Cabra

The Great Southern & Western Railway's line between Islandbridge Junction (near Heuston Station) to Glasnevin Junction, which is used only for freight and empty stock movements, passes right through Cabra in Dublin City. There was never a station at Cabra, just a yard on the up side of the line which was used for cattle trains. In the mid 1970s, cement traffic replaced cattle at Cabra yard and a cement silo and storage building were built for Irish Cement Ltd. With the reduction of cement traffic on Irish Rail, the yard began to decline in the mid 1990s and finally closed in 1999. The derelict silo was demolished in recent years, although disused sidings still remain, albeit now disconnected.
This is the Cabra cement terminal as it was in the late 1990s, when Northern Ireland Railway's 111 Class locomotive No.112 was seen shunting the 1960s vintage CIE bulk cement wagons. ©Colm O'Callaghan The Cabra cement terminal closed in 1999, although the silo and loading facilities remained in situ for several years after, as seen here in a derelict condition in 2005. Today all the buildings associated with the cement terminal have been demolished, leaving just the derelict sidings in situ. This is another view from 2005, showing the pumping mechanism over the twin sidings which were once partly covered with a roof. 141 Class loco No.152 heads north out of Cabra with bulk cement wagons bound for North Wall yard on the east side of the city, July 1987. The disconnected siding on the left was very rarely used. ©Colm O'Callaghan
On the 15th September 1989, 001 Class loco No.014 with its distinctive missing CIE logo, departs Cabra with a rake of cement 'bubbles'. The one time signal cabin at Cabra was located between the sidings and the main line. ©Colm O'Callaghan The line between Glasnevin Junction and Islandbridge on which Cabra is situated features a steep gradient, clearly visible here. This view is looking north towards Glasnevin, with the former terminal located between the two further road overbridges.