Naming conventions for train stations and lines

icdg

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123141498#Comment_123141498

There isn’t one (not in Dublin, anyway) but I’m pretty sure about ten years ago Irish Rail did manage to put up a departure list on platform 6/7 headed “Connolly Street Station”. It was a long time ago and I’ve nothing to prove it, of course.

DrivingSouth

I definitely prefer named stations for the main city terminal/interchange stations as opposed to Dublin North, Dublin South etc. It would be too easy to confuse them if you didn't have the city geography in your head.

But I think we should adopt a naming convention like Dublin Connolly, Dublin Heuston, Cork Kent, and sick to it, signs, tickets etc.

But the odd ball in this regard is Tara St. It's been my most used station all my life so I think I'm entitled to declare it an absolute kip. Totally unbecoming of one of our busiest stations. But even it's name is pants. Does anyone know where Tara St itself is? No. Does it open onto Tara St? No. Did it ever? Don't think so.

So if as part of the metro link project, it is to become a major interchange station, I hope it gets a major overhaul and finally starts to look the part. And so should the name.

And so to my proposal : Dublin Markievicz.

The metro link project is going to remove the Markievicz centre which is very close (we could keep the statue) so the name has an association with the area. She has links to the 1916 rising which kinda keeps that naming convention going. It's an opportunity to name something after a woman which is still a rarity. And given it's a Polish name, it gives a nod to the new Irish community.

L1011

I think that's a decent name/rename proposal. I'd also suggest that the new Glasnevin station could do with a name, Brian Boru works for a: the notable pub being demolished and b: why the pub was named that to begin with

Quick google suggests that an FF TD has already suggested that.

Zebra3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123142303#Comment_123142303

Loads of people know where Tara St is. What sort of a daft question is that?

Economics101

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123142359#Comment_123142359

Brian Boru? Should be Clontarf, and if that can't be done, just forget it.

Peregrinus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123141498#Comment_123141498

D'Oh! You're quite right.

In my defence, I was drunk.

Peregrinus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123141594#Comment_123141594

Victoria Station has no exit to Victoria St, which is considerably longer than Pearse St.

Hotblack Desiato

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123143234#Comment_123143234

Well it is kinda near O'Connell Street… close enough?

Won't somebody think of all the poor tourists (and Irish people) trying to spell "markievicz" for their map app, though.

Peregrinus

The Polish tourists will have no bother.

Sam Russell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123143984#Comment_123143984

I doubt that many of the Polish here are tourists though.

Yeah Right

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123142303#Comment_123142303

Apply the same test to your proposed name as you did to the current name and see how ridiculous a suggestion it is.

"Does anyone know where Markievicz St itself is? No. Does it open onto Markievicz? No. Did it ever? Don't think so, because there's no such street with that name"

Why would you rename the station to fix those problems and then refuse to address them and make the situation worse? Doesn't make any sense.

I'd wager there's a damn sight more people know where Tara St is than know the name, even, of the street that the Markievicz centre is on, never mind where that street is……..has anyone ever even heard of Luke Street, without having lived/worked in the area?

gjim

Does anyone know where Tara St itself is?

Of course people know where it is or at least anyone who's spends time in the city - it's an important street in Dublin. Even has its own wikipedia page, btw.

whisky_galore

The naming things after auld dead rebels was of its time and well past its sell-by date now.

McAlban

Markievicz didn't sign the proclomation and wasn't excecuted for her part in the rising. So doubt it.

Tara St. station is a Kip and could do with a major modernisation/refurbishment and roof for such a busy city centre station.

Don't have a problem with Connolly, Heuston and Pearse stations, and most apps/RTPI etc. have Dublin Connolly etc. It's just ON the actual trains they say the name.

DylanQuestion

The directional signage at the stops on the Cork - Dublin line say “heading to Cork” and “heading to Heuston”. Fair enough just saying Dublin isn’t very useful for someone in Thurles as there are four Dublin stations. But I think it should say “Dublin Heuston” at a minimum

I’d also be in favour of renaming Tara St, but not so radically. The Luas stops remove “street”/“road” from the name of the stops, for example just saying Dawson instead of Dawson Street. Therefore, I’d just say Dublin Tara

blanch152

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122839788#Comment_122839788

Wrong.

