Ranks Dock Road - Scaffolding?

Callan57

marienbad wrote: »

They were the biggest flour producers in Britain and Ireland - full name was Ranks Hovis McDougal with factories all over ireland of which Limerick was the biggest.

Back in the mists of time they invested in the xerox machine which was just invented. Rank Xerox went on to prosper while the flour milling industry wilted away bit by bit over the years.

J Arthur Rank film studios - with your man banging that gong was another one of their ventures

Amazing ... I didn't realise that & I've worked in Limerick for 25+years

junkyarddog

Back in the late '60's early '70's my Dad worked for a firm in the UK,
going around doing maintenence/instillations on mills all around the Uk/northern Ireland.
The firm got a contract for a job in Ranks,
on a weekend off he want on a blind date in the
Oyster ballroom in Dromkeen,with the lady that was to become my Mam:)
So if it wasn't for that mill I wouldn't be here.
An Aunt of mine worked there too,in the office doing books/payroll.

Dad was upset at the time they were demolishing it,
but was highly amused by the trouble they had doing it:D

And yes as a kid I loved it when drove along under the tunnel joining the two buildings together;)

kenoconnell

so any word on the scaffolding???

Itsdacraic

kenoconnell wrote: »

so any word on the scaffolding???

Still there

kilburn

Looks like they put a mobile phone mast on the top of the silo

Twin-go

kilburn wrote: »

Looks like they put a mobile phone mast on the top of the silo

A Mobile phone mast!?!

That's Rank!!!:D

Raiser

Twin-go wrote: »

A Mobile phone mast!?!

That's Rank!!!:D

I mast go down and have a look later

- So nobody knows what going on?

Not condoning or suggesting such a stupid or dangerous course of action - But if anyone ever wanted to climb that thing nows your chance, not much effort has been made to deter lunatics from scaling the dizzy heights....... Would have thought in this day and age it would have been guarded better. Prob. a disclaimer sign there somewhere waiving responsibility.

Raiser

Raiser wrote: »

Not condoning or suggesting such a stupid or dangerous course of action - But if anyone ever wanted to climb that thing nows your chance, not much effort has been made to deter lunatics from scaling the dizzy heights....... Would have thought in this day and age it would have been guarded better. Prob. a disclaimer sign there somewhere waiving responsibility.

In fairness you'd want to be a fecking ninja to get up all those ladders without being seen by passing traffic or anyone at the 24 hour petrol station across the way, even at night....:D:D:D



Anyway I reckon the scaffolding has something to do with maintaining the mast on top of the silo. I can't think of any other reason really.

mgbgt1978

And the Topaz opposite usually has more members of An Garda Siochana present than Henry st. Barracks.......;)

It looks like the real reason is a bit of maintenance to some crumbling concrete around the edge of the building.

phog

The aerials on top were belonged to the Harbour Commissioners and could be access from an internal staircase. I think at least one was for the pilot who met ships out the estuary and guided the ships in along.

Afaik the building itself was owned by the cement factory not sure if it still is.

Simon Adebisi

mgbgt1978 wrote: »

And the Topaz opposite usually has more members of An Garda Siochana present than Henry st. Barracks.......;)

It looks like the real reason is a bit of maintenance to some crumbling concrete around the edge of the building.

Its ridiculous after midnight or so. Usually at least 8 police knocking around suppin tae and demolishing sausage rolls. The shams who go in get fair timid.

jbkenn

Twin-go wrote: »

A Mobile phone mast!?!

That's Rank!!!:D

Would be quite fitting really, as the original owners of Ranks the Bannatyne family were among the first investors in the Marconi Wireless company

storysham

Deleted User wrote: »

In fairness you'd want to be a fecking ninja to get up all those ladders without being seen by passing traffic or anyone at the 24 hour petrol station across the way, even at night....:D:D:D

Hehehehehe
Done
Will upload photos if people want a few city-scape shots and one or two of the inside.

mgbgt1978

^^^^^ Some claim for a 1st post .....
......go on then, upload the photo's.

I'd recommend not posting them at all, if you still want to post them at least wait until the scaffolding comes down If they're seen I'm sure it will be secured/guarded better. For the official record it never happened

roast

Interesting read. I've only been living in Limerick since 2007 so I've not heard much about all of this. Seem to recall my dad talking about Ranks in Limerick though.

Just looking at this picture, it really is a sight to behold! Would love to have been a kid back then, standing on the bridge between the towers and feeling dizzy!

