NUMBER 503

BENCHMARKS continued

M.C. (motto: Believe in Better) found this one on the south-side wall of the bridge on the River Slaney in Baltinglass, County Wicklow.

Below: Gently shrouded in M.C.'s chalk, the 'mark on the bridge o'er the Slaney in Baltinglass.

 

 Above: Looking west on the bridge with the 'mark at left on the wall.

NUMBER 495

BENCHMARKS continued

M.C. was in Arklow, County Wicklow for this one. It's on the Bank of Ireland building at the junction of Main Street and Upper Main Street at a place called Parade Ground.

Below: The 'mark on the Bank of Ireland, Arklow, County Wicklow.

 

 Above: Looking towards Parade Ground with the 'mark on the bank building at left.

NUMBER 492

BENCHMARKS continued

This one from M.C. is on the wall of a disused railway bridge on Raheen Road, Baltinglass, County Wicklow.

Below: The 'mark on Raheen Road, Baltinglass, County Wicklow.

 

Above: Looking east on the bridge on Raheen Road. The 'mark is a good bit along the wall at right, marked with white chalk.

NUMBER 491

BENCHMARKS continued

This one from M.C. is on a wall just to the west of Ashford in County Wicklow on the road to Nun's Cross and just past the turn-off for Roundwood.

Below: A 'mark in Ashford, County Wicklow.

 

Above: Looking east towards Ashford with the 'mark on the wall at bottom right.

 

NUMBER 490

BENCHMARKS continued

M.C. motored out to Ashford in County Wicklow where he found this one on a pillar at an entrance to Inchanappa House.

Below: A 'mark in Ashford, County Wicklow.

 

 Above: Looking south towards Ashford with the 'mark at bottom left.

NUMBER 416

BENCHMARKS continued

Along with a camera and a copies of the 25'' maps, an essential tool for any benchmark hunter is a machete or a garden shears. Fortunately M.C. didn't have to unleash his savage side in order to find this fine old 'mark which lurks behind a young cotoneaster (or is it a pyracantha?) on a wall of the Church of Ireland in Kilbride, Co Wicklow. 

Below: The 'mark on the Church of Ireland, Kilbride, Co Wicklow.

Above: A view of the church with the 'mark somewhere behind the shrubbery below the window.

NUMBER 398

BENCHMARKS continued

A classic 'mark from M.C., located at the junction of Putland Road and Sidmonton Road in the holiday resort town of Bray, Co Wicklow.

Below: The 'mark on Putland Road.

 

Above: At Putland Road looking north into Sidmonton Road with the 'mark at left.

NUMBER 396

BENCHMARKS continued

Not waving but drowning! M.C. arrived just in time to record the final moments of this one - on Bray Bridge, Co Wicklow - as it sinks to its doom under the sea of ever-rising concrete, to be lost for ever and all time. The great urgency of Benchmarker's heroic quest has seldom been more starkly illustrated. Tempus fugit!

Below: The 'mark on Bray Bridge. The top bar of the 'mark can just be seen below the stone testifying the identity of builders of the edifice.

  

Above: Bray Bridge looking towards Main Street with the 'mark just below the stone plaque on the wall at left.

NUMBER 357

BENCHMARKS continued

In the Market Square in Tinahely in County Wicklow on a building that was formerly the Market House and is now a library, is where M.C. found this one.

Below: The 'mark on Market Square.

Above: A view of Tinahely with the 'mark near the bottom of the corner.

NUMBER 349

BENCHMARKS continued

Benchmarker's faith in M.C. was completely restored on gazing at this one which is on St Saviour's Church, Rathdrum in County Wicklow. 

 

Below: The 'mark on St Saviour's Church.

Above: The front of the church with the 'mark on the bottom of the corner at left.

NUMBER 341

BENCHMARKS continued

M.C.'s great Wicklow safari bagged this one on the Sacred Heart Church in Aughrim, County Wicklow. 

 

Below: The 'mark on the Sacred Heart Church, Aughrim.

Above: The Sacred Heart Church with the 'mark on the corner near the bottom.

NUMBER 340

BENCHMARKS continued

There's 'marks in them thar Wicklow Hills. This one from M.C. is on the entrance to the Parish Church in Rathdrum, County Wicklow.

Below: The 'mark at Rathdrum Parish Church.

Above: Rathdrum Parish Church with the 'mark just to the right of the gate.

NUMBER 339

BENCHMARKS continued

This one is very much the worse for wear. And is it upside down? It's from M.C. and is on the bridge over the Avonmore River at Rathdrum in County Wicklow. Perhaps the granite block was removed and replaced the wrong way up during repairs sometime in the past.

Below: The 'mark at Rathdrum Bridge, County Wicklow.

Above: Rathdrum Bridge with the 'mark at left.

NUMBER 338

BENCHMARKS continued

From M.C. this one is on Bridge OBR 177 at Rathdrum, in County Wiclkow.

Below: The 'mark at Rathdrum, County Wicklow.

Above: The railway bridge at Rathdrum with the 'mark at centre bottom.

NUMBER 335

BENCHMARKS continued

M.C. found this one on a railway bridge near Aughrim, County Wicklow. Apparently the underside of the bridge is no longer in use for a rail line.

Below: The 'mark near Aughrim.

Above: A view of the bridge near Aughrim with the 'mark at left.

NUMBER 329

BENCHMARKS continued

Swathed in pastel shaded paints this one, submitted by M.C., is on the Old Courthouse, Rathdrum, County Wicklow.

Below: The 'mark on the Old Courthouse, Rathdrum.

Above: Hang out your finest colours for this 'mark. A view of the Old Courthouse, with the 'mark just to the right of the car.

NUMBER 324

BENCHMARKS continued

This one, submitted by M.C., is on the Meetings Bridge, - at the Meeting of the Waters - Avoca, County Wicklow.

Below: The 'mark on the Meetings Bridge. It is well camouflaged by the lichens.

Above: A view of the Bridge and the Waters, with the 'mark on the top of the bridge wall.

NUMBER 322

BENCHMARKS continued

M.C. found this rather unusual one on Main Street, Rathdrum, County Wicklow. It on the corner of what appears to have been a step outside a doorway.

Below: The 'mark on Main Street, Rathdrum.

Above: The 'mark is on the outer corner of the step. Some people who have looked at this photo report seeing a ghostly figure through the window above the 'mark. Very scary!

NUMBER 320

BENCHMARKS continued

Another beauty from Glenealy from M.C. It's on the base of the railings around a gate-lodge on the main street.

Below: The 'mark on Main Street, Glenealy.

Above: A view of Glenealy with the 'mark on the base of the railings at left.

NUMBER 319

BENCHMARKS continued

This one from M.C. is on a gate pillar - that looks like it will not stay upright for much longer - in Kilqueeny, Avoca, County Wicklow.

Below: The 'mark at Kilqueeny.

Above: A view of Kilqueeny with the 'mark at bottom right on the gate pillar. With M.C.'s chariot parked nearby, someone appears to have taken advantage of the shopping.