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.
I did another review of the Heritage Week events listings and have updated the page for Heritage Week 2023 to reflect additional events.
Irish Rail are in the early stages of relaying the Limerick to Foynes Railway for freight traffic.
I found this video on YouTube of drone footage of the state of the line at the end of July 2023.
Greenore, Co. Louth, is something of an architectural anomaly in Ireland. If you have never visited the town, I’d suggest you do. Not only because it is the only discrete railway town in Ireland,* but because the architecture is straight out of northern England.
The reason for this is that the town was built as a company town by the Dundalk Newry & Greenore Railway (DN&GR) which was financed by the London & North Western Railway.
In recognition of this architectural heritage, there is currently an exhibition in the town which celebrates this.
* Whilst there are concentrations of railway company provided housing in Ireland, including at Rosslare, Co. Wexford (co-incidentally, previously known as Greenore) and Inchicore in Dublin, both areas have expanded beyond the original development and can no longer be architecturally identified as a discrete development.
I am happy to bring the existence of this venue to the attention of others – being a museum devoted to the history of Sion Mills, Co. Tyrone, the former mill village established by the Herdman family.
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.
The Irish Examiner (soft paywall) reports that Cork City Councillors have approved Part 8 planning (process for a local authority to grant itself planning permission) for a greenway on part of the former CB&SCR trackbed between the Kinsale Road roundabout and Chetwynd Reservoir (east of the former, the trackbed is now a road).
The map below (extract from Openstreetmap and licensed under the Open Data Commons Open Database License) shows the location, to which I have added a rough line of the route in red.
The above titled event will be held in St. Columbas community centre, Burtonport on 28th July 2023 at 19:00. There is an entrance charge of €5.