Sigma DP3 Quattro

PHOTOGRAPHS OF SIR JOHN ROGERSON’S QUAY IN DUBLIN

June 2, 2023 by infomatique

PHOTOGRAPHED IN MAY 2023

In 1713, Dublin Corporation leased lands on the Liffey to Sir John Rogerson, who was a developer and had been Lord Mayor of Dublin from 1693 to 1694. The lease of 133 acres (54 ha) on the south bank of the river (described as ‘betwixt Lazy Hill and Ringsend’) was conditional on Rogerson constructing a quay on the land. As part of the privately funded development, a quay wall was built facing the river, with a second wall built further inland. The gap between these walls was filled with sand and gravel dredged from the Liffey. The project commenced in 1716, with the initial phase completed by the early 1720s.

John Rocque’s 1756 map of Dublin shows Rogerson’s quay as largely developed by the mid-18th century. During the early 19th century, the quay serviced larger freight vessels, including colliers which brought coal (from ports like Whitehaven in England) to feed the coal and gas works at nearby Hanover Quay. By the 20th century, Sir John Rogerson’s Quay was home to a number of shipbuilding and shipping companies, as well as several storehouse types, including cold stores and ‘campshire’ sheds. At the beginning of the “Lotus-Eaters” episode of James Joyce’s Ulysses, set in 1904, Leopold Bloom, one of the novel’s protagonists, walks along Rogerson’s Quay. Joyce describes it at the time as busy with lorry traffic, and notes some of the businesses along it—a linseed crusher, the postal telegraph office, and a sailor’s home.

As of the early 21st century, the previously functional maritime buildings and features of Sir John Rogerson’s Quay have been redeveloped for heritage tourism, and newer office buildings built on the quay. This has included redevelopment of the quay’s ‘campshire’ warehouses (associated with the historical use of the quay as a military ‘camp’), and the renovation of a mid-19th century diving bell made by Grendons of Drogheda. The diving bell has been a feature of the quays since the 1870s, and was used to build and maintain many of the walls of Dublin’s quays.

WILLIAMSTOWN MARTELLO TOWER

June 1, 2023 by infomatique

TOWER 15 IS NEAR BOOTERSTOWN TRAIN STATION

The Williamstown Martello Tower, located in Blackrock Park, was built between 1804-1806. When the tower was built, it would have been surrounded by sea water at high tide as it was built in the inter-tidal beach area. The tower became isolated from the sea when the construction of the railway took place, but sea water still flowed into the area at high tide. It wasn’t until the filling in of the area to form the Blackrock Park that the tower was to be on dry land. That part of the tower which is visible today is actually the first floor as the ground floor is buried underground.

The tower at Booterstown was originally slightly offshore as the site had to be located to enable it to signal effectively, by flags, to its neighbouring Martello towers at Sandymount and Seapoint. A little larger in width than the norm to accommodate two guns, it was built roughly 2 kilometres from its south eastern companion tower – No. 14 – at Seapoint and 2.4 kilometres from its north western companion – No. 16 – at Sandymount.

The 1,700 metre range of its two 24 pounder cannons ensured that, in conjunction with the intersecting firing radii of its neighbours’ guns, any attacking ship could be at least severely damaged, or indeed sunk.

Currently, the tower is not occupied, but the intention was expressed in 2013 by the local authority to restore it, and thus enable it to be used by the community. This work has not yet commenced. The tower is located on a large grassed area bordered by a coastal walkway with the Dart line to its east, and can be seen to have degraded, due to the ravages of both time and vandals.

March 28 2013] A Martello tower in south Co Dublin is to be restored to allow it to be open to the public. Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council will spend €100,000 restoring Williamstown Martello tower, on the coast close to Blackrock.The tower is one of 16 built along the coast between Sandymount in Dublin and Bray, Co Wicklow. The coastal fortifications were constructed during the Napoleonic era and not all are still standing. A spokeswoman for the council said conservation and maintenance works, under the direction of the architects and culture department, are currently being proposed to restore the Williamstown tower and to make it available for “exhibitions and appropriate civic uses”.

Martello towers (or simply Martellos) are small defensive forts built in several countries of the British Empire during the 19th century, from the time of the Napoleonic Wars onwards.

They stand up to 40 feet (12m) high (with two floors) and typically had a garrison of one officer and 15–25 men. Their round structure and thick walls of solid masonry made them resistant to cannon fire, while their height made them an ideal platform for a single heavy artillery piece, mounted on the flat roof and able to traverse a 360° arc. A few towers had moats for extra defence. The Martello towers were used during the first half of the 19th century, but became obsolete with the introduction of powerful rifled artillery. Many have survived to the present day, often preserved as historic monuments.

A PLAQUE IN HONOUR OF EDDIE HERON THE FAMOUS SPRINGBOARD DIVER

May 30, 2023 by infomatique

LOCATED NEAR BLACKROCK TRAIN STATION

James Edward Heron (28 November 1910 – 23 April 1985) was an Irish high diving and springboard diving champion. He won the British Diving Championship in 1932 and represented Ireland at the 1948 Olympic Games.

