Contributions of the group Ireland

Power Station Peat

nobody@ipernity.com (tarboat) — Thu, 25 Dec 2025 07:06:47 +0000

tarboat has posted:

Trainloads of peat in the arrival sidings at the Edenderry power station in County Offaly.

Top lock

nobody@ipernity.com (tarboat) — Thu, 11 Sep 2025 06:28:44 +0000

tarboat has posted:

The 102ft fall at the Ardnacrusha hydro-electric power station on the Shannon is overcome for navigation by a two-rise staircase lock. The falls are 68ft and 34 ft. This is reaching the top of the deep upper chamber. The locks and power station were completed by 1929.

Moyasta Junction

nobody@ipernity.com (tarboat) — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 05:26:49 +0000

tarboat has posted:

West Clare Railway No.5 Slieve Callan stands with a train at Moyasta Junction. The Dübs (1892) built locomotive returned to service in 2009 after a major restoration by Alan Keef which included a new boiler from Israel Newton. This line never recovered from the disruption of Covid and closed in 2022.

Hydro lock

nobody@ipernity.com (tarboat) — Sat, 22 Feb 2025 06:46:41 +0000

tarboat has posted:

The building of the Shannon hydroelectric scheme in the late 1920s required navigation to be maintained down to Limerick after the Parteen Weir cut off the old route via O'Briensbridge. This was achieved by building a double staircase lock at the Ardnacrusha power station. Taken from the approach canal this shows the entrance to the lower lock which has a rise of 34ft whilst the top lock has a rise of 68ft. This is the deepest lock in Britain and Ireland.

Peat Power

nobody@ipernity.com (tarboat) — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 06:08:38 +0000

tarboat has posted:

Old and new peat fired power stations of the Irish Electricity Supply Board at Shannonbridge on the River Shannon. The old Shannonbridge plant at the right was closed after an accident in February 2004 when a high-pressure pipe at the plant exploded. The plant was already to be decommissioned as part of the planned closure of all six peat-fuelled stations in the country at that time. It was demolished in 2009. The station used three generating units to produce electricity, each with its own boiler, turbine and generator. Units 1 and 2 were commissioned in 1965 and 1976 respectively, each with a capacity of 40MW, while a more modern unit 3 was commissioned in 1982 at a capacity of 45MW.

Subsequently in 2004 the new 150 megawatt West Offaly station at the left was opened and this was supplied with around 1 million tons of peat annually by Bord na Mona. On 11 December 2020 the station ceased all power production after permission to continue burning peat was refused. This plant housed a single boiler/turbine unit with an electrical output of 135 MW.

A hybrid 97 MW / 170 MWh synchronous condenser / battery storage power station grid stability plant started construction at the site in 2022, expected to complete by 2024 a cost of €130 million.

Swing bridge

nobody@ipernity.com (tarboat) — Mon, 16 Sep 2024 06:09:03 +0000

tarboat has posted:

Railway swing bridge carrying the Bord na Mona line across the Grand Canal west of the village of Pollagh. The closure of the Irish peat railways has now rendered this bridge redundant.

Loch Gur

nobody@ipernity.com (Francis Taylor) — Thu, 24 Aug 2023 11:08:19 +0000

Francis Taylor has posted:

Loch Gur is in County Limerick in Ireland. It is surrounded by a number of archaeological sites and historic monuments including a Neolithic stone circle, three crannogs, some Iron Age houses, an early church and two castles. A good place to visit.

Murmuration

nobody@ipernity.com (tarboat) — Mon, 10 Apr 2023 06:13:48 +0000

tarboat has posted:

A murmuration of swifts over the River Shannon at Victoria Lock, Meelick. This is the meeting point of Counties Offaly, Tipperary and Galway. It was pouring with rain at the time.

House for sale

nobody@ipernity.com (tarboat) — Sun, 05 Feb 2023 06:59:47 +0000

tarboat has posted:

Derelict cottage next to the Blundell Aqueduct on the Grand Canal at Edenderry. It has been up for sale if anyone fancies it.

The Red Bridge

nobody@ipernity.com (tarboat) — Fri, 20 Jan 2023 06:00:44 +0000

tarboat has posted:

The swinging section of the Barrow Viaduct on the former Dublin, Wicklow and Wexford branch railway to New Ross and Waterford. This bridge over the tidal River Barrow has been retained for use as part of the New Ross Greenway.

