In May 2009, I spent a night in the above hotel in Co. Kildare. I was surprised by what I came upon in an area of the hotel grounds under development. Photos here. Apparently, MKIII Internationals No. 6203 & 6205 are also on site somewhere.
Killashee House Hotel
May 2nd, 2010Kildare Route Project cancelled
April 11th, 2010This is a headline I wanted to see, 4 years ago, before gobshite rail wasted over 400m of our money on this unnecessary project, adding fuel to the building bubble that has now burst. The Sunday Tribune has reported that the project is now being mothballed
Unfortunately, the cancellation leaves an unused station and two unused tracks between Cherry Orchard and Hazelhatch and at least one family evicted from their home to allow this dick extension to be built - a dick extension that will not now be used. If Anglo Irish Bank is the representation of the Bertie Bubble era, the KRP is its manifestation in Irish Rail.
Ennis to Athenry railway reopens
March 30th, 2010
Not as significant as the Glounthaune to Midleton line reopening in my opinion, but a welcome development nonetheless.
The real significant reopening will be Dunboyne.
“New” transport hub for Belfast
March 26th, 2010Translink have announced a “new” transport hub for Belfast based on the existing bus/rail stations behind the Europa Hotel. So how, exactly, will this new hub do something that the present station doesn’t? Full story on the Irish Independent site.
Brain dead Brain dead Brain dead
March 19th, 2010And for once it is not Irish Rail. The Belfast Telegraph has reported on how a musician was removed from a train in England after listing the tracks his band were going to play at an upcoming concert, one of which was by “The Killers”.
LUAS noise not a nuisance
March 5th, 2010RPA 1, Public 0
But that hardly surprises me.
The story here (from RTE) is a couple who took the RPA to court over the noise of the LUAS at the end of their garden. Two points in the judgement of Justice Mary Laffoy are worth commenting on as they show why the public have no rights in this country, only the duty to pay the bills of cretinous organisations like the RPA.
She stated that the noise issue was covered in the Railway Order. Anyone with a brain knows that Railway Order inquiries are a sham and ultimately unconstitutional as they reject anything that would require the submission of a new order by the requesting body (the failure rate of such inquiries must be at the same level as planning permission rejections, otherwise the State is failing to treat all equally or not at all).
The second point is that the RPA have failed to comply with a requirement to set daytime and nighttime noise levels, but her learned justice stated that this does not prove a nuisance. What happened to the old common law requirement of approaching equity with clean hands?
Justice Laffoy is another stuffed shirt in an ivory tower. Maybe one day, the Irish people will elect a Government that will revoke the administrative sanction of all Quangos (including the RPA) and then we will see Frank Allen & Co squirm.
Kilkenny Railway station voted best in Leinster.
February 26th, 2010
Next year, I am definitely running the ‘Vote for Broomebridge” campaign.
20 years observing and commenting
February 21st, 2010
It has just struck me. I filed my first complaint with Irish Rail in February 1990. Therefore, I have been putting manners on IR for 20 years now, both on and offline.
Hugs for Haiti in Heuston Station
February 12th, 2010It has been reported that Irish Rail will be offering hugs for Haiti in Heuston Station this evening. I think I would pay IR staff not to hug me. Now maybe, if you were offering hugs to those passengers hit with your penalty fare due to the inability to buy a ticket because your stations were unmanned and ticket machines not working.
Ladder evacuation of Derry Train
February 10th, 2010
Oh dear! My favourite public transport company (they beat Irish Rail to that title, which is no mean feat) suffered an embarrassing breakdown near Ballymoney today and passengers had to be evacuated by ladder and walked along the track.
Did you charge the passengers with trespass?
Full story here