NUMBER 829

BENCHMARKS continued

Another one located on the west side of the Dublin Road in Shankill in County Dublin and recorded on the tablet of Michael Byrne. It's on a wall opposite the now defunct Shankill Garda Station.

Below: A 'mark on Dublin Road in Shankill.

 

 Above: Looking south on Dublin Road in Shankill with the 'mark at bottom right.

  

NUMBER 828

BENCHMARKS continued

Michael Byrne recorded, on his tablet, this one which is on the west side of the Dublin Road just a little way south of Shankill in County Dublin and opposite the grounds of Shanganagh Castle.

Below: A 'mark on Dublin Road in Shankill.

 

Above: Looking north west on Dublin Road in Shankill with the 'mark at bottom left.

  

NUMBER 827

BENCHMARKS continued

M.C., who wrote the book on benchmark hunting, gave as Tip Number 2, to always carry a backup camera. (Tip Number 1 is to always know of a venue for post-hunt dining before setting out on the hunt.) Whether Michael Byrne has read the book or not is unclear. Maybe he didn't have to because when his camera battery went flat on his most recent hunt, he simply switched to his tablet to record this one and the following two. It's on the north side of the Old Connaught Avenue in Bray in County Wicklow.

Below: A 'mark on Old Connaught Avenue in Bray.

 

Above: Looking west on Old Connaught Avenue with the 'mark at bottom right.

NUMBER 826

BENCHMARKS continued

This one from Michael Byrne is at the western end of Rosemount Terrace - formerly Gardiners Row - at Booterstown in County Dublin. It is on the wall of a triple arched gateway leading to the former Saint Helens, now the Raddison Blu Hotel.

Below: The 'mark on Rosemount Terrace.

 

Above: On Rosemount Terrace looking west at the gateway to the Radisson Blu and with the 'mark to the right of the smaller entrance-way.

NUMBER 825

BENCHMARKS continued

Michael Byrne continues to set a cracking pace with another pair submitted today. The first of these is on the west side of Booterstown Avenue - about half way between Beech Grove and Rock Road - in Dublin.

Below: A 'mark on Booterstwon Avenue.

 

Above: On Booterstown Avenue looking north and with the 'mark at bottom left.

NUMBER 824

BENCHMARKS continued

Michael Byrne found this one on a redundant gate pillar near the Springhill Cottages on the Dean's Grange Road in Blackrock in County Dublin.

Below: A 'mark on Dean's Grange Road at Springhill Cottages.

 

 Above: On Dean's Grange Road looking north west towards Stradbrook Road with the 'mark on the wall at mid left.

NUMBER 823

BENCHMARKS continued

Another one, a beauty and quite unusual, on Stradbrook Road in Blackrock in County Dublin, from Michael Byrne. It is on the east side of the road opposite the entrance to Stradbrook Lawn. The 'mark is at the top of a granite boulder that can be seen protruding through the concrete path. Michael writes “Amazingly, this stone was never leveled off when the "modern" path was installed and is probably only still there because it is tucked up close enough to the wall to avoid being a Health & Safety issue!”

Below: A 'mark on Stradbrook Road.

 

Above: Looking north west on Stradbrook Road towards Blackrock, with the 'mark at bottom right.

NUMBER 822

BENCHMARKS continued

This one from Michael Byrne is on the west side of Stradbrook Road, just north of Brooklawn, in Blackrock in County Dublin.

Below: A 'mark on Stradbrook Road.

 

Above: Looking north on Stradbrook Road with the 'mark at bottom left.

NUMBER 821

BENCHMARKS continued

Michael Byrne relates a good example of how a benchmark can be literally under our noses and we just don't see it. Except it wasn't him who first spotted this one. Here's his story. “This Benchmark left me gobsmacked! It's located at Rock Hill, or Main Street Blackrock Village. I have driven past this spot on literally hundreds of occasions, and walked past it dozens of times. Never once did I notice this fine granite pillar standing in the pathway, which is effectively the back of Blackrock Shopping Centre. How have I never seen this before?

On checking through the 25" Historical map for potential Benchmark sites, I completely discounted this location as I thought that the amount of demolition involved in preparation for the building of the new centre would certainly have obliterated any possible Benchmark site.

Out strolling today, my missus casually said "Oooo - look at that old stone pillar - I wonder what that's for, and look, it's got a Benchmark on it!" Full credit to her - she found it. I stood looking at it in disbelief, as if it had just dropped out of the sky - how could I possibly have never seen this before?

