Category: General

Whether or not global warming/climate change is a thing, the maxim of the late Noel Carroll of Dublin Corporation about people who live near water should expect to get their feet wet occasionally applies.

The Irish Independent is reporting delays on the DART line today due to a high tide causing flooding on the line at Blackrock.

The Dublin & Kingstown Railway (from modern day Pearse Station to Dun Laoghaire) runs along/near the coast for about 60% of its length – from Merrion Gates to Dun Laoghaire.

This makes the line susceptible to such events and if rising sea levels become a thing, this line won’t be a thing. What is the State doing about this (apart from putting levies on drinks containers)? Nothing, from what I can see, but a State that plans to electrify a railway line and stop the electrification less than 1 mile from the next station is not one which displays competence in the area of planning.

Not everyone lives in the now – this site posted a series of posts three years ago on this very issue. I link to the post about the DART line south of Sydney Parade. The post is as relevant today as it was then.

Readers of the site may be aware of an incident that took place last year where a number of DARTs were delayed in the vicinity of Bray, Co. Wicklow, leading to passengers taking the initiative to exit the train.

Due to the safety aspects of this, the Railway Accident Investigation Unit (RAIU) of the Department of Transport conducted an investigation into same and its report was published today.

Normally, I wouldn’t comment on these – the investigations are fact gathering in nature (not being a trial) and as a result, tend to be very anodyne affairs. However, one line in the report, under “Systematic Factors” (on Page 5) caught my eye:

IÉ standards and training refer to “customer-friendly” communications; however, this “customer-friendly” approach to dealing with passengers, in particular, passengers in distress (where it is of utmost importance) was not evident on the day.

RAIU Report – Self-detrainment of passengers between Shankill & Bray, 24th July 2022

As comments in an RAIU report go, this is a slap for Irish Rail.

On Wednesday 16th August, I will be doing an interesting test of the new Busconnects option in North East Kildare to get home from a Heritage Week event in Sallins.

The plan is to get the train from Sallins to Hazelhatch (2005 ex Sallins) followed by the W61 from Hazelhatch to Maynooth. It will be an interesting test of whether or not the connectivity works.

Say wha?

Bard is Google’s AI chatbot and has just launched in the European Economic Area (including Ireland). AI chatbots are at an early stage of development and it could be argued that they are nothing more than enhanced predictive text engines at this point in time.

I asked Bard about the industrial heritage of Ireland and the following is what it told me:

Ireland’s industrial heritage is a rich and diverse one, dating back to the late 18th century. The country’s industrial development was shaped by a number of factors, including its natural resources, its location, and its political history.

Some of the most important industries in Ireland’s history include:

Textiles: The linen industry was one of the most important industries in Ireland for centuries. Linen was grown and processed in many parts of the country, and the industry reached its peak in the 19th century.

Glassmaking: The glassmaking industry was also important in Ireland, with major centers in Waterford and Cork. The industry began in the 17th century, and it continued to thrive until the 20th century.

Engineering: The engineering industry in Ireland grew rapidly in the 19th century, with the development of railways, canals, and bridges. The industry continued to grow in the 20th century, and it is still an important sector of the Irish economy today.

Food processing: The food processing industry is another important sector of the Irish economy. The industry began in the 19th century, and it has grown rapidly in recent years.

In addition to these major industries, Ireland also had a number of smaller industries, such as mining, brewing, and distilling. These industries played an important role in the country’s economic development, and they helped to shape the landscape and culture of Ireland.

Today, Ireland’s industrial heritage is still visible in many parts of the country. There are a number of museums and historical sites that tell the story of Ireland’s industrial past. These sites are popular tourist attractions, and they help to raise awareness of the importance of Ireland’s industrial heritage.

The Industrial Heritage Association of Ireland (IHAI) is a non-profit organization that works to promote and protect Ireland’s industrial heritage. The IHAI organizes events, publishes books and articles, and provides advice and assistance to those who are interested in preserving Ireland’s industrial heritage.

