NUMBER 624

BENCHMARKS continued

This one from M.C. is on the wall of a shed on the N59 at Bushy Park in County Galway.

Below: A 'mark at Bushy Park, Galway.

 

 Above: Looking south-east on the N59 with the 'mark at left.

NUMBER 623

BENCHMARKS continued

This one from M.C. is on a corner of the Town Hall on Quay Street, New Ross, County Wexford.

Below: A 'mark on Quay Street, New Ross.

 

 Above: On Quay Street looking into Mary Street with the 'mark at right.

NUMBER 622

BENCHMARKS continued

This one from M.C. is on the east side of Thormanby Road near the junction with Upper Cliff Road in Howth in Dublin.

Below: No need for M.C.'s magic chalk stick. Highlighted in scarlet, a 'mark on Thormanby Road, Howth.

 

 Above: On Thormanby Road at the junction with Upper Cliff Road with the 'mark at left.

NUMBER 621

BENCHMARKS continued

Another one from M.C. located on a wall on The Shannon in Enniscorthy, County Wexford. It's on a stretch called the Misericordia Range.

Below: A 'mark on The Shannon, Enniscorthy.

 

 Above: On The Shannon looking south-west with the 'mark near the corner of the wall.

NUMBER 620

BENCHMARKS continued

This one from M.C. is on the wall of the chapel on The Shannon in Enniscorthy, County Wexford.

Below: A 'mark on The Shannon, Enniscorthy.

 

 Above: On The Shannon looking south-east with the 'mark at right.

NUMBER 619

BENCHMARKS continued

M.C. found this one on a wall pillar of a gateway to an area called The Orchard on Newtownpark Avenue in Blackrock, County Dublin.

Below: A 'mark on Newtownpark Avenue, Blackrock.

 

 Above: A view of the entrance to The Orchard with the 'mark at the bottom of the wall pillar at left.

NUMBER 618

BENCHMARKS continued

This one from M.C. is on the north side of Lucan Road, a short way east of Chalet Gardens, at Lucan, County Dublin.

Below: A 'mark on Lucan Road.

 

 Above: On Lucan Road looking east with the 'mark at left.

NUMBER 617

BENCHMARKS continued

This one from M.C. is on a granite pillar, which may have once been a mile-marker, in Enniscorthy, County Wexford, at the junction of two streets called The Shannon and Templeshannon.

Below: The 'mark at the junction of The Shannon and Templeshannon in Enniscorthy.

 

 Above: At the junction of The Shannon and Templeshannon with the 'mark at the bottom of the granite block on the corner.

NUMBER 616

BENCHMARKS continued

This one from M.C. is on Church Road - formerly called Tee Lane - in Celbridge, County Kildare.

Below: The 'mark on Church Road in Celbridge.

 

Above: On Church Road looking east towards English Row with the 'mark at bottom left.

 

NUMBER 615

BENCHMARKS continued

This one is on the east side of Strand Road in Portmarnock in Dublin, and a little south of the junction with Blackberry Lane.

Below: A 'mark on Strand Road in Portmarnock.

 

 Above: Looking south on Strand Road with the 'mark at left.

NUMBER 614

BENCHMARKS continued

This one from M.C. is on the perimeter wall near the entrance to Stewards Hospital on the old Lucan Road in Dublin.

Below: The 'mark on the Lucan Road in Palmerston Village.

 Above: Looking south-east on the Lucan Road with the 'mark at left.

NUMBER 613

BENCHMARKS continued

M.C. writes that this one is on Saint Thomas's Church at Hollywood Rath in Mulhuddart, County Dublin.

Below: The 'mark on Saint Thomas's Church in Mulhuddart.

 

Above: A view of the church with the 'mark on the corner at left.

NUMBER 612

BENCHMARKS continued

This one from M.C. is on a gate pillar of the entrance to Saint Saviour's Church on Coolgreney Road in Arklow, County Wicklow.

Below: A 'mark on Coolgreney Road in Arklow. (It's at the bottom of the pillar.)

 

Above: M.C. did not supply a wide shot but instead provided a view of the church notice board.

 

NUMBER 611

BENCHMARKS continued

This one from M.C. is on a gate pillar of the entrance to Saint Peter's College on Summerhill Road in Wexford Town.

Below: A 'mark on Summerhill Road in Wexford Town.

Above: A view of the entrance to Saint Peter's College on Summerhill Road with the 'mark at the bottom of the gate pillar to the right.

