Underground Ireland

starn

Hi,
I'am in the process of writting a piece on hidden Ireland. So far I've visited the CIE tunnell under the Pheonix Park and spent a charming day wondering Dublins sewers. But thats been pretty much it. So Im looking for help uncovering some more hidden gems. I've spent some time in the catacombs underneath both Paris and Rome. While obiously not expecting to find anything like that underneath Dublin. I some there must be more beneath it then just a train tunnell

InFront

like from an archeological point of view or general interest?

cos if it's the latter then, i'd guess yeah there's just the tunnell...

There is the port tunnell too now...

frobisher

Underground in the literal or metaophorical sense?

netwhizkid

There is a railway tunnel into Cork Station and I have heard a bit of an urban legend around our way that there is an island somewhere back towards the west (near Cahirciveen AFAIK) anyway this island is supposed to be connected to the mainland by an underground cave passage that apparently is spooked. The legend being that light quench and torches fail etc. If i get more info I'll post it up.

Another rumour is that a Lios is supposed to extend for up to five miles under ground in my area but I doubt that is true.

Don't get stuck underground like this mishappen tale.

[EDIT]Sorry misread this about it beign Dublin but my post is good for the rest of Ireland.[EDIT] Isn't there supposed to be some tunnel underneath the Dublin Airport Runway?? I think i read about it before and that it was done by some far thinking scholar and visionary for a future Metro. If it exists it may now be used in the upcoming Metro I suppose.

brianthebard

What about the ailwee caves, too touristy?

monkeyfudge

The Casino at Marino has a tunnel connecting it to Marino house. It's an amazing building, but the tunnel has been closed off for some time, but you might be able to get permission to view it.

A lot of round towers would have had underground tunnels as well.

MrJoeSoap

Doesn't Trinity College have some underground passages as well?

mloc

there are tunnels underneath the belfield campus of ucd, although they're not too interesting, just for maintainance really. They do hold a certain mythological status amongst many younger, more impressionable students, however.

ninebeanrows

Interesting, i don't personallly know of anymore but it will be an interesting piece, keep us informed of your adventures

bug

Apparently there was a tunnel which led from Drimnagh Castle to Ballymount allowing people to escape in case of Cromwells army. Makes sense considering he stayed in the castle on a few occasions.

Other than that I remember a very small ornate bridge being unvailed during some deep road works at St Patricks cathedral, junction of iveagh buildings and patricks street. I was on the top deck of the bus and I remember it was completely out of place and bizarre.

starn

frobisher wrote:

Underground in the literal or metaophorical sense?

Well Ideally both, Most european cities have miles upon miles of catacombs and tunnels and tombs beneath them. In both London and Rome everything from Night Clubs to foriengn Cinema have been set up in them. Wheres in New York and London analmost parrell society has established grown out of abondoned sub way sations and sewer tunnels. I'd love to find somrthing similar establishoing itself in Ireland but find it higly unlikely. I hered mutterings about a abondoned air raid shelter on O Connol st. I have also heared that tunnells extend out on to grafton St from the basement of some of the stores

InFront

MrJoeSoap wrote:

Doesn't Trinity College have some underground passages as well?

Allegedly yes, have never seen them or even heard of where there entrances might be though... unlike the UCD ones which seem to be readily accessible! (everything is easier in UCD!)

1huge1

oh and the soon to be shannon tunnel

rogue-entity

mloc wrote:

there are tunnels underneath the belfield campus of ucd, although they're not too interesting, just for maintainance really. They do hold a certain mythological status amongst many younger, more impressionable students, however.

Why, do dragons hide in them or something

admiralofthefleet

there is a tunnel linking the pro cathedral in dublin to westland row church beside pearse train station (also in dublin)

admiralofthefleet

did a bit of searching there and found that there is an air raid shelter and tunnels under merrion square in dublin, and the independant calendar from last year showed a pic of o connell street with an arrow pionting to an air raid shelter

pic of o'connell street air raid shelter:
http://www.fantasyjackpalance.com/fjp/photos/kf/history/0code/oconnell-street-view-south.html

last_orders

theres an underground stream going from terenure college lake that goes to bushy park joining up with the waterfall, dunno how accessible it is though. on either end it looks walkable like a sewer but its fairly long so in the middle it might be a natural tunnel.

admiralofthefleet

a river (called the poodle, or something like that) runs under the olympia theatre, its exit tunnel can be seen just up from the halfpenny bridge on the southside, its best viewed from the northside when the liffey tide is low

http://www.fantasyjackpalance.com has photos of old dublin

Hobbes

I recall rumours of tunnels under O'Connell that ran from various buildings on one side of the road to the other.

Probably urban legend though.

Trampas

There is a tunnel connecting Kilmainham Jail to St Michael CBS (Richmond Barracks) Inchicore.

