the copper mines at Allihies.
There was a Celtic Tiger era project to convert the ruined building into a luxury hotel, but this obviously died along with that era.
The Irish Examiner reports that the castle has been sold again and plans to complete the re-development and open the venue as an 84 bed hotel are proposed.
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Dolphin’s Barn brickworks
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Carlisle Bridge, Dublin
RTE have an article on their site about Carlisle Bridge in Dublin – predecessor to O’Connell Bridge.
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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.