Old cast iron road signs

BrianD3

I was under the impression that all remaining old signs which show distance in miles were to be removed in conjunction with the changeover to metric speed limit signs. Is this actually happening. I have noticed one or two signs have disappeared in the last month or so but there are still loads of the old signs about in country areas and small towns.

I actually think it'll be a pity if/when the signs go. They are part of our heritage - I believe they were erected shortly after the foundation of the state? I don't reckon it would do any harm to leave the signs in situ in quiet country areas. Also if they must be removed then they should be kept somewhere safe and preserved, not scrapped.

Leaving aside sentimentality, I like the font on the old signs, it's very bold and clear, also the characters are embossed which really makes the text "jump out". The 1/4 mile increments look cool and give less rounding errors than modern signs which have increments of 1 km (i.e. 0.62 miles) Generally the signs look really solid and long lasting compared to plasticky looking and characterless modern signs

Anyone have any more info or thoughts on the old signs?

murphaph

Sure they look quaint and all that. I know fo sure that Ireland being Ireland, any examples left will be stolen and sold.

BrianD

Where can you find them?? It's a long time since I say a direction sign in miles!!

Anyway, there's a roaring trade in selling these signs to Irish pubs around the world ... won't be too long before any remaining signs are gone!

BrianD3

BrianD wrote:

Where can you find them?? It's a long time since I say a direction sign in miles!!

They can be found in pretty much any rural area. They can also be found in lots of small towns but I haven't seen any in large towns or cities for years.

Anyway, there's a roaring trade in selling these signs to Irish pubs around the world ... won't be too long before any remaining signs are gone!

I have seen signs in Irish pubs - but the ones I saw were definitely reproduction/fake signs. Although I don't doubt that some stealing does go on. I'm wondering if the missing signs I've seen lately have been due to morons stealing them for pubs or as part of the changeover to metric.

BrianD3

Victor

And on the flip side of this, I saw my first metric speed signs yesterday, a full 3.5 weeks after the changeover.

While I can understand the sentimentality attached to the old signs, that they were taken down during the "Emergency" and put back up in often the wrong places didn't help.

BrianD

Most of those white signs, even the rural ones, have been in KM's for a long time! I used to be on the road quite a bit and you don't see many of them.

mike65

I see no merit in confusing ppl by keeping those that remain in situ though I agree they have a definite aesthetic appeal. The only place I can recall seeing them recently is on the N24 about 3 miles west of Cahir just past a National School.

Mike.

BrianD3

There are loads of them still about. Recently I have made a point of keeping an eye out for them on my travels - there are plenty in Meath, Westmeath, Kildare, Longford, Cavan etc. Eg there is one in Carnross Co. Meath on the main N3 which says that it's 8 miles to Virginia. I believe the road is designated as T31 (old trunk road classifcation) on the sign. Quaint There are a few more further west on the same road at a crossroads. I'm not divulging any other locations in case there's someone reading this who wants one for a pub.

Sometimes they are hard to spot as they are mixed in with km signs on the same pole.

BrianD3

BrianD

I think the image posted on this thread has the mix of miles and kms alright. Usually the miles ones have that V type symbol.

Crossley

Anyone else find it irritating that alot of the new signs erected to replace these have no distance whatsoever shown on them?

BrianD3

BrianD wrote:

I think the image posted on this thread has the mix of miles and kms alright. Usually the miles ones have that V type symbol.

I don't know what that v-shaped symbol is but I've noticed it only appears on signs where there is also a road classification (eg T66 on the Tralee sign) The signs without the classification and symbol (eg the Glencar/Lickeen sign) are most definitely in miles too though, it's just that these roads have no name. So all the signs on that pole I posted are in miles.

BrianD3

mike65

I travelled about 200 miles today and spotted 3 olde worlde signs. One in Killeagh Co Cork, on on the Portlaw-Carrick road and the other I forget.

Mike.

Capt'n Midnight

I liked the very specific ones - 3/8th of a mile and so on.
But as Victor said they didn't get the all right after the emergency as anyone who has ever been to Balinaclash will know, loads of places where the sign in A says give a distance to B that is different to what the sign in B says it is to A.

Silvera

I agree that some of these sign should be left in place whenever possible.

They are part of our heritage.

And if they are all removed, they should be retained for posterity - although we have yet to get a dedicated National Transport Museum in which to display such items !!! .........or sold at public auctions !