Poolbeg

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Aerial view of Poolbeg Poolbeg-aerial-2003.jpg
Aerial view of Poolbeg

Poolbeg (Irish : An Poll Beag) is an artificial peninsula extending from Ringsend, Dublin, into Dublin Bay.

Contents

History

The Poolbeg peninsula was built between the mid 18th century and the present day, starting with the Ballast Office Wall, the first section of the Great South Wall to be built on what was then a sand bar known as the South Bull. As the various sections of the Great South Wall were built, further sand bars formed where the river Liffey left its silt, and these were gradually filled with rubble and built upon.

The name “Poole Begge” referred originally to a tidal pool located out into Dublin harbour and surrounded by sand bars. [1] This was where the Poolbeg lighthouse was built in 1767. The lighthouse was connected to land by the Great South Wall completed in 1795.

Overview

The Poolbeg “peninsula” is home to a number of landmarks including the Great South Wall, the Poolbeg Lighthouse, the Irishtown Nature Park, the southern part of Dublin Port, an energy-from-waste facility, and a power station, formerly Dublin's main power station, which includes the two landmark chimneys, Dublin’s tallest structures.

Poolbeg Chimneys

Great South Wall South Bull, Poolbeg, Dublin. Ireland - geograph.org.uk - 345327.jpg
Great South Wall

The thermal station chimneys at Poolbeg Generating Station are among the tallest structures in Ireland and are visible from most of Dublin city. Number 1 chimney is 207.48m (680 ft 9in) high, while Number 2 chimney is 207.8m (681 ft 9in) high. The chimneys are featured prominently in the video for the song "Pride (In The Name Of Love)" by U2. Dublin City Councillor and historian Dermot Lacey began a process to list the chimneys for preservation to safeguard their future after the Station was to close in 2010. [2] [3] This was later refused by the Council Planning Department.

View of Poolbeg Chimneys From Sandymount Strand View From Sandymount Strand (6050706895).jpg
View of Poolbeg Chimneys From Sandymount Strand

They were subsequently listed as protected structures in July 2014. [4]

21st century plans

New residential area and bridge

The Poolbeg West development consists of 34 hectares of land which has been designated for fast-track planning permission for the construction of nine-storey apartment blocks and up to 100,000sqm of commercial and retail space, including 3,000 homes and commercial space for 8,000 workers. [5]

In June 2016 Dublin City Council announced that it would fast-track construction of a €30 million bridge linking Dublin’s south Docklands with the planned new “urban quarter” on the Poolbeg peninsula, [6] but construction had not begun as of 2024.[ citation needed ]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ringsend</span> Suburb of Dublin, Ireland

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poolbeg Generating Station</span> Power generating station in Dublin, Ireland

Poolbeg Generating Station, colloquially known as The Poolbeg Stacks, is a power station owned and operated by the Electricity Supply Board of Ireland (ESB). There are two stations on the site, the older thermal station containing units 1, 2, and 3 and the combined cycle gas station containing units CG14, CG15 and ST16, which is located toward the eastern end of the site. The six units have a total installed capacity of 1020 MW.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poolbeg Lighthouse</span> Lighthouse in Dublin, Ireland

Poolbeg Lighthouse is an active aid to navigation at the mouth of the River Liffey, near Poolbeg in Dublin, Ireland. First established in 1767, it initially operated on candlepower but this was changed to oil in 1786. It was re-designed and re-built into its present form in 1820.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great South Wall</span> Sea wall at the Port of Dublin in Ireland

The Great South Wall, at the Port of Dublin, extends from the tip of the Poolbeg peninsula more than four kilometres out into Dublin Bay. It was the world's longest sea wall at the time of its construction and remains one of the longest in Europe. It faces the newer Bull Wall, and has one of four port lighthouses at its end.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Bull Lighthouse</span> Lighthouse

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References

  1. Map of Dublin in 1685 by Thomas Phillips. British Library. Reproduced in Irish Historic Towns Atlas no. 19, Dublin part II, 2008.
  2. Hogan, Senan (7 July 2007). "Plea to save iconic twin stacks". Irish Independent.
  3. Murphy, Cormac (31 March 2010). "Poolbeg's chimneys puff their last plumes". Evening Herald. Independent News & Media. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  4. Carbery, Genevieve (16 July 2014). "Lit up Poolbeg stacks could be 'as beautiful as Eiffel Tower'". The Irish Times . Dublin. ISSN   0791-5144. Archived from the original on 16 July 2014. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  5. Stephen McDermott (25 January 2017). "New town with 3000 homes planned for Poolbeg". Dublin Live.
  6. Olivia Kelly (11 July 2016). "New bridge will connect Poolbeg peninsula to the docklands". The Irish Times . Dublin. ISSN   0791-5144.