The Royal Canal

The Royal Canal is the second of the canals that reach the Shannon River from Dublin, and was opened in 1817 some thirteen years after the Grand Canal. Work began in 1790 and the total cost of construction was £1,421,954.

It is 90 miles long and there are 46 locks to navigate. On its way from Dublin it passes through Maynooth, Enfield, Mullingar and Ballymahon. At the Dublin end it passes by Croke Park, where the terrace close to it is called the ‘Canal End’ before it reaches Spencer Dock then the Liffey, and the Dublin Bay beyond.

Brendan Behan memorial at Whitworth Road

The canal was constructed for the dual purpose of freight movement and passenger transport to-and-from the centre of the country. It was very popular and profitable for many years before being slowly undermined by the introduction of the railway, and later by road haulage. And by the 1970s it had fallen into disuse and plans were considered to fill in sections of it and construct a road. These, thankfully, were challenged, and work by the Royal Canal Amenity Group and Waterways Ireland saw the canal fully reopened in 2010.

Broome Bridge, near Castleknock, has a special place in Irish and scientific history. For it was here, on the 16^th October 1843, that mathematician William Rowan Hamilton, who lived in Dunsink Observatory, in a moment of inspiration, realised the solution for quaternions, a problem he had been working on for some time. Excited by what he had discovered, he scratched the solution on the bridge with his penknife. This moment is celebrated annually at the bridge on the 16^th October, now known as Broome’s Day.

The canal has featured in a famous song from the play The Quare Fellow by Brendan Behan. It is set in Mountjoy Gaol where Behan had spent some time, and refers to the metal triangle that was beaten to waken inmates.

And the auld triangle went jingle-jangle

All along the banks of the Royal Canal

(Photo: Dennis Fisk)

May Day

The first of the month, I walk by the bay

Weather is glorious, oh do try and stay

Gentle breeze embraces

My heart now races

Feeling lucky, on this beautiful May Day

Scotsman’s Bay, Dun Laoghaire, Dublin

St Helen’s

It was a place that I had passed many times but had not visited until recently, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. The old, Georgian-era house – now the Radisson Blu Hotel – has a wonderful history and it is a real treat.

St Helen’s front elevation

Built on land owned by Viscount Fitzwilliam in 1750 its first occupant was Thomas Cooley who was a barrister and Member of Parliament. And, due to the fact that it was built on a gentle slope and had a great view of Dublin Bay, it was known as Seamount.

The property has changed hands many times and was bought in 1851 by Lord Hugh Gough (born in Limerick 1779) who changed its name to St Helen’s, and lived there until he died in 1869. He had fought with distinction under the Duke of Wellington (born in Dublin 1769) in the Peninsular War and was wounded at the Battle of Talavera in 1808. In 1815 he was knighted, and later made a field marshal in a ceremony held in St Helen’s.

In 1899 Sir John Nutting bought the property and spent a lot of money extending and improving it. He had it faced with the distinctive Portland Stone, and inside Carrara marble is to be seen in the floor and fabulous pillars. In the Dining Room there is a beautiful copper border around the walls and a magnificently decorated fireplace. Apart from the house he also spent heavily on landscape gardening, lawns and stables. Later, he was given the title of Nutting Baronetcy of St. Helens. He died in 1918 and the house was bought by the Christian Brothers who used it as their headquarters until 1988. It was again on the market before its current operators, Radisson Blu Hotels, arrived in 1998.

St Helen’s gardens

Listed as a National Monument in 1994, and often referred to as ‘one of the most beautiful houses in the country’, there is plenty to see and enjoy here.

April – Springtime Is Here

April’s here, the days grow and  run

Brighter now, under a warming sun

East Pier for a walk

A long friendly talk

Gentle breeze whispers, let’s have fun

Walk On….(East Pier, Dun Laoghaire, Dublin)

The Kish Lighthouse

The Kish Lighthouse

You cannot always see it but you know it’s there, helping sailors navigate the tricky waters of Dublin Bay. It’s seven miles from the coast, a dot on the horizon when visible, but the Kish Lighthouse plays an important role and has done so in one form or another. The name kish means to trap or snare and many a ship was lost due to the shifting sand bank.

