NUMBER 839

BENCHMARKS continued

Bidding adieu to Slane, with Benchmarker alongside a taciturn M.C. in the driver's seat, the next stop was in Ardee in County Louth to check the bridge that shows a 'mark on the 25” maps. Benchmarker has looked here several times, but sometimes a fresh eye can make all the difference. However no luck; and so it was on to Carrickmacross where in its back alleyways, garage bands were belting out the R&B, rehearsing for the Street Festival on the following Sunday.

Where O'Neill Street becomes the R179, on the south wall of the old graveyard is this one, which someone has acknowledged by haloing it with a crown of green.

Below: The 'mark on the wall on the cemetery on the R179 in Carrickmacross, County Monaghan.

 

Above: Looking west on the R179 with the 'mark at right.

 

NUMBER 838

BENCHMARKS continued

Because the OSI website was 'undergoing maintenance' for quite a long time, the start of the Summer benchmark-hunting season had to be delayed this year and didn't commence until the second last Sunday in May. As usual M.C. planned the schedule and, whether deliberate or otherwise, it resulted in something of a trip down memory lane for him. We would be scoping the towns along the N2 all the way north to Monaghan, where M.C. spent many, many eventful weekends a long, long, long time ago. Perhaps his usual reticence about revealing the finer details of what exactly he was up to during that time would be put aside? Benchmarker traveled alongside in hopeful expectation.

The first stop was at Slane. More precisely, on the road that rises uphill from the bridge to the crossroads in the centre of the village. On the wall on the right-hand side, just before the right-hand swerve to the crossroads, we bagged this one. It was quite difficult to see and the addition of chalk to help outline it only made things worse as its general area is already speckled with a sort of whitewash.

Below: A 'mark on the wall on the climb from the bridge up to the crossroads in Slane in County Meath.

 

Above: Looking north west on the N2 towards the centre of Slane with the 'mark located near bottom right.

NUMBER 837

BENCHMARKS continued

The part of this fair land that is often affectionately referred to as the Wee North, is a happy spot for benchmark hunting in the purist style i.e. without maps or satellite locating devices; but simply equipped with a pair of sturdy shoes, a photographic recording device, and a strong ambition to prevail against whatever the weather decides to throw, coupled to an instinctive sense of where to look. Sadly now during most of the times that Benchmarker travels through that Northern realm, it has been under sufferance as a passenger in the mechanically propelled steed of someone else; someone who it is prudent not to identify. However while returning from a long day on a pilgrimage to that holiest of holy shrines of motorcycle road racing - the North West 200 - an opportunity presented itself, ever so briefly, when the driver decided that the bag of chips sized hole in his stomach could no longer be ignored and pulled in on the eastern end of Main Street in the village of Ballykelly. As the second passenger was dispatched to the chippie, Benchmarker quickly disembarked and scanned the street-scape, whereupon his eye alighted on this one located on a terrace of houses. Two clicks of the camera and it was recorded. Then it was back in the car just as the journey resumed. The bag of chips, a fitting reward, never tasted better.

Below: A 'mark on the south east of Main Street in Ballykelly, County Derry.

 

 Above: Looking west on Main Street in Ballykelly with the 'mark on the left.

NUMBER 836

BENCHMARKS continued

On Glenageary Road Lower in Dublin, this one - from Michael Byrne - has an interesting back-story, as he explains “Many years ago, before the installation of Glenageary Roundabout, the entrance gates to Dunmore House opened onto the then crossroads formed by Sallynoggin Road, Glenageary Road Upper and Glenageary Road Lower running East / West. The "new" roundabout obviously necessitated the removal and relocation of the gates, which were moved about 50m East. The survival of the 'mark is testament to that excellent relocation job”.

Below: The 'mark on a gate pillar of the relocated entrance to Dunmore House on Glenageary Road Lower.

 

 Above: Looking east on Glenageary Road Lower at the relocated entrance gates of Dunmore House, with the 'mark on the bottom of the pillar to the left of the Dead Slow sign.

NUMBER 835

BENCHMARKS continued

This one from Michael Byrne is also from the Sandycove area of Dublin. It is on a gate pillar located on the east side of Albert Road Lower, a little way south of the junction with Hudson Road.

Below: A 'mark on Albert Road Lower in Sandycove, County Dublin.

 

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

NUMBER 834

BENCHMARKS continued

Another batch supplied by Michael Byrne contains this one, located on a sand & cement rendered wall on Breffni Road at it's junction with Sandycove Avenue East in Dublin. Michael notes approvingly that “Having rendered the wall, amazingly they then cut the screed back to expose the 'mark to daylight, unlike so many others that are lost forever to similar finishing”.

Below: A 'mark on Breffini Road in Sandycove, County Dublin.

 

Above: Looking west along Sandycove Road, with the 'mark at bottom right.