Category: Site Updates

The main feature of this site, that is a work in progress (due to the scale of what is required) is the Gazetteer. Currently, this is railway stations only but the long term plan is to cover all IH features.

One thing that has been holding me back is how to efficiently get information out of the master database I have developed over three decades of my interest in IH (stored in Microsoft Access). In the last week, I cracked this problem in relation to the creation of photo pages for the photos I have taken and placed online.

The other area I have been aware that my site was lacking in was presentation. The html pages are basic (largely hand coded html) without CSS and associated stylesheets.

I have now updated all stations (barring 2 minor stations) on the Dublin to Sligo line with a new format (using CSS) that I intend to roll out to all locations. The new photo gallery pages for each location are now a link to a separate page (see here for Mullingar as an example) for each photo, with a narrative explaining the image.

During the update of the pages for the Sligo line, I encountered a few errors in the data in my underlying database and these have also been corrected. This is a secondary benefit of this process.

It is my intention to continue the rollout of this new format across the site.

I am, as advised previously, currently updating pages in the Gazetteer to add in latitude/longitude references. All open stations are now updated and I have started work on closed stations on open lines.

Whilst doing so, I was looking at the photo I have online for one of the many stations to have existed in the Rosslare Harbour area and I think it is of one of the other stations.

I will be carrying out an exercise to fix this in due course.

I have started the process of changing the site information on the gazetteer pages, by removing the reference to the OS 1:50000 maps and adding in a latitude/longitude reference in its place. When traveling the country to photograph features, the latter is more useful for use in the likes of Google Maps.

So far, the two Kilcock stations are the only pages to be so updated – the rest of the open stations on the island of Ireland will follow shortly, with closed stations to follow after this.

Regular readers of this site know that I am opposed to the “restoration” of the Ulster Canal on both heritage and economic grounds.

I am back to being a lone voice in the wilderness on this one, since the passing of Brian J Goggin of irishwaterwayshistory.com 2 years ago.

In memory of Brian, whose contribution to the recording of the history of Ireland’s canals and navigable waterways far exceeded anything I have achieved, I have created a map of the Ulster Canal.

There are two larger scale maps linked off this – one covering from Charlemont to Lock 10 and the other from Lock 11 to Wattlebridge.

At the moment, these latter two are flat pages. However, I intend to add links off these to photo galleries for each feature, showing the canal as it remains today.

Last weekend was due to have been Heritage Open Days in Northern Ireland and I had booked to attend an event in Belfast as part of this.

As I also had a few stations on the Larne Line that I had not visited and photographed, I booked a B&B near Ballycarry with a view to using the excellent NIR Day Tracker (only available on Sundays) which allows all NIR network travel for the full day for £8.

Unfortunately, the event was cancelled due to an outporing of emotion over the passing of a person who, in a 1st world 21st century society, should not have the importance attached to her that she had.

As I had already booked my accommodation and train travel (up on Saturday and back on Sunday) I quickly drew up an alternative plan for Saturday, which took shape in the form of walking the Lagan Navigation from Lisburn back towards Belfast.

For various reasons, I only got from the point where the navigation disappeared under the M1 motorway back to Lambeg, however, I will be returning this weekend to walk from Lambeg back to Belfast.

In advance of posting the photos taken online, I have created a map of the Lagan Navigation (1st draft only) and this is online.

In advance of starting to roll out a full map of the Royal Canal with inset maps at a larger scale, I have slightly refreshed the map that was on the site, which will act as the front page to the Royal Canal section of the site.

I was in Waterford in July and took photographs of the station there, which I have now added to the site. This is the updated photo gallery page for Waterford Station.