Edenderry cottage

nobody@ipernity.com (tarboat) — Tue, 17 Jan 2023 07:01:09 +0000

tarboat has posted:

Derelict cottage next to the Blundell Aqueduct on the Grand Canal at Edenderry. It has been up for sale if anyone fancies it.

Eel packing

nobody@ipernity.com (tarboat) — Mon, 16 Jan 2023 07:28:36 +0000

tarboat has posted:

This interesting building was erected for the storage and packing of eels caught on the Shannon around Killaloe. The lower floor of the eel house is made up of tanks with mesh sides, which the river can flow through; eels can be kept alive there. There are walkways between the tanks. The eel fishery is now closed and the emphasis is on eel conservation.

Door factory

nobody@ipernity.com (tarboat) — Fri, 23 Dec 2022 06:20:49 +0000

tarboat has posted:

The Masonite factory at Drumsna, Co. Leitrim is a major employer in the Carrick-on-Shannon area of Ireland with a staff of around 300. Established in 1997, it produces door facings.

A view from the Ballycroy National Park

nobody@ipernity.com (Herb Riddle) — Tue, 13 Sep 2022 07:53:17 +0000

Herb Riddle has posted:

Another vista from the boardwalks of this park in County Mayo. Again looking south towards Achill Island. The light over the hills on the clouds I found particularly attractive.

Enjoy full screen.

HBM - Ballycroy National Park walkway

nobody@ipernity.com (Herb Riddle) — Mon, 29 Aug 2022 06:32:50 +0000

Herb Riddle has posted:

A view from near the visitors centre at this very big national Park. We are looking south towards Glaggan Mountain on the coastal trail. A wooden pathway over this old sensitive peat bog makes it easier to walk down to the waters edge where we saw the old submerged tree roots. (PiP)

Have a great week.

HWW from Blacksod

nobody@ipernity.com (Herb Riddle) — Wed, 10 Aug 2022 08:38:24 +0000

Herb Riddle has posted:

A view from the back of the lighthouse here at Blacksod in Ireland.

See PiP for previous front view and description.

Best viewed full screen.

Enjoy the day -stay cool!

Cross Lake Bay beach

nobody@ipernity.com (Herb Riddle) — Sat, 30 Jul 2022 06:28:34 +0000

Herb Riddle has posted:

Our walk today is called the Cross Loop walk. The big sign is for ‘The wild Atlantic Way’ that we are also on. The walk started at the other end of the bay and continued inland by Cross Lake. As can be seen, this is a quite part of the world with not a sole apart from us walking on this splendid beach.

Enjoy full screen.

County Mayo coastal vista

nobody@ipernity.com (Herb Riddle) — Fri, 29 Jul 2022 07:05:02 +0000

Herb Riddle has posted:

A long view from our holiday cottage garden to the north showing Kidd Island (on the top left) and Benween Head (top right) on our ‘Children of Lir’ walk done a few days previously. This stretch of the Atlantic is called Broadhaven. Nice full screen.

Enjoy your weekend.

Blacksod Harbour scene

nobody@ipernity.com (Herb Riddle) — Fri, 22 Jul 2022 06:45:58 +0000

Herb Riddle has posted:

A busy view of this working harbour located on the Belmullet Peninsular, Ireland in Blacksod Bay. Of course fences abound in such places. A miserable weather start to our day in this remote spot but it was to improve. In the background stands the old lighthouse. Just to the right, out of shot is still some evidence of the old whaling station (Blacksod Whaling Co ) that used to be located here (see pip). It was active from 1900 till 1925 as Blacksod Bay is the nearest point in Ireland to the continental shelf edge and the abysmal plain. Around 800 whales where harpooned and brought here and its main site on the nearby Island of Rusheen for processing.

More info: www.marinetours.ie/wildlife-log/64-captain-whalesgalore-wonderful-winter-wildlife-log.html

Enjoy the weekend.

ps another phone photo, as my many DSLR photos did not capture all this at quite the same p.o.v.

The Children of Lir Loop walk: Kidd Island

nobody@ipernity.com (Herb Riddle) — Sat, 16 Jul 2022 06:40:43 +0000

Herb Riddle has posted:

As we continue up this rugged coast we see one of a few characteristic Islands just offshore. This is Kidd Island covering just 32 acres. I believe flocks of sheep graze on here in summer but we never saw any and the mind boggles to how they would get on there with those sheer rocky cliffs.

Oops, I must correct myself: the white spots on the the left of the Island are indeed sheep (as seen on my sharper full size original).

NB there is a another smaller nameless rock in front of Kidd Island here.

Enjoy full screen.