Heron’s first major successes took place in 1924 when he was thirteen. In July he won the Leinster Championship. A month later he competed in the Tailteann Games, coming third in the Men’s Plain Diving competition. The winner was Olympic champion, Dick Eve. At the same games Heron won the boys’ diving competition. Between then and 1950, he dominated Irish diving, winning thirty-four national titles in both high diving and springboard events.

In 1932 Heron achieved international success by beating Doug Tomalin to win the British Diving Championship at Leeds. In preparation for the 1936 Summer Olympics, Heron spent the first six months of the year in Miami, Florida, where he trained with Pete Desjardins, the 1928 Olympic champion. However, due to a dispute as to which sporting body should represent Irish athletes, Ireland did not participate in the 1936 Olympics. The next games took place in London in 1948 but another dispute over jurisdiction led to Heron and his team mates withdrawing from all swimming and diving events. Heron did, however, compete in the opening heats of the diving competitions before the withdrawal.

Although Heron retired from competitive diving in 1950, he was persuaded to take part in the 1968 Irish three-metre springboard championship held at Blackrock Baths in Dublin. At the age of fifty-seven, he took the title by defeating the reigning champion, George Matulevicze. He continued to take part in diving exhibitions and competitions well into his sixties. At the annual Texaco Sports Star Awards held in January 1977, Heron received the Hall of Fame award from Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave.

In July each year, swimmers compete for the Eddie Heron Cup in a race from Dún Laoghaire to Blackrock. This is organised by Heron’s former club, Sandycove Swimming Club. A plaque in honour of Eddie Heron has been erected near the now-demolished Blackrock Baths where he competed for many years.

A PLAQUE IN HONOUR OF EDDIE HERON THE FAMOUS SPRINGBOARD DIVER

WOLFE TONE PARK AND STREET

May 30, 2023 by infomatique

REDEVELOPMENT ALMOST COMPLETE – THE BRONZE COW HAS YET TO RETURN

I should that explain that this public space once featured a bronze cow sculpture and it was very popular with children. During the redevelopment the sculpture was moved Civic Offices at Wood Quay. The Campaign for the full restoration of Wolfe Tone Park claim that a survey that 72% of those who expressed an opinion had objected to the removal of the cow.

Wolfe Tone Park & Street Environmental Improvement Scheme offers a new destination point for all, as an ever-changing civic space where daily life and spectacle collide. The contextual design offers a thriving and inviting multi-use urban space for all ages and abilities, to be treasured by residents, workers and visitors. The design consists of two phases:

Phase one, the redesign and refurbishment of Wolfe Tone Street to create a more pedestrian friendly environment with new public lighting and street furniture and the use of a historic materials palette, creating both a high quality environment and character area.

Phase two involves the refurbishment of Wolfe Tone Park, everything within the park has been designed with intent: from the proposed new feature lawn, the retention of the existing mature trees, the proposed horticulture, to conservation and recognition of the parks history as a graveyard.

The new design for Wolfe Tone Park & Street Environmental Improvement Scheme will provide a green oasis and destination point in the heart of Dublin’s bustling city centre.

This project is co-funded with €1.2m from the ERDF’s S&E Regional Operational Programme 2014-20 – Designated Urban Centres Grant Scheme and Dublin City Council..

BOOTERSTOWN MARSH AND TRAIN STATION

May 28, 2023 by infomatique

I USED A SIGMA DP3 QUATTRO

PHOTOBLOG DEDICATED TO SIGMA CAMERAS

Today I got the DART [Dublin Area Rapid Transit] to Booterstown and I then walked to Blackrock. The trains were packed and there were many visitors from the UK because it is a major holiday in the UK. I had intended to get a train from Blackrock to Dun Laoghaire but changed my mind as the last of my four batteries was at 20% [this is one of the major problems with the Sigma DP3 Quattro].

The area is home to Booterstown marsh, a bird sanctuary which has been leased for many years by An Taisce, who have worked to protect it. Species seen regularly include mallard, Eurasian teal, common moorhen, water rail, grey heron, little egret, common redshank, greenshank, Eurasian curlew, common snipe, Eurasian oystercatcher, bar-tailed godwit, common kingfisher, sedge warbler and dunlin.

The Catholic Church of the Assumption is a focal point of the area along Booterstown Avenue.

Booterstown has a dedicated Circus Field located along the Rock Road, where both Tom Duffy’s Circus (June/July) and Fossett’s Circus (October) are set up once a year.

The Old Punch Bowl pub, which stands at the bottom of Booterstown Avenue, was established in 1779.

Merrion Cemetery is an old cemetery that was used from the 13th century to 1866 and is located at Bellevue between Booterstown and Merrion off the Rock Road.

Booterstown was recorded in 1488 as one of the locations for the boundary of The Pale … “He’s out there … totally beyond the Pale of any acceptable human conduct.” That’s how the U.S. Army describes Marlon Brando’s rogue colonel, Kurtz, in the movie Apocalypse Now.