The treacherous waters just beyond Dublin Bay have been the cause of many ships demise, and in August 1810, the Corporation for Improving the Port of Dublin, later known as the Commissioners of Irish Lights, decided to install a floating light on the Kish Bank. The following year they purchased the Galliot Veronia Gesina (103 tons), fitted it out and hired a crew to operate and maintain a floating light. The light was first operational on 16th November 1811. A gong was sounded off in time of foggy weather, and an 18-pounder gun was fired when the Holyhead Packet was passing.

In 1842 the Corporation tried to build a permanent at the site  but the piles were destroyed in a sever gale and the project was cancelled.

In 1960, the Commissioners decided to erect a platform style lighthouse, similar to those used in offshore oil rigs. A competition was held and the design submitted Christiani & Nielsen Ltd, was eventually selected. This design, for a  concrete lighthouse, was designed to last for at least 75 years.

Work began in 1963 and the lighthouse was towed from Dun Laoghaire marina to the Kish Bank on 29^th June 1965. It is 100 feet high and surmounted by a 32 feet diameter helicopter landing platform. On 9 November 1965 the Kish Lightvessel was withdrawn and replaced by the new lighthouse whose equipment includes a catoptric lantern giving a two million candlepower beam. On 7 April 1992 the lighthouse was converted to automatic operation and the Keepers were withdrawn from the station.

Samuel Beckett Bridge

It’s different, that’s for sure, but the image of an ancient Irish harp spinning in the air was the inspiration that led Santiago Calatrava to the unique design for the Samuel Beckett Bridge. It was the second bridge over the Liffey that he designed, having previously seen the James Joyce Bridge open on Bloomsday 2003. Both Joyce and Beckett (born 13 April 1906) left their native city early on to pursue their dreams, but neither ever forgot about Dublin.

The bridge, stretching 123 metres from Guild Street on the north quays to Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, is a vital part of the city’s traffic flow system and unites the local community. It is a vital part in the overall plan for the area as it looks forward into future.

It is, uniquely, a moving bridge, opening up and welcoming visitors to the city. Swinging through 90 degrees it is an impressive sight and one not to missed.

Although Calatrava was appointed in 1999 building did not begin until April 2007. The bridge was made in Rotterdam, Holland, and shipped to Dublin – a 630-mile trip – in May 2009. It was followed all the way by interested onlookers and social media platforms before arriving in Dublin Bay. The total cost of the project, which included new roads and various upgrades, was €60 million and was paid for by the Dublin City Council, the Dublin Docklands Authority and the Department of Environment, Heritage and Culture.

The official opening was held on 10^th December 2009, and it was attended by both Beckett’s niece and nephew. Also in attendance was Seamus Heaney, another Nobel Laureate, who shares Beckett’s birthday (born. 13 April 1937). The bridge complements Calatrava’s other bridge to the West, is loved by many for its aesthetic appeal and won the 2010 Engineers Ireland Award.

Samuel Beckett Bridge

Up on the Hill

Up on the hill, people go and stare

At the heavenly vista, on a day so fair

Surrounded by blue

Of light and dark hue

Smile with eyes, it’s beyond compare

Sorrento Point from Killiney Hill (Dublin)

Seapoint – View to a Thrill

Seapoint is pretty, you can easily see why

It’s fabulous view, of bay and blue sky

A great place to swim

Maybe surf on a whim

Or walking with friends, it’s always a joy

Seapoint, and Dublin Bay beyond

Misty Spray

From Coliemore Harbour, and east all the way

The rolling sea, was a cold slate grey

We stop on our walk

High above gulls squawk

Before diving steeply, through misty spray

Coliemore Harbour, Dublin

Stormy Weather

Barra’s arrived, and he’s blowing a storm

It’s really bad, well outside the norm

Trees shake and bend

As inside I penned

This little ditty, and tried to stay warm

The wind is rising – Coliemore Harbour, Dublin