I might stroll down tonight for a look, perhaps take a few pics.

What is actually in the building now, or is it entirely vacant?
I'm assuming it's not structurally sound, it would be awesome to hold events/exhibitions in there...

marienbad

roast wrote: »

Interesting read. I've only been living in Limerick since 2007 so I've not heard much about all of this. Seem to recall my dad talking about Ranks in Limerick though.

Just looking at this picture, it really is a sight to behold! Would love to have been a kid back then, standing on the bridge between the towers and feeling dizzy!

I might stroll down tonight for a look, perhaps take a few pics.

What is actually in the building now, or is it entirely vacant?
I'm assuming it's not structurally sound, it would be awesome to hold events/exhibitions in there...

Some brilliant photos of Limerick in that link you gave. I worked in Ranks in the 70's as did my father brother uncles- a real family affair, but Limerick was like that in those days, same family members in the Post Office ESB Dockers etc . In those times I was all over those silos- quite a few men died there over the years- it was just a amazing place to work - real 19th century ethos where the bosses were bosses and the workers were... well workers. Had to know your place in those days. All swept away by the american multinationals just opening in Shannon and on balance a good thing (imo)

slinky2000

storysham wrote: »

Hehehehehe
Done
Will upload photos if people want a few city-scape shots and one or two of the inside.

get them up!

slinky2000

lots of news paper articles and pictures about ranks on this page:

http://www.limerickcity.ie/Library/LocalStudies/LocalStudiesFiles/M/MillsMilling/

Just search ranks on that page. Good picture here:

http://www.limerickcity.ie/media/mills%20&%20milling%2033.pdf

I'll PM you Slinky. If images (if they do exist:)) are posted here I can see a lazy article appearing next week in the Limerick Leader or the Limerick Post (with stolen images included of course.) Something along the lines of "crazy lunatics risk lives to scale dangerous building", "danger to themselves and others", "incredibly irresponsible" and other such drivel despite it being perfectly safe once you know what you're doing :rolleyes: I remember a front page story last year about graffiti artists scaling the "dangerous heights" of the stalled GPO development. So that's why putting the images up here probably isn't a good idea!

This is the sort of lazy article I'm talking about, same sort of thing except climbing that tower is 100 times more impressive! http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/news/local/adrenaline_junkies_in_blackpool_tower_shock_1_382669

I've seen enough of that sort of ****e in the English tabloids so due to that I'm keeping quiet

slinky2000

Deleted User wrote: »

This is the sort of lazy article I'm talking about, same sort of thing except climbing that tower is 100 times more impressive! http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/news/local/adrenaline_junkies_in_blackpool_tower_shock_1_382669

I've seen enough of that sort of ****e in the English tabloids so due to that I'm keeping quiet

Tell me about it mate, I've appeared in the Sunday World in the north inside Crumlin Court in Belfast and my pictures of Belvior Park Hospital appeared in the Irish Times!

All stolen pictures of course

slinky2000

slinky2000 wrote: »

Tell me about it mate, I've appeared in the Sunday World in the north inside Crumlin Court in Belfast and my pictures of Belvior Park Hospital appeared in the Irish Times!

All stolen pictures of course

Exactly! I'd love to post the photos up here for everyone to see (as the view supposedly kicks ass!) but in such a litigious and health&safety obsessed society it just isn't wise

By the way these 4 articles from Slinky's link are a great read
Attempt No.1: http://www.limerickcity.ie/media/mills%20&%20milling%2037.pdf
Attempt No.2: http://www.limerickcity.ie/media/mills%20&%20milling%2038.pdf
Attempt No.3: http://www.limerickcity.ie/media/mills%20&%20milling%2039.pdf
Attempt No.4&5: http://www.limerickcity.ie/media/mills%20&%20milling%2040.pdf

storysham

Deleted User wrote: »

Exactly! I'd love to post the photos up here for everyone to see (as the view supposedly kicks ass!) but in such a litigious and health&safety obsessed society it just isn't wise

Supposedly

RaoulPuke

Page 83 of this week's post carries a public notice requesting "loan of items" for an upcoming Ranks Exhibition in March.
Sounds interesting.

marienbad

RaoulPuke wrote: »

Page 83 of this week's post carries a public notice requesting "loan of items" for an upcoming Ranks Exhibition in March.
Sounds interesting.

Must look out for that, love to go to that exhibition , thanks for the 'heads up'