It's a granite pillar standing about 4ft high, with the top angled from two sides to form a point. The only mark on it is the Benchmark, so it's not a Mile Marker - I'll have to do some checking to find out it's original purpose.”

Michael, I suspect it is the actual 'mark that was originally at that location and was retained there when the buildings were demolished for the shopping centre, perhaps as a condition of the planning permission. It appears the footpath there now is a good bit wider than is shown in the 25” maps, and the position of the 'mark would appear to correspond with the inside line of the footpath in the olden days.

Below: A 'mark on Rock Hill in Blackrock in County Dublin.

 

 Above: Looking south east towards Main Street, Blackrock with the 'mark on the base of the pillar at right.

NUMBER 820

BENCHMARKS continued

The location of this one - on the northern edge of Blackrock Park in County Dublin - can be seen in the distance in NUMBER 818. Michael Byrne, who found it, explains that it is on the wall outside of a semicircular redundant culvert that is now occupied by an ESB sub-station.

Below: A 'mark at Blackrock Park.

 

 Above: Looking south west from the railway side of Blackrock Park with the 'mark on the wall at left.

NUMBER 819

BENCHMARKS continued

Another one from Blackrock, County Dublin from Michael Byrne. It's at the junction of houses numbers 12 and 14 on Westfield Terrace on the Rock Road. It is rather well worn and as Michael Byrne noted “to see it you may have to open the photo and back away to the far side of the room and then squint a bit”.

Below: A 'mark on Westfield Terrace in Blackrock.

 

 Above: On Rock Road looking south east towards the Blackrock Bypass and with the 'mark – very indistinct – at bottom right.

NUMBER 818

BENCHMARKS continued

This one from Michael Byrne is on an old gate pillar opposite Martello Terrace in Blackrock, County Dublin, and close to the eponymous tower itself.

Below: A 'mark near the Martello Tower at Blackrock.

 

Above: Near the Martello Tower and looking south east towards Blackrock Park with the 'mark on the face of the second block up of the pillar.

 

NUMBER 817

BENCHMARKS continued

With a view that rivals that of Gorse Hill, this one from Michael Byrne is on a gate pillar on the south side of the Vico Road – near the Sorrento Terrace side – in Killiney, County Dublin. Sadly it is mainly plastered over in concrete.

Below: A 'mark on the Vico Road.

 

Above: Looking south on the Vico Road with the 'mark on the bottom of the gate pillar at left.

NUMBER 816

BENCHMARKS continued

Michael Byrne found this one located on the viaduct at Cherrywood Road in Loughlinstown in county Dublin.

Below: The 'mark on the viaduct on Cherrywood Road.

 

Above: Looking north east on Cherrywood Road. The 'mark can be found on the bottom of the arch wall at right.

NUMBER 815

BENCHMARKS continued

This one from Michael Byrne, a flattie, is on the third step up at the front entrance of a house called Carina on Summerhill Road at its junction with Islington Avenue in Glasthule in County Dublin. M.C. passed this way, once upon a time, but baulked at moving in for a closer look.

Below: A 'mark on Carina in Glasthule.

 

 

Above: A view of the house Carina with the 'mark, on the third step up, to the left of the black flowerpot nearest.

 

NUMBER 814

BENCHMARKS continued

Another one from Michael Byrne. Not very distinguished, it's on the east side of Knapton Road in Dun Laoghaire, County Dublin, about halfway between the junctions of Vesey Place and York Road.

Below: A 'mark on Knapton Road.

 

 Above: Looking south on Knapton Road with the 'mark, nestling under the ivy, at bottom left.

NUMBER 813

BENCHMARKS continued

This one from Michael Byrne is on the west side of Castlepark Road in Glenageary, County Dublin, where the railway line crosses.

Below: A 'mark on Castlepark Road in Glenageary.

 

  Above: Looking west from the railway bridge with the 'mark at bottom left.

NUMBER 812

BENCHMARKS continued

Risking a possible prosecution for trespass, Michael Byrne found this one on the land-side of the seawall at Blackrock in County Dublin. It is located directly opposite the approximate midway point of Idrone Terrace.

Below: A 'mark on the sea wall at Blackrock.

 

 Above: Looking north west with Blackrock Dart Station in the distance and the 'mark at bottom right on the wall.

