NORTH OF THE RIVER

ORIGINAL IMAGES BY A REAL PHOTOGRAPHER

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THE CAUSEWAY ROAD

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FROM JAMES LARKIN ROAD TO NORTH BULL ISLAND

I used a Zeiss Batis lens with the Sony FX30 and while the lens had been a favourite of mine it never worked again except in manual mode it must have been damaged by the rain.

This was a session that did not go well. I got lost as I thought that I was at a different location and walked for a long time in the wrong direction. When I arrived at the North BullIsland Interpretative Centre it was closed and I was caught out in an extreme storm and the camera refused to focus and when I returned home the images appeared to be unusable. I was in such a bad humour that I forgot about them until today.

The Causeway Road is a 2.5 kilometer long road that connects Clontarf to North Bull Island in Dublin, Ireland. It was built in 1962 to provide access to the island for cars, as the only other way to get there was by boat. The road is a popular spot for walking, running, and cycling, and it also offers stunning views of Dublin Bay.

North Bull Island is a 5 kilometer long sand spit that is home to a variety of wildlife, including birds, seals, and fish. The island is also a popular spot for swimming, sunbathing, and fishing.
Here are some additional details about the Causeway Road and North Bull Island:

The Causeway Road is open to cars from 6am to 10pm.
There is a car park at the end of the Causeway Road. (There is no longer drive-on access to the beach. )
There is a bus stop at the end of the Causeway Road (I could not locate it even though I did see some buses)
The Causeway Road is a popular spot for birdwatching.

In times past, Dublin Bay had a long-running problem with silting, notably at the mouth of the River Liffey. After years of primitive dredging, an attempt to maintain a clear channel more effectively was begun when, in 1715, the first piles were driven of what was to become the Great South Wall, completed in 1730. This barrier was breached by storm action some years later, and in 1761, a stone pier was commenced, working from the Poolbeg Lighthouse (1768), back to shore, the construction of massive granite blocks being completed in 1795. It was during this period that the building of a North Bull Wall was also proposed, and when it was seen that the South Wall did not solve the silting problem, the authorities responsible for Dublin Port commissioned studies on the matter. Captain William Bligh, of Bounty fame, surveyed Dublin Bay for the Ballast Board in 1801, highlighting the potential of the North Bull sandbank. Its purpose was to clear a sandbar by Venturi action.

A wooden bridge, the first Bull Bridge, was erected in 1819 to facilitate the construction of a stone wall, based on a design by Ballast Board engineer, George Halpin. Started in 1820, the Bull Wall was completed in 1825, at a cost of £95,000.

Over the succeeding 48 years, the natural tidal effects created by the walls deepened the entry to the Liffey from 1.8 m to 4.8 m. Much of the silt now scoured from the river course was deposited on the North Bull, and a true island began to emerge, with people venturing out to the growing beach. The volume of visitors was increased by the commencement of horse tram services to Clontarf in 1873, and further by the laying of a full tram line to Howth, opening in 1900, with stops in the Clontarf / Dollymount area, and a Coast Guard station was built at the landward end of the Bull Wall.

A lighthouse sits on the North Bull Wall.

EXPLORING HANOVER QUAY AND THE IMMEDIATE AREA REF-225548-1

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NOVEMBER 2023

Because of the riot in Dublin last Thursday I am using a iPhone rather than my Sony Cameras. I suspect that I am being over cautious.

The Grand Canal Docks first opened in 1796, built to a design by William Jessop. Before this development, from medieval times the area was associated with lepers, as recorded in some of the street names such as Misery Hill and Lazer Lane. At the time they were the world’s largest docks. They fell into decline within just a few decades, due mostly to reduced canal usage with the arrival of the railways. The landscape was dominated by Dublin Gas Company’s mountains of black coal, along with chemical factories, tar pits, bottle factories and iron foundries. However, bakers and millers maintained business along the southern edge of the inner basin. By the 1960s, the Grand Canal Docks were almost completely derelict.

Around 1987 it was decided that Hanover Quay was too toxic to sell. Regeneration began in 1998, when Bord Gáis sold the Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA) the former gasworks site located in the area between Sir John Rogerson’s Quay and Hanover Quay, for €19 million. The DDDA spent €52 million decontaminating the land, even though the likely return was estimated at just €40 million. The decontamination took place under the supervision of the Environmental Protection Agency, between 2002 and 2006. The process involved constructing an underground wall eight metres deep around the affected area, and the contaminated soil being dug out and removed. By the time the decontamination was finished, an inflated property bubble and increased demand in the area (brought on, in part, by the decision by Google to set up its European headquarters nearby), allowed the authority to sell the land for €300 million. The DDDA injected some of its new funds into the area’s infrastructure including seats, street lighting, and civic spaces.

A number of buildings have since been developed, involving the construction of millions of euros worth of real estate, the establishment of what is now sometimes known as Silicon Docks, and the arrival of several thousand new residents.

MARY’S LANE REF-225458-1

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I DID NOT REALISE THAT EXTENDED ALL THE WAY TO BOW STREET

I used a Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max and it did not preform well in low light combined with fog and rain … now I know. You may have noticed that I experimented with “multi-framing” and, to be honest, I did not like the result.

The building of real interest is the Victorian Fruit And Vegetable Market which I will not discuss here as I intend to do so at a later date.

The Irish capital has struggled recently when it comes to housing. In response to this there was a plan for a major development situated opposite the city’s former fruit market and next to the building where H Lawlor is located. My understanding is that the Fruitmarket Partnership has applied for permission to build a shared accommodation scheme of 360 bedrooms, with a total of 506 beds, in 61 “apartment clusters” sharing kitchen and living facilities. The scheme would be built in four blocks on two separate sites on Mary’s Lane and Halston Street in the city’s markets area west of Capel Street. The four blocks would range in height up to 14 storeys or 49m, more than twice the 24m maximum allowed under the Dublin City Development Plan.

About a month ago Dublin City Council indicated that Mary’s Lane would get a new plaza, seating and cycle parking. And St Michan’s Park on Halston Street, and Greek Street, would also get major upgrades. Apparently the owner of H Lawlor is not keen on the idea as he operates from buildings on both sides of the street.

JAMESON DISTILLERY ON BOW STREET REF-225437-1

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IS A TOURIST TOURIST ATTRACTION IN SMITHFIELD

I have had lunch here a few times but I never took part in a guided tour of the complex.

In 1780 John Jameson threw open the doors of his distillery on Bow St. Over 200 years later, the doors are still open to friends old and new. Founded by John Jameson in 1780, today the former factory stands as a monument to Irish Whiskey. Visit Jameson Distillery Bow St Dublin for the world’s leading distillery tours, cocktail making classes, premium whiskey tasting sessions or to learn how to blend your own whiskey.

THE NEW STREET FURNITURE IS BEING INSTALLED ON CAPEL STREET REF-225418-1

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BUT THERE ARE FEW VISITORS TO BE SEEN TODAY

The events that took place in the Inner North City last Thursday has had a major immediate impact on business even if there was no physical damage.

Capel Street is unusual for a city-centre shopping street because most of the businesses are independent, often run by the owners. Today I visited my favourite restaurant on Capel Street and I have a booking for three on Wednesday and the owner told that my booking is the only one remaining in his diary as all other bookings have been cancelled over the last two days. I visited South of the river yesterday and business appears to be normal for this time of the year.

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