Used to bring prisoners to and from during the 1900's

dade

heard the stoey of teh Oconnell street ones years ago

Marino casino is suppose to have a load of them, some running as far as St Davids CBS up the malahide road. Not sure if that is true or not.

TCD is suppose to have a few too. heard it meantioned on a number of ocassions

humanji

Isn't there just one huge network of tunnels under Dublin that has just been dissected by building works?

My mate told me a story (probably untrue, but it's a funny story) about when he worked where the Abrakababra was at the Halfpenny bridge in the 70's I think, there was a door that nobody new what was behind it. One day they decided to be adventurous and broke it open, finding a stairs down into the tunnels. They explored a bit and found another stairs up with a large door at the top. They got the door open and came out in the lobby of the central bank. Apparently nobody in the bank new what was behind the door and just assumed somebody else did, so no one ever checked. As I said, probably a load of rubbish, but it makes me smile.

greine

There is/was a tunnell built in Dingle for Marie Antoinette, linking the old presbytry (sp?) building, to the sea. The plan was that she would arrive by sea and be whisked through the tunnell to the grand old house on the hill! Unfortunately for her, she decided not to seek refuge in Dingle and well....the rest is history, however the tunnel still exists although i would say part of it has collapsed! I could find out for you if you like!

mikemac

You can download podcasts called Hidden Dublin by a historian called Pat Liddy. They used to played on Newstalk 106. They're very interesting and you may find info there.

Isn't there a tunnel for the river that flows beneath Dublin Castle.
I think it is the River Poddle, not sure
It exits at the Liffy but the British blocked in the 19th century in case the Fenians planted explosives beneath Dublin Castle

ciaran76

St. Michan’s Church has catacombs which is in Dublin.

Church street Dublin 8 i think ?

Degsy

Trinity has an underground access to st patrick's well which is located under nassau street.The entrance is just visible from the nassau street entrance looking down.I've never been down there myself but i'm going to ask teh buildings office for a key so i can have a look.Also in Mary's Abbey,on the junction with meetinghouse lane,seven feet down lies the Chapter House of St Mary's Abbey.It was discovered in the 1880's when houses were being built on the site and is still in use.I think the OPW hold the key to it and it wouldnt take long to find out.When the chapeter house was rediscovered,apparantly the unrotted body of a 14th century priest was found,his preservation was supposedly due to teh prescence of tannin in the soil from former oak forest that stood there.

Bluetonic

There are over 30 underground rivers in Dublin alone.

This http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunnels_in_Ireland and this http://www.dublinks.com/index.cfm/loc/6-7/pt/0/spid/D9A8961B-398A-4E6C-A6ADB5DD24861F6D.htm should be of interest.

Degsy

micmclo wrote:

You can download podcasts called Hidden Dublin by a historian called Pat Liddy. They used to played on Newstalk 106. They're very interesting and you may find info there.

Isn't there a tunnel for the river that flows beneath Dublin Castle.
I think it is the River Poddle, not sure
It exits at the Liffy but the British blocked in the 19th century in case the Fenians planted explosives beneath Dublin Castle

Its not a tunnel exactly,its more of a culvert that was built around the river.Its confluence with the liffey can be seen from teh north bank,its a large archway with a metal grate over it.

bringitdown

Isn't there a tunnel in the Guiness Brewery at St James Gate?

miamee

As far as I remember there is a large catacomb area beneath Christ Church Cathedral. You could also check St. Patricks Cathedral.

Don't forget the Port Tunnel

miamee

There are also extensive vaults under chq on the quays as far as I know, you should check out their online brochure to see if its something worth looking at.
www.ddda.ie/uploads/chq_brochure_002.pdf


Also The Vaults bar in Connolly is situated in some old vaults which used to used as a horsepound...apparently!

http://www.dublintourist.com/details/the_vaults_pub.shtml

jackdaw

I heard there is a tunnel connecting Connelly station and Heuston station,

And its stupid that they don't use it ?

Anyone confirm this ?

Cactus Col

Degsy wrote:

Trinity has an underground access to st patrick's well which is located under nassau street.The entrance is just visible from the nassau street entrance looking down.I've never been down there myself but i'm going to ask teh buildings office for a key so i can have a look.Also in Mary's Abbey,on the junction with meetinghouse lane,seven feet down lies the Chapter House of St Mary's Abbey.It was discovered in the 1880's when houses were being built on the site and is still in use.I think the OPW hold the key to it and it wouldnt take long to find out.When the chapeter house was rediscovered,apparantly the unrotted body of a 14th century priest was found,his preservation was supposedly due to teh prescence of tannin in the soil from former oak forest that stood there.

Yeah, I was in it a few years ago, there's a laundret ( I think) around the corner, and from one of the rooms in the back of it, you remove a brick, and can see the stain glass windows of the abbey.