The IHAI is committed to ensuring that Ireland’s industrial heritage is preserved for future generations. The organization believes that Ireland’s industrial heritage is a valuable asset that can help to boost the economy, create jobs, and promote tourism.

As a first attempt, it is middling.

My attention was brought to the website http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/ – not having a specific interest in the railways of Britain, I didn’t reckon that there would anything of interest thereon but I always wondered how you would go about doing something similar to my Gazetteer for Britain (the concentration of railways was greater than Ireland and the larger landmass results in a massive number of current and former railway stations). The site has a small number of Irish stations (both NI and RoI) but nothing compared to my own Gazetteer.

One I did note was Foynes – what drew my attention to it was the un-permissioned use of one of my photos on their site. Given the paucity of Irish stations on their site, I don’t see the point in following up on this – however, I do have issues with my intellectual property being used elsewhere without my consent.

The majority of photos on this site are taken by me. For the small number of exceptions (Castlecaldwell being the standout as well as some of the photos of Castleconnell and other stations in that area being taken by the late Brian J Goggin), these photos are reused here with the express consent of the takers/owners of said photos.

Every so often, something so bizarre comes along that even I take a deep breath.

So it was when I read in the Irish Independent that Irish Rail’s pugnacious PR manager, Barry Kenny, is currently working as a volunteer preparing food for soldiers on the Ukrainian frontline.

Here we have a senior manager in an Irish State Owned Enterprise actively assisting in a war effort against a nuclear power. Someone needs to explain to Barry that Ireland is a neutral State and what that means, in simple English.

One wonders how many Irish Rail employees are volunteering in Syria or Yemen against USA initiated/backed aggression or is State aggression OK if Uncle Sam carries it out?

For the sake of argument, if the war between Russia/Ukraine were to escalate from a proxy war with the West into an actual hot war, how would it look that a senior manager in an Irish State Owned Enterprise was actively assisting in a war effort against a nuclear power?

Let us not forget that during World War 2, when the Free State was neutral, the creamery at Campile in Co. Wexford was bombed by the Nazis, allegedly a “mistake”, however, in all reality, an attack on a food supply for Britain.

Courtesy of the Donegal Daily website, I became aware of the existence of this website, which shows the location of current and former railways on the island of Ireland. They claim that it is also available on the Irish Rail website, but a check of this led nowhere.

The production is reasonable, but only shows the location of the lines and no further details. For a more detailed set of maps of the current and former railways of Ireland, including stations and a page for each of the latter, my railway maps of Ireland can be consulted. The one aspect where this other site is better than mine is that it also shows city tramways, which I have not included on my site.

As a final thought, the article states that the website was developed with the support of Irish Rail. I thought that the State (which Irish Rail is, as a loss making State owned enterprise) was not permitted to fund projects where private capital (mine) has already funded something similar (see above).

I can say with confidence that I know where all “public” railways in Ireland are/were but private industrial/other railways are a different matter as these can be developed and disappear in short periods of time and as such, would not be picked up by organisations such as the Ordnance Survey.

One such line is this one, built and maintained by an individual somewhere in the west of Ireland.

Whilst out volunteer litter picking* on the Royal Canal between Confey and Clonsilla yesterday, I noticed that either Waterways Ireland or Irish Rail had cleared the overgrowth around the old Lucan North railway station, better revealing the former waiting shelter.

* I had a few passers by on the canal towpath thank me for doing litter picking. Whilst this is nice, the thought struck me – if you think that someone doing litter picking is a worthwhile social activity, why aren’t you partaking in the activity?

Radio Kerry reports that Irish Rail are hoping to have an hourly service on the Tralee branch by 2027.

As this service passes right by Kerry Airport, I would suggest that this should be the timeframe for withdrawal of any Public Service Obligation subsidy for flights between Dublin and Kerry as there will be a regular train service connecting to Dublin and Cork by then.