Air Raid Siren in Swords? This morning ~11.35

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I work out the Applewood direction, and went out for a smoke at about 11.35, just back in now, and there is a sound that is like an air raid siren.

Anyone any idea as to what it is?

listermint

Call to arms to rescue our libyan brothers???

ElleEm

I'm in Balbriggan, and started a thread on this before, as I heard a similar sound. Apparently the Wavin factory in Balbriggan has a fire alarm that sounds like this.
It could be a factory in your area

PCros

It comes from the Bristol-Myers Squibb plant down in Balheary.

It can be heard for miles, it has to do with emergency training that they undertake every so often.

I've been living in Swords all my life and they've been doing it as far as I can remember back.

I do remember during the troubles people who moved to the area would get freaked out about it thinking we were about to be attacked!

Beekay

Have been hearing in Swords all my life too, always thought it was the Roadstone quarry place for some reason, I used to go to school in kinsealy and could hear it.

Okami_shinobi

I could hear a siren everyday when i was in st finians, I think it came from the Arch Chemical plant on watery lane. that was back in the early 2000's

celticbest

Okami_shinobi wrote: »

I could hear a siren everyday when i was in st finians, I think it came from the Arch Chemical plant on watery lane. that was back in the early 2000's

I also heard it was Arch & that it goes off when there is a spill in the plant.

Redpunto

The quarry have the siren before they do any blasting.

santry_goonshow

Wherever it comes from are companies allowed to make such a sharp noise like that in a heavily settled area? I mean for a drill?

BollickyBill

Des wrote: »

I work out the Applewood direction, and went out for a smoke at about 11.35, just back in now, and there is a sound that is like an air raid siren.

Anyone any idea as to what it is?

To the best of my knowledge there are three sirens that could be heard from Applewood. They are the Airport crash alarm, the siren in Bristol. Myers Squib and Olin chemicals if they have one.
Anybody know this for sure or if there are any more around?

Corsendonk

santry_goonshow wrote: »

Wherever it comes from are companies allowed to make such a sharp noise like that in a heavily settled area? I mean for a drill?

You have to remember alot of the chemical companies in Swords were there before the housing estates! Refirgerated warehouses that use ammonia coolant also have sirens too. The only effective drill is to use the actually alarm used in an emergency rather than have a half hearted drill that won't disturb the neighbours.

The Muppet

Corsendonk wrote: »

You have to remember alot of the chemical companies in Swords were there before the housing estates! Refirgerated warehouses that use ammonia coolant also have sirens too. The only effective drill is to use the actually alarm used in an emergency rather than have a half hearted drill that won't disturb the neighbours.

You don't really hear it if you live in the area, when I was a kid the council used to use an air raid type siren to notify the retained fimen of a call out.

The Scientician

I always wondered what the sirens were about. I always imagine that some eejit has dropped the big one.

gazmc18

The Siren is coming from squibb, i used to work there a few years ago.
When i was there it sounded every Monday or every 2nd Monday at 12 i think. It was a safety drill. THen at random times every few weeks it would go off.
The siren would be the least of the local's problems if that place went on fire or had an explosion.

Fyr.Fytr

As stated if it was heard in Applewood its from Bristol-Myers Squibb, every Monday in or around 12 they test it and have a drill. Have done all my life I live right beside it.

Arch Chemicals have a different alarm

The old fire station on watery lane did have an air raid type alarm to alert retained firefighters to a shout but that went out years ago when pagers became the norm.

An siren from the quarry in kinsealy would be very faint in that area but they do have alarms sounded pre a blast to clear the area