Carlisle Pier

This is the former Carlisle Pier station in Dun Laoghaire, south Dublin City, which was opened by the Dublin & Wicklow Railway as early as 1859. The Dublin Wicklow & Wexford Railway, and much later CIE, added additional facilities to the station, such as an overall roof , and then modern 1950s buildings on the up side of the pier. Carlisle Pier closed in 1980 in preparation for the DART electrification, which would not accommodate the short branch from Dun Laoghaire Station to the pier. The tracks were taken up and now Holyhead boats depart from a new terminal nearer to Dun Laoghaire Station. Although the platforms at the pier have been filled in with tarmac, the station buildings, including the Victorian era train shed, were demolished in October 2009.
This 1979 scene from Carlisle Pier shows re-engined C Class Metrovick loco No.232 pulling out of the pier station with a couple of parcel vans bound for Pearse Station, Dublin. ©Jonathan M.Allen A busy scene at Carlisle Pier in July 1980 shortly after the arrival of a Sealink ferry. The bridge upon which road vehicles were loaded onto the ferry can clearly be seen. ©Jonathan M.Allen With its distinctive front vents, 181 Class locomotive No.186 pulls out of Carlisle Pier Station in July 1980. The small windowed box structure on the platform adjacent to the crossing to the right of the photo was the 1962 built signal cabin. ©Jonathan M.Allen This is the classic view of the Carlisle Pier as it was in 2002, with the trainshed and 1950s built buildings to the right. The tarmac ground where the cars are mark the site of the filled in platforms.
A similar view taken shortly after the station buildings at Carlisle Pier were demolished in October 2009. In the foreground is the site of the former level crossing. A small section of the former signal cabin can be seen behind the construction hoarding. Although the Victorian trainshed was more than a hundred years old it did not obtain a preservation status; the disused pier was apparently classified as a 'warehouse'. There has been talk however of reinstating the Victorian trainshed in the future. This is the Victorian era trainshed as it was in 2002. Boats used to align themselves against the docking buildings on the left, from where the passengers disembarked. The trainshed at Carlisle Pier, viewed from what was the former concrete platform. The shed was part of the improved facilities provided by Dublin Wicklow & Wexford Railway to the original 1859 built station.
Looking the opposite way on what was the concrete platform, with the tracks on the left now filled in with tarmac. The rather shabby buildings were added in the 1950s as part of the station's facility expansion; they were quickly torn down in October 2009. The old level crossing at Carlisle Pier is visible in this late 1970s view of the station, by this time it was no longer in use.The signals seen here dated from the station's upgrade in the 1950s. ©Jonathan M.Allen Although the tracks and the level crossing gates are long gone from Carlisle Pier, one of the crossing's gate posts remains in situ, painted silver. This is the view looking out towards the main Dublin to Rosslare line from Carlisle Pier, which passed beneath a small road overbridge seen here. The advent of the DART construction led to the line's closure in 1980.
This was 'Carlisle Pier Junction', where the short branch to the pier station diverged away from the main Dublin to Rosslare line, the tracks of which are visible beneath the screening. The short cutting leading to Carlisle Pier (visible in the background) can be seen. Today this area has been covered over. Seen berthed up against Carlisle Pier in the late 1970s is Sealink's ferry 'Hibernia', named after the Roman name for Ireland. ©Jonathan M.Allen