NUMBER 111

BENCHMARKS continued
 

'I once was lost but now am found,

Was blind, but now, I see.'

Benchmarker kicked off this epic project by first posting the 'mark which was perhaps the one closest to the Benchmarker residence. Well time has told another story and this one on Faulkner's Terrace, Old Kilmainham now takes that exalted title and gets the number 111 to emphasis its closeness. It is situated on what was formerly part of a house front that now serves as a gate post. It has been plastered over for a considerable period, but time has caused some of this to crack and crumble enough to partly reveal it.

The 25 inch maps show that there once was a 'mark even closer to the residence - a literal stone's throw away - but that one disappeared in the building blitz that characterized the Celtic Tiger years.

Below: The 'mark on Old Kilmainham at Faulkner's Terrace.

Above: Old Kilmainham looking east towards the city centre. The 'mark is at the base of the pillar to the right of the big blue gate.

NUMBER 110

BENCHMARKS continued

A few weeks ago the writer, Brian Friel, was announced as 'Donegal Person of the Year'. Although a native of County Tyrone, Friel was given the honour mainly because many of his plays relate to, or are set in, fictional locations in County Donegal. Amongst them, Translations deals with events surrounding the original 6 inches to the mile ordnance survey of 1833 in the fictional village of Baile Beag. The play's title derives from the fact that as the survey was carried out, an Anglicized version was generated of the Irish names of the various towns, villages and town-lands etc. and it was these versions only that were subsequently printed on the maps.

Before the fictional cartographers and orthographers and all the rest of them moved westward towards the fictional village of Baile Beag, they would have earlier carved a fictional benchmark on the factual Courthouse in Leitir Ceanainn (translation: Letterkenny).

It is appropriate therefore that the actual factual benchmark on that very courthouse still survives. It so easily could have been lost because a couple of decades ago the building was renovated, extended, plastered and the walls covered in a white all-weather paint. Clearly though, a decision was made not to cover over the 'mark because - like a teetotaler - it survives today in its own little square of unplastered space. However, a small criticism; it would look much better had it not, like the surrounding wall, been covered in the white paint.

8 out of 10 then, but could try harder.

Below: The 'mark on Letterkenny Courthouse.

Above: Letterkenny Courthouse seen from the High Road, with the 'mark just to the left of the bench to the right.

THE MYSTERY OF B.B.

BENCHMARKS continued
 

Regular readers of this site will have encountered references to B.B. and may have wondered about the identity of this particular person. Well perhaps the mystery is resolved at last. Recently Benchmarker spotted the initials B.B. carved into a granite block on the South Wall in Dublin Bay, about 1/3^rd of the way along from the chain barrier to the Half Moon buildings. Now this was clearly not the work of some weekend graffiti artist with a screwdriver; it is expertly carved - in what Benchmarker takes to be Times New Roman - and obviously had an official function.

Many will be aware that Captain William Bligh spent some time in Dublin. Some believe that he was responsible for building the South Wall and the Bull Wall at the entrance to the Port. Not so, although he did recommend the building of the Bull Wall and carried out repairs to the eastern section of the South Wall.

His main task while at Dublin was in mapping the Bay. To do this he would obviously have had to establish a number of marks, and it is reasonable to conclude that some of these would have been made on the South Wall. Now it is reasonable to believe that Captain William Bligh was know to his fellow officers as 'Billy' (although apparently Fletcher Christian referred to him by a quite different label!), and so when it came to establishing the fundamental mark for the mapping exercise, they had it inscribed in honour of their commander.

And so perhaps the mystery is solved.

When Benchmarker concludes his great task he may turn to writing a novel in the style of Patrick O'Brian's naval adventures. It would centre on William Bligh's time while in Dublin. Wonder did he ever drink in The Windjammer, or Longs, or Kennys?

Below: The mark for B.B. on the South Wall.

Above: The South Wall looking west towards the city, with the mark in the foreground at bottom centre.

NUMBER 109

BENCHMARKS continued

The third of three from Mr M.C. Now you might think there would be a Limerick, or even a pun, about the little town of Adare in Co Limerick. But if there is then Benchmarker has not come across any. Where is D.A.O'H. when you need him?

Below: The 'mark in Adare, Co Limerick.

Above: The 'mark is on the gate-pillar just to the right of the 'think safety' placard.

NUMBER 108

BENCHMARKS continued
 

The second of the three from Mr M.C. It's on a bridge over the River Arra in the centre of the small hamlet of Newcastle West in Co Limerick. Someone has daubed it with green paint; perhaps B.B. is on the prowl?

Below: The 'mark on the bridge in Newcastle West.

Above. The 'mark is near the top centre of the bridge wall, just to the left of the lamp standard.

NUMBER 107

BENCHMARKS continued
 

Benchmarker's great campaign has enjoyed early success. However recently, with much of the low-hanging fruit well and truly plucked, doubts have arisen as to whether it is viable to continue. An option could be to just declare “mission accomplished” and quietly withdraw; tempting but not really Benchmarker's style. And then, just as it seemed the situation was lost, along came a loyal member of the 'Coalition of the Willing' - Mr. M.C. - with a triple-whammy. The first of these - at Victoria Hill in Dublin - appears below, while the others will appear presently.

Victoria Hill today is probably better know as Killiney Hill. It got the name in 1887 to mark the 50^th anniversary of the reign of Queen Victoria. Back in those days British monarchs would visit Dublin with reasonable frequency. Of late it's has stretched out to 100 years or so.

Below: The 'mark at Victoria Hill.

Above: A gateway to Victoria Hill with the 'mark near the base of the pillar at centre.