1861 – Former Railway Station, North Wall Quay, Dublin

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In 1861 the London and North Western Railway Company, which had been operating a steam packet service across the Irish Sea, moved its Irish terminus from Dun Laoghaire to North Wall Quay. The former North Wall Railway Station was designed to serve the ferry port whose steamships moored here for the Irish Sea crossing with two subways under the street to the quayside, and an elevated walkway to the adjacent hotel.

The LNWR did have its own architect and architectural draughtsmen were employed in the Engineering Department, so the station was probably designed in-house. The Architectural Assistant to Chief Engineer between 1852 and 1886 was a J.B. Stansby. Stansby also designed the LNWR headquarters in Parliament Square in London.

1932

The curving section originally had three doorways with an iron and glass canopy welcoming passengers into the ticket concourse. The original glazing canopy over the concourse survived for many years although minus its glass. It has now been removed. For many of those who joined the British Army during the First World War, it was the last Dublin building they passed through on their way to the trenches. Today the building is used as freight offices for Iarnod Eireann but is sadly neglected.

Historic Photographs © National Railway Museum and SSPL