Underneath Dublin?

[Fozzie]

Having long been fascinated with the undergound spaces in cities such as New York, London, Vienna, Mega City 1 etc., I've begun to wonder, is there anything of note underneath Dublin's streets?

[daniel]

do all the georgian basements count?

[Jas]

The sewer system? But i dont think its all that impressive unlike the London system.

[LOB]

Rivers
like the camac which emerges under Heuston station
The poddle which goes under dame street and emerges beside the millenium bridge
there are a few more rivers but I cannot think of them at the moment.
there is also the railway tunnel under the phoenix park (goes under the zoo i think)

[LOB]

http://indigo.ie/~kfinlay/Dublin%20Streets/rivers.htm

[LOB]

Read somewhere that there was meant to be a tunnel which ran from the old monastery at mary's abbey to christchurch so that the monks could attend services- if it existed it would have been some feat of engineering

[Jas]

Sounds like myth - up there with the one "the bridge in Stephens Green is the original bridge from the O'Connell bridge site"

[Paul Clerkin]

How about the Liffey Tunnel from Ringsend. Its 33m below street level and 250m long and 2.1 m in diamete. (according to 'The Liffey in Dublin')

[Shane O'Toole]

Several Irish country houses had 'tunnels' from within the house to a relatively remote and screened location within the grounds of the estate, apparently to permit domestic staff to enter and exit from the house without 'disturbing' the designed prospect.

[Jas]

And to escape if the local population decided to rise!!

[Peter Fitz]

read somewhere that there is an underground tunnel that links government buildings (department of the Taoiseach) to Leinster house, supposedly the tunnel is nuclear proof, if thats the correct term...and its purpose is to accommodate the cabinet in case of a nuclear disaster, sellafield etc.

At C.B.S Synge Street, of the South Circular Road, there is quite an extensive network of tunnels that link the monastry buildings, the tunnels are connected to the art room, i spent most of my art classes down there - the teacher never seemed to notice that half of the class would have slipped down to explore the tunnels!

[daniel]

there are also supposed to be a series of underground tunnels linking the various buildings in UCD. the campus was designed around the time of mass student riots around europe so these tunnels probably made sense to the authorities then.

the crypts of Christchurch, St. Patrick's cathedral and City Hall must also count as some of the most interesting underground spaces in Dublin.

[LOB]

on the Country houses with tunnels for staff

Lissadell in sligo (Gore Booths) has one from the basement under the rear garden-about 20 metres long i think. it has been about 10 years since I was there.

[MG]

Lough Key Forest park, Boyle has a large collection of tunnels to the lake side, other areas in the park etc from the former basement of the old house.

[Drawingboard]

I think I remember hearing about a passage under Merrion Street from Government Buildings to the former department offices (now Merrion Hotel) opposite.

[Drawingboard]

And what about the series of tunnels linking the blocks of the James Connolly Mermorial Hospital where that old patient died last year.

[andy]

a fully-integrated, cutting-edge underground rail system for the entire city? sigh....

[Rory W]

Actually refering to an earlier note - the Bridge in St Stephen's Green is actually named O'Connell Bridge. (i think thaty naming predated the Carlile bridge widening) - I believe the remains of Carlile Bridge are out in a Garden in Killiney

[MK]

Some say thar be tunnels & creatures that should not be all the wher.

[GregF]

Na.....them creatures dwell on the surface mid filth n' dirt!

[dc3]

Myths banished

There is a tunnel between the the two front wings of Government Buildings in Merrion Street. As it is only about four feet down it is not, of course intended for any purpose but communication and of no value in WWIII.

There are indeed passages connecting Govt Buildings and the Dail(into the Dail office area,- not so the Taoiseach can appear in a puff of smoke in the Dail chamber), but these are above ground and again for mundane purposes, especially to avoid rain.

There is no passage under Merrion Street, but the cellars under the hotel seem to run well out into the roadway, which may be the cause of that one.

As for the Belfield myth, there are heating ducts from the Boiler house but only the lab rats are likely to escape the fury of the undergrads that way.

[LOB]

On the subject of passages
there is the one between the provosts house in Trinity to front square.

"There is no passage under Merrion Street, but the cellars under the hotel seem to run well out into the roadway, which may be the cause of that one."

If you go to henrietta street at the moment you have the chance to see how far the Georgian basements extended out into the street. One of the basements which had been in need of repair has been exposed back to the springing point of the original brick vault(presumeably to enable reconstruction-which would be worth seeing as its a skill not exercised much these days)

[dc3]

Am I correct in saying that there is no pedestrian underpass running under a (on grade) road anywhere in Dublin?

I certainly do not recall one.

[John Callery]

The Guinness tunnell that runs from James's St.under the bowels of the brewery down to where the barrells used to be loaded onto the Guinness barges at Victoria Quay for transit to the Guinness ships at Sir John Rodgerson's Quay is certainly worth exploring. This is usually included if one asks for an engineering tour of the brewery from the Chief Engineer.

[LOB]

There used to be a pedestrian walkway under north wall quay from the old railway terminal to the quay wall for passengers
I don't know if it has been filled in or just blocked off