 

NUMBER 610

BENCHMARKS continued

M.C. (motto: Things that are equal to Another Thing are equal to Each Other) found this one on the entrance step to Saint Peter's Church in Rossdroit in County Wexford.

Below: The 'mark - a flatie - on Saint Peter's Church in Rossdroit.

 

 Above: A fine view of the church. The 'mark can be found on the entrance step.

NUMBER 609

BENCHMARKS continued

Almost 50 years ago as the bus for Dublin passed a direction sign reading 'Douglas Bridge', Benchmarker's father was prompted to recite a few verses of a rhyme thus -

On Douglas Bridge I met a man
Who lived adjacent to Strabane,
Before the English hung him high
For riding with O’Hanlon.
 

God save you, Sir,” I said with fear,
“You seem to be a stranger here.”
“Not I,” said he, “nor any man
Who rides with Count O’Hanlon.

Spool forward a quarter of a century and when Ben Kiely came into a radio studio to record a few miscellaneous talks, a reference in one to Count O'Hanlon prompted Benchmarker to ask if he knew the Ballad of Douglas Bridge. Kiely knew the name of the writer, Francis Carlin, and said it was perhaps 30 years since he had read it, pondered for a second and then proceeded to recite the complete nine verses from memory.

So, on a recent journey southwards Benchmarker diverted to check possibilities, bridges being good as locations for 'marks. However the bridge has been much changed since the days of the Count; rebuilt and widened. No luck there. But, further along in the village one was spotted on the Church Hall. It's not so much as 'on' Douglas Bridge, as 'in' Douglas Bridge.

Below: The 'mark in Douglas Bridge.

Above: The Church Hall in Douglas Bridge with the 'mark on the left side gable wall (not visible in photo).

NUMBER 608

BENCHMARKS continued

 

Another church from the camera of M.C. This one is Saint Patrick's on Main Street, Celbridge, County Kildare.

Below: The 'mark on Saint Patrick's Church in Celbridge.

 

Above: A view of the front of the church with the 'mark just to the left of the gate at right.

NUMBER 607

BENCHMARKS continued

Whatever do those letters and that number mean? An intriguing one from M.C. It's located near the door on the south side of Saint Nicholas' Church in Galway City.

Below: The 'mark on Saint Nicholas' Church in Galway City.

 

 Above: A view east at the south of the church with the 'mark at left.

NUMBER 606

BENCHMARKS continued

This one from M.C. is on a gate pillar at the entrance to Saint Mochta's Church on Porterstown Road in County Dublin.

Below: The 'mark on Saint Mochta's Church in Porterstown.

 

Above: A view of the church with the 'mark at the bottom of the gate pillar at left.

 

NUMBER 605

BENCHMARKS continued

This one from M.C. is on Saint Matthias' Church on Church Road, Killiney, County Dublin.

Below: The 'mark on Saint Matthias' Church in Killiney.

 

 Above: A view of the church. The 'mark is at the bottom of the corner at centre.

NUMBER 604

BENCHMARKS continued

M.C. found this one on the bridge over the railway line on Saint John's Road, Enniscorthy, County Wexford.

Below: A 'mark on Saint John's Road in Enniscorthy.

 

 Above: Looking east on the bridge with the 'mark just to the left of the bridge sign.

NUMBER 603

BENCHMARKS continued

This one from M.C. is on the easternmost corner of Saint James' Church in the town-land of Bushy Park in County Galway.

Below: The 'mark on Saint James' Church in Bushy Park, Galway.

 

Above: A view of the eastern corner of the church with the 'mark on the corner at bottom.

NUMBER 602

BENCHMARKS continued

This one from M.C. is on Saint Finian's (Church of Ireland), Newcastle, County Dublin.

Below: The beautifully executed and preserved 'mark on Saint Finian's Church in Newcastle.

 

 Above: A view of the church. The 'mark is located to the left of the door.

NUMBER 601

BENCHMARKS continued

M.C. recorded this one on Saint Edan's (Aedan's) Cathedral Church in Ferns, County Wexford.

Below: The 'mark on the Cathedral Church of Saint Edan in Ferns.

 

Above: A view of the Cathedral Church with the 'mark on the wall just to the left of the door.

number 600

BENCHMARKS continued

M.C. (motto: More is Easy) found this one on a gate pillar at the entrance to Saint Bridget's School on Church Road, Stillorgan, County Dublin.

Below: The 'mark on Church Road, Stillorgan.

Above: A view of Saint Bridget's School with the 'mark at the bottom of the gate pillar at left.