Solo jaunt, part 3/3 of TBM's swansong. This could well be the last explore I do for a long time, lest I get up to anything in Taiwan. Apart from a fail at St Ita's asylum in Portrane the day after, I suppose one could say this is my last explore for a while.
History taken from Irish UE: The Pigeon House power station is one of the iconic landmarks of Dublin. It was built on the turn of the 20th century and began operation in 1903. The coal fired power station continued to run for the next 73 years and was finally decommissioned in 1976. The power station which replaced it is now sprawled out on a vast site next to it. The old coal fired power station was built on land next to the old Pigeon House (the large grey building in the bottom right of the below satellite photo) which is how the area got it’s name. There is some history on this building located on the following page: http://dublincitypubliclibraries.com/dublin-buildings/pigeon-house
Alongside the power station there are also some small remains of the old Pigeon House Barracks which were used to defend the port in times past.
The explore: This is going to be hard, I just know it is. How could it not be? It might be a Sunday, but this is in a busy dockyard next to a very live power station in the capital of Ireland. I might be alone, but I'm not bowing down from a challenge. I should have started earlier, but going out drinking and having a blast the night before put paid to any early wake up calls. So I make my way down here, and I know the way in... or so I think I do. It's a beaten walkway up to this palisade fence, so I get myself ready and vaunt myself over the fence. I thrash myself through the thick bushes, and I'm greeted with a view over the iconic power station.
Bollocks. There's no way of getting round to the other side unless I go into the compound, which is covered with CCTV. There's a guard at the gate, so I can't walk in. I end up faffing around, and doing the long walk round the back of Poolbeg, the active part. I might be able to walk up the beach... nope. It's fenced off, and covered with CCTV all the way along. I have no choice; this could be a fail...Or not.
Oh no... I can't do that. I'll get busted within seconds. Cautious and ever aware of the guard in the gatehouse next to me, I step beyond the gates. Will he stop me? Will he come out and get irate with me? He does nothing. Gingerly I keep going forward, seeing nobody but ever aware of the CCTV that watches the car park and hotel building. Past the cameras, I hear nobody so I just keep going. I walk in like I own the place! I'm in within a minute.
An aerial view, not my photo
Inside, I suppose in owing to the relatively built up and active area it finds itself in, damage is at an absolute minimum for a building that has been closed since 1976. Hard to believe isn't it?
I start off looking through the nooks and crannies of the building before taking photos of the main turbine hall.
It's all pretty stripped and very decayed, but nothing short of stunning. Some really interesting pieces of architecture can be found.
But nothing thus far compares to this. Ladies and gentlemen, take a look at this!
I suppose if Battersea Power Station was a complete derp, it would be Pigeon House wouldn't it? Ha ha ha ha!
Taking photos in here was a real challenge, being dark and trying to avoid damn camera shake! But I pulled it off.
Being closed for so long, it's inevitable that the building has since been stripped of its turbines. Oh how I would've loved to have seen it back then...
So there we have it, a derelict Dublin classic. Not epic, but pretty damn good nevertheless. Don't you agree?
Love as always,
TBM x
History taken from Irish UE: The Pigeon House power station is one of the iconic landmarks of Dublin. It was built on the turn of the 20th century and began operation in 1903. The coal fired power station continued to run for the next 73 years and was finally decommissioned in 1976. The power station which replaced it is now sprawled out on a vast site next to it. The old coal fired power station was built on land next to the old Pigeon House (the large grey building in the bottom right of the below satellite photo) which is how the area got it’s name. There is some history on this building located on the following page: http://dublincitypubliclibraries.com/dublin-buildings/pigeon-house
Alongside the power station there are also some small remains of the old Pigeon House Barracks which were used to defend the port in times past.
The explore: This is going to be hard, I just know it is. How could it not be? It might be a Sunday, but this is in a busy dockyard next to a very live power station in the capital of Ireland. I might be alone, but I'm not bowing down from a challenge. I should have started earlier, but going out drinking and having a blast the night before put paid to any early wake up calls. So I make my way down here, and I know the way in... or so I think I do. It's a beaten walkway up to this palisade fence, so I get myself ready and vaunt myself over the fence. I thrash myself through the thick bushes, and I'm greeted with a view over the iconic power station.
Bollocks. There's no way of getting round to the other side unless I go into the compound, which is covered with CCTV. There's a guard at the gate, so I can't walk in. I end up faffing around, and doing the long walk round the back of Poolbeg, the active part. I might be able to walk up the beach... nope. It's fenced off, and covered with CCTV all the way along. I have no choice; this could be a fail...Or not.
Oh no... I can't do that. I'll get busted within seconds. Cautious and ever aware of the guard in the gatehouse next to me, I step beyond the gates. Will he stop me? Will he come out and get irate with me? He does nothing. Gingerly I keep going forward, seeing nobody but ever aware of the CCTV that watches the car park and hotel building. Past the cameras, I hear nobody so I just keep going. I walk in like I own the place! I'm in within a minute.
An aerial view, not my photo
Inside, I suppose in owing to the relatively built up and active area it finds itself in, damage is at an absolute minimum for a building that has been closed since 1976. Hard to believe isn't it?
I start off looking through the nooks and crannies of the building before taking photos of the main turbine hall.
It's all pretty stripped and very decayed, but nothing short of stunning. Some really interesting pieces of architecture can be found.
But nothing thus far compares to this. Ladies and gentlemen, take a look at this!
I suppose if Battersea Power Station was a complete derp, it would be Pigeon House wouldn't it? Ha ha ha ha!
Taking photos in here was a real challenge, being dark and trying to avoid damn camera shake! But I pulled it off.
Being closed for so long, it's inevitable that the building has since been stripped of its turbines. Oh how I would've loved to have seen it back then...
So there we have it, a derelict Dublin classic. Not epic, but pretty damn good nevertheless. Don't you agree?
Love as always,
TBM x
")
