Author: ewan.duffy

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.

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.

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.

Have you spotted any sewer vents in Cork City?

Cork City Council have a database of sewer vents but are uncertain if they have all such vents located and are calling for public help in identifying any missing ones.

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.

RTE are reporting on the campaign to re-open Killucan Station in Co. Westmeath on the Dublin – Sligo line. I think the supporters of this are on a hiding to nothing. I don’t see the population base necessary to have such a station and playing on a GAA special in 1950 being packed is not reflective of today’s society.

IMHO, if a station were to be built between the former Hill of Down and Killucan Stations, especially if an SDZ for housing was adjacent, this might work as there could also be traffic from Kinnegad, but I can’t see the economics of it otherwise.

As a separate project, IR should consider a dynamic loop between such a new station and Killucan, thereby extending the range of track over which trains can pass on the otherwise single track line between Enfield and Mullingar.