NUMBER 811

BENCHMARKS continued

This 'mark, found by Michael Byrne, is on the west side of Ulverton Road in Dalkey, County Dublin.

 
Below: The 'mark on Ulverton Road in Dalkey.

 

 Above: On Ulverton Road looking south with the 'mark at bottom right.

NUMBER 810

BENCHMARKS continued

A few years back, M.C. and Benchmarker searched for this one; and promptly gave up when presented with the view of that modern structure erected in front of where it should be. Not so Michael Byrne however. Here is his story of how he found it. “The Mariner's Church (1837), now home to the Maritime Museum in Dun Laoghaire, reluctantly gave up BM 59.6, but not without a struggle.

There's a steel entrance stairway for visitors, built on the left hand side of the church, right where OS Mapviewer said the BM lurked. Luckily, there was a small gap left between it and the church wall and after a little gymnastics, BM 59.6 was located peeping above the present ground level.

Fairly central in the location photo, and just above the first landing on the stairs, a small blocked up window can be seen. Follow the right hand reveal of this window to ground level, and you will meet this very shy BM.”

Below: The 'mark on the Mariner's Church in Dun Laoghaire, County Dublin.

 

Above: The entrance to the Maritime Museum at the Mariner's Church. (See above for instructions on locating the 'mark.)

NUMBER 809

BENCHMARKS continued

Possibly unique, this one on the Martello Tower at Sandycove in Dublin has an interesting history. Michael Byrne, who found it, tells the story. He writes: “This is Celebrity Indoor Benchmark 46.8, which should have been given a mention in Ulysses, but sadly never got a look in!

The location is on the Martello Tower which now houses the James Joyce Museum in Sandycove. While officially on the outside of the tower facing South, and exposed to the elements like every other self respecting Benchmark, it's now located indoors enjoying it's celebrity status within the Visitor Centre lean-to added to the tower.

The chunky mark points to the edge of a flat ridge that skirts the tower, and above the mark there is a shallow hole drilled into the stone. Did I read somewhere that the surveyors dropped a steel ball into those holes to give them their Benchmark?

The location shot shows the mark to the right of the display cabinet in the visitors centre.

By the way, the two guys working there were extremely helpful and very interested in the whole Benchmark story. Not only did they let me out the back door to search, but gave a dig out in looking! Convinced the mark was lost to the cut made in the tower for the centre's wall, I took one last look inside. On moving a large framed picture standing on the floor between the display unit and the tower - voila! - Benchmark found! The guys were delighted as they never knew it was there, and got me to sign into the visitors book, with a note of the BM height of 46.8. Great craic!”

Below: The 'mark on the Martello Tower at Sandycove.

 

Above: Inside the visitor centre at the Martello Tower with the 'mark at centre right.

NUMBER 808

BENCHMARKS continued

Michael Byrne bagged this one in Sandycove, County Dublin. It is on the west side of Sandycove Avenue East opposite the junction with Sandycove East Lane.

Below: A 'mark on Sandycove Avenue East.

 

Above: Looking south on Sandycove Avenue East with the 'mark on the wall at near bottom right.

NUMBER 807

BENCHMARKS continued

With the replacement of part of the corner of the old wall with a modern red-brick pillar, except for its leftmost leg this one has been entombed. Spotted by an eagle-eyed Michael Byrne it is located on Grosvenor Terrace in Monkstown in Dublin, at its eastern corner with Pakenham Road.

Below: The left leg of an otherwise entombed 'mark on Grosvenor Terrace in Monkstown.

 

Above: On Grosvenor Terrace with the 'mark, four bricks up, where the new pillar meets the older granite.

NUMBER 806

BENCHMARKS continued

This one from Michael Byrne is located at Dun Laoghaire Harbour in County Dublin. It is on the edge of the harbour wall, where it skirts alongside Dunleary Road, about halfway between the West Pier and Dunleary Pier aka the Coal Pier.

Below: A 'mark at Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

 

 Above: Looking east towards Dunleary Pier with the 'mark – a flattie – at bottom left.

 

NUMBER 805

BENCHMARKS continued

This 'mark, from Michael Byrne, can be found on the land-side of the seawall, just to the east of Monkstown Dart Station in County Dublin.

Below: A 'mark on the sea wall at Monkstown.

 

Above: Looking west with Monkstown Dart Station at left and the 'mark at bottom right on the wall.