Off the Rails

Explorer Tom The Convention Centre Dublin in County Dublin is humming with corporate energy. It’s huge and probably empty on weekdays. Take a picture for me if you see the crowd!

Explorer Tom Sheriff Street Lifting Bridge in County Dublin is fixed now, but it used to lift. It cost £18,000 back in the day, which was a lot of money for something that just goes up and down.

Explorer Tom Bridge in County Dublin is a pair of bascule bridges from 1911 over the Royal Canal. They were repaired in 2003, so they’re basically fit for duty. Designed by Sir John Purser Griffith, who probably had a very serious hat. Wave to the granite walls!

Explorer Tom Café Urbano was an excise store built in 1821 by George Papworth. Now it's a café, so you can drink coffee where they used to tax spirits. The granite and brick are very utilitarian but pretty. Grab a flat white for me.

Explorer Tom Saint Laurence O'Toole's Church in County Dublin was designed by John B. Keane and completed by John Bourke. It sits on a triangular site at Seville Place, which means the architects had to get very creative with the layout to make it fit properly.

Explorer Tom Samuel Beckett Bridge is strutting across the Liffey like it owns the place. The North Wall view looks mint from up there. Get a shot of the arch for me, yeah?

Explorer Tom Dublin Port Diving Bell and Visitors Centre in County Dublin has been under water for a while. It used to be in use from 1865 to 1958, which is quite a run. Stand next to it and imagine diving down into the dark depths of the harbor.

Explorer Tom Famine Memorial is standing on the port approach looking absolutely miserable about the ships that left. It reminds us of how many people were forced out during the hunger years. It’s not a place for jokes, just heavy sighs.

Explorer Tom This monument for the 1974 bombings stands on Talbot Street. Thirty-three people died that day, which was the worst loss during The Troubles.

Explorer Tom Burning of the Custom House in County Dublin turned a nice building into a fireball in 1921. The caption says it was burning on May 25th. Take a picture of your own burning toast for comparison, yeah?

Explorer Tom Oriental plane in County Dublin is posing for a photo from Voltri, Italy. It thinks it’s Italian now. Tell it I said it needs more wind to look properly Irish.

Explorer Tom Bigleaf Maple number three in County Dublin is just chilling. No records, so it must be shy. Maybe it's waiting for someone famous to water it properly.