I worked in Mac Donalds on O'connell street, the one near the bridge, and in their basement, there is a door, such as was described above in abbakebabra, and on the other side of the door was a large (I don't know if tunnel is the right word) space that extended a good bit back under the buildings on o'connell street ... I was told it was there to help deal with overflow from the liffey.

The Insider

Here is an article I found on Trinity's tunnels...

http://web.archive.org/web/20000301073225/http://www.tcd.ie/Student/Publications/tn/21-apr-99/tnfeat5.htm

starn

jackdaw wrote:

I heard there is a tunnel connecting Connelly station and Heuston station,

And its stupid that they don't use it ?

Anyone confirm this ?

Its true, I've been down there. But wont recommended it. It's very dangerous. I'd love to hear more bout the tunnel in Dingle and if anyone has more info on access points I'd love to hear

humanji

jackdaw wrote:

I heard there is a tunnel connecting Connelly station and Heuston station,

And its stupid that they don't use it ?

Anyone confirm this ?

Yeah, it was planned to have a metro going through it some years ago, but the Luas won out.

Red Alert

The administration in UCD appear to downplay the existence of the tunnels as much as possible, leading me to believe that they are in fact all there.

DeadParrot

i'd suggest looking at http://www.blather.net

All sorts of weird and wonderfulness goes on there.
If anyone was to know about networks of tunnels in dublin, they would.

Zonko

There's apparently a long underground tunnel from the site of a former village, to half a mile or a mile away where it comes out of a well or some caves in a townland near me. Most of the older people there know about it, but no one seems to know where it is.

scop

There are very few UE spots in Dublin, and it is consistently lamented among the UE community as perhaps the least exciting city in terms places to seek out. I know people who've asked similar questions, and others who have sought out places before, and they almost always fail to come up with anything remotely interesting. I can only recall one spot appearing in any UE mags or websites, and even then it was only an abandoned factory. There are numerous graffiti spots, but once again more abandoned than underground. The old Fish Factories would be a great example of a place that is known for being out of the way [and more or less home to Irish graffiti]. I can do a little research if you want, but let us know what the article is about etc so I can find exactly what you are into it.

constitutionus

well it doesnt count as tunnels but theres an extensive number of vaults under foster place thats owned by bank of ireland on college green that used to house the gold store of the country. was down there with me da when he was removing the locks from the place after they finally decomisioned them. they extend a good way under dame street and towards trinity. no bloody power down there though so if your flashlight goes your fecked:D spooky place though

scop

http://www.irish-architecture.com/buildings_ireland/dublin/southcity/quays/merchants/9merchants_basement.html

Thought you might enjoy this.

Gaspode

Is it just tunnels you're after?
If not, there the remains of an abbey under Capel street at St.Marys Abbey/Meetinghouse lane. Its just up from the Boars Head pub.
I havent been there in many years but you used to have to knock into this old lady and ask her to let you in.

giveth

In Cork, there's a tunnel under the mouth of the harbour. It links Camden Fort in Crosshaven with another fort across the water. The idea was that the soldiers could escape from one to the other if they were being attacked. The tunnel is submerged now though Im pretty sure. There are other tunnels though in Camden fort itself.

gandalf

Not really a tunnel but this power plant is in the middle of a mountain http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turlough_Hill

They used to allow groups visit it (I went many many many years ago on a school trip) but they no longer do for operational purposes :rolleyes:

Amazotheamazing

There's tunnels under the main streets in Limerick, they were built when the Georgian buildings were being built, though I think most have been converted into coal bunkers etc. There is also reputedly one under the Shannon from the city to the maternity hospital or the old barracks, not sure which. There is also reputedly an extensive tunnel network under Mountshannon house, near Limerick.

Afaik, there's also a series of medieval tunnels running under Galway city.

johnnyrotten

Theres a Tunnel from Santry at the M1 to Dublin Port

Civilian_Target

Dunno if anyone's mentioned this but at the base of Lough Swilly in Co. Donegal, and up along the east coast of the lough there's a load of abandoned british WW1 trenches and underground infrastructre. Remember taking a while walking around it a few years ago, there's command bunkers and everything, it's very cool!

Terry

there are rumours of a tunnel from Leixlip castle to St. Mary's church in Leiclip village. don't know if it's true though.
i do recall there being a tunnel entrance at the back of the church when i was a kid, but that has since been filled over.
probably a suburban legend

admiralofthefleet

gandalf wrote:

Not really a tunnel but this power plant is in the middle of a mountain http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turlough_Hill

They used to allow groups visit it (I went many many many years ago on a school trip) but they no longer do for operational purposes :rolleyes:

i went there on a school trip as well, it was cool wasnt it, especially the drive around the top where you could look down the mountain

I third the coolness of Turlough Hill. Didn't know they have closed it to tours, that's a pity.