That station is closer to Blanchardstown Village rather than Castleknock.

It used to be known as Blanchardstown before which was the correct name. At the very least it needs to be renamed as Blanchardstown/Castleknock as Rush/Lusk is currently named.

Peregrinus

Interesting post/username combination.

Offended local pride?

icdg

The station has been called Castleknock since the day it opened in 1990. (Never mind the reference to Blanchardstown in the blurb, watch the video).

https://www.rte.ie/archives/collections/news/21432067-connolly-maynooth-rail-link/

Arguably it is closer to Blanchardstown village than Castleknock village, but is just about on the right side of the canal to be called Castleknock, adjacent to Laurel Lodge Road which has a Castleknock address.

L1011

The original station was called Blanchardstown but it was long since closed and not in the same place - it was up where the M50 interchange is.

A1ACo

On a similar note, under the earlier 'Dublin Interconnector' tunnel plan years ago the proposed Christchurch/ High Street area station was called 'High Street' but later, and definitely under the following 'Dublin Underground' plan it was called 'Christchurch'.

Assuming the proposed station position was not changed, it was I'm guessing thought that whereas very few would know where the existing High Street road was, that most would be aware of the nearest most well-known landmark of Christchurch Cathedral instead (and so similar naming convention to other underground rail stations internationally named after nearby tourist and other destinations) and with the additional benefit that it would be beside Christchurch Lane also.

McAlban

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123158584#Comment_123158584

Correct, it was right smack bang in the middle of where the interchange is now. 100m East of the 12th Lock. and 500 odd from Castleknock station. Which is in the middle of Blancardstown 🤔

KrisW1001

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123158920#Comment_123158920

I’ve often heard people refer to this bit of Dublin as “Christchurch”, although I suspect this is mainly a modern euphemism to avoid having to say “The Liberties”.

spacetweek

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123158584#Comment_123158584

Archiseek description incorrectly says construction of the M25 instead of M50.

cantalach

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123159378#Comment_123159378

History is fun…

Christchurch was inside the city walls. It’s the centre of the screenshot below. So it can’t be said to be in the Liberties, which was so named because it was the unprotected area outside the walls.

KrisW1001

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123161357#Comment_123161357

Yep, it’s modern snobbery, to avoid saying that one’s expensive new apartment development is in what used to be Dublin's poorest neighbourhood (or in the case of a friend of mine once, a way of saying roughly where your new place is without her worrying about your safety). The name is because they were feudal manors, under the direct control of a nobleman (which included bishops), who had been granted that "liberty" by the King. The other lands outside the city were under jurisdiction of the King’s sheriff.

The original Liberties were huge and stretched all the way around the south of the city walls as far as Donnybrook, so maybe we could revive the label for that part of Dublin instead? ;)

itsacoolday

Having all of the stations named after "rebels from 1916 ( patriots or terrorists, depending on your point of view ) shows our northern visitors what great parity of esteem they would get in a future "united" Ireland. Not.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123161856#Comment_123161856

They have a statue of Carson on the lawn of their power sharing parliament.

KrisW1001

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123161856#Comment_123161856

If you really think the 1916 Rising was an act of terrorism, then you know very little about either thing.

Those people were definitely “rebels”, arguably “patriots” (unionists would of course viewed them as traitors, but I don’t think you actually care what they think). But the thing they were not, in any way, was “terrorists”. The 1916 Rising was an organised armed insurrection fought directly against the British as one regular military force against another.

Peregrinus

This. "Terrorism" isn't a term that can be applied to any old use of force in support of a cause that someone disagrees with.

itsacoolday

Some of the people they shot - like the unarmed Irish speaking policeman from Achill shot on St. Stephens green by Countess M. In plain clothes, would disagree they were not terrorists, as they were not fighting on behalf of any government and they were a secret organization. Two sides to the story. The heroes of one side get the stations named after them. Not saying it was a bad thing or a good thing, that is what happened.