Inchicore Railway Works

Detached three-bay two-storey offices, built c.1850, with recent porch to west gable. Pitched slate roof with stepped red brick chimneystacks to gable ends, cast-iron rainwater goods, cut limestone crenellated parapet with cut granite coping to front (north) elevation, and rubble limestone parapet with cut granite coping to other elevations. Snecked cut limestone crenellated walls to front elevation, with rubble stone walls to other elevations, having some roughcast render to west gable and some brick to east gable. Chamfered granite string course and cut limestone quoins. Square-headed window openings, with chamfered granite window surrounds to north elevation. Red brick block-and-start surrounds to windows of south elevation. One-over-one pane timber sash windows throughout. Elliptical-headed door opening, having chamfered granite reveals and gabled cut limestone surround, infilled with window, concrete sill and riser. Located to immediate south of railway tracks and west of running shed.

The Great Southern & Western Railway was established in 1844, and the Inchicore Railway Works was constructed on a 73 acre site at Inchicore from 1846. At its peak the GS&WR employed over 2,000 men at Inchicore Works. It is likely that this building, colloquially known as the ‘Sand House’ was used for drying and storing sand for the locomotives. The crenellated façade was intended to be viewed by those travelling by train tracks to the north, and is similar in style to the running shed designed by Sancton Wood. Skill and craftsmanship are evident in its masonry construction, and the building retains early timber sash windows. Inchicore Works has been in continuous use since its construction, and today is the main engineering works for Iarnród Éireann, maintaining a fleet of diesel locomotives and rolling stock.