Unexplained sound in Clontarf/Killester area, evenings and late at night

mtbop

I'm in Fairview right beside Joeys school and picked it up straight away once I got off the bike last night outside my house. The sound is really covering a huge area

degrassinoel

Victor wrote: »

Power stations in the docks.

That'd be the logical conclusion alright but it wouldnt explain it's absense for the last 6 months either, though it could explain the OP's which i havent been able to hear from raheny

degrassinoel

Muahahaha wrote: »

Speaking of unusual noises has anyone in Finglas/Ballymun heard a large air raid siren at around 2 or 3am over the last couple of years? I haven't heard it in a few months now but there was a time when it was almost nightly. I suspect it is the Roadstone quarry just out the road in the St.Margarets Road area, my guess is they play the siren before using dynamite to blow rocks up or something but then it was so regular it could have been for something else, unless they always blew rocks at 2 in the morning. I could never figure it out, it appears to be gone for now but it has dissappeared for some time in the past and then returned again.

I have heard that one irregularly for years here in raheny, and that one is deffo from the docks. Generally doesnt last too long either. Not sure what your one would be or even if the one from the docks would carry that far to finglas/ballymun. However, similar klaxxons are used in a lot of industrial estates to signify a fire or chemical hazzard ie: evacuate the area immediately.
Always thought it was cool sound because it was identical to the blitz airraid klaxxons from WWII that ye'd hear in films and documentarys.

Muahahaha

degrassinoel wrote: »

I have heard that one irregularly for years here in raheny, and that one is deffo from the docks. Generally doesnt last too long either. Not sure what your one would be or even if the one from the docks would carry that far to finglas/ballymun. However, similar klaxxons are used in a lot of industrial estates to signify a fire or chemical hazzard ie: evacuate the area immediately.
Always thought it was cool sound because it was identical to the blitz airraid klaxxons from WWII that ye'd hear in films and documentarys.

yeah I'm convinced the one in Finglas/Ballymun is coming from outside the m50 which is why I think it might be the Roadstone plant, I see they have lights on at nighttime which would suggest the work is 24hours a day. But as to why there is an air raid siren at 2am I cant figure out - I can't understand why they have to wait till 2 in the morning to use dynmite (I'm presuming it is actually as a dynamite warning of course). It is too regular around 2am for it to be an emergency of any description.

The only explanation I can think of is that the quarry is directly below the flight path of Dublin airport so perhaps using dynamite below airplanes isn't a good idea so they're only allowed to do it when flights aren't running which would explain the 2am thing as I think a few cargo planes land between 11 and 1am, after that the skies outside my window seem to be empty

Defintely a cool sound, it doesn't bother me at all and its never woken me up. I'd only notice it if I was up already but if I was living closer it would likely be a different matter. I haven't heard it up my way in a few months now but it does tend to dissappear now and again and then re-appear.

January

Muahahaha wrote: »

yeah I'm convinced the one in Finglas/Ballymun is coming from outside the m50 which is why I think it might be the Roadstone plant, I see they have lights on at nighttime which would suggest the work is 24hours a day. But as to why there is an air raid siren at 2am I cant figure out - I can't understand why they have to wait till 2 in the morning to use dynmite (I'm presuming it is actually as a dynamite warning of course). It is too regular around 2am for it to be an emergency of any description.

The only explanation I can think of is that the quarry is directly below the flight path of Dublin airport so perhaps using dynamite below airplanes isn't a good idea so they're only allowed to do it when flights aren't running which would explain the 2am thing as I think a few cargo planes land between 11 and 1am, after that the skies outside my window seem to be empty

Defintely a cool sound, it doesn't bother me at all and its never woken me up. I'd only notice it if I was up already but if I was living closer it would likely be a different matter. I haven't heard it up my way in a few months now but it does tend to dissappear now and again and then re-appear.

That's not it because we used to be able to feel the building shake from the dynamite going off in school in Cappagh between 2000-2006. And it used to be a fairly regular time in the afternoon too because more often than not we'd be in Biology class when we felt it. Mid afternoon during the week.

DaDartle

January wrote: »

That's not it because we used to be able to feel the building shake from the dynamite going off in school in Cappagh between 2000-2006. And it used to be a fairly regular time in the afternoon too because more often than not we'd be in Biology class when we felt it. Mid afternoon during the week.

This is correct. I work in the quarry and blasts only occur during the day, usually in the afternoons. The lights the previous poster mentions seeing in the middle of the night come from the Viridian Power Plant which is located on the same grounds as Roadstone. Any noises coming from that vicinity in the middle of the night are more than likely coming from the power station.

SparrowHawk

Any chance of a recording of the actual sound in question?

Riskymove

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/kfidsncwcwey/rss2/

zagmund

I don't know anything about the current noise(s), but I know I hear a very low noise coming across the bay late at night on still evenings. I always assumed it was a big marine engine (i.e. in a boat, heading out to sea). I assume I don't hear it during the day because of the greater level of background noise. It would be interesting if it was related to the power station though.

As for the current noises . . . it could be a beacon related to an alien invasion.

z

odyssey06

In the Clontarf area (St Lawrence Road), approx every 15 minutes I am hearing what sounds like the 'starter' noise of a house or car alarm. The alarm never goes 'full' blast, and the noise lasts about 30-60 seconds.

The noise appears to be coming from Stiles Road side (that is, further from the city centre than I am).

spurious

odyssey06 wrote: »

In the Clontarf area (St Lawrence Road), approx every 15 minutes I am hearing what sounds like the 'starter' noise of a house or car alarm. The alarm never goes 'full' blast, and the noise lasts about 30-60 seconds.

The noise appears to be coming from Stiles Road side (that is, further from the city centre than I am).

Before I cancel it, my house alarm sounds like the noise pedestrian crossings play for blind people.

zagmund

As for unmanned DART stations . . . don't rule them out as the source just yet. We've had to call the local constabulary on a number of occasions when the alarm has gone off for *hours* in the middle of the night at our local station. Being a critical piece of infrastructure, you would like to think that the alarm in a DART station would be linked to something and not rely on the neighbours to have to ring up to tell them the place is being broken in to. I reckon it's most likely related to graffiti-bowsies, but it could just as well be someone setting the place on fire.

z

odyssey06

spurious wrote: »

Before I cancel it, my house alarm sounds like the noise pedestrian crossings play for blind people.

I know that noise, mine makes same one ... but that's more of a beep-beep-beep I think.

This one (St Lawrence Road audible) is more sireny, changing in pitch, two-tone.

Den14

Bump

zagmund

Den14 wrote: »

Bump

Wait, did you hear that? It sounds like it's starting again. It sounded more like a "Bump" noise this time though.

:P

z

January

Why on earth would you bump such an active topic? Do not do that again please.

ixoy

I've heard it on a number of occasions in the Clontarf Castle area. It does indeed sound like the announcement at a DART station but I'm not quite convinced that it's the exact same tones. It's quite audible when I do hear it.

For what it's worth I was quite close to Killester DART station until about 19:45 yesterday and didn't hear it at all so it may not be the source (or it just started later).

Peregrine

Could somebody please record the noise?

DaDartle wrote: »

This is correct. I work in the quarry and blasts only occur during the day, usually in the afternoons. The lights the previous poster mentions seeing in the middle of the night come from the Viridian Power Plant which is located on the same grounds as Roadstone. Any noises coming from that vicinity in the middle of the night are more than likely coming from the power station.

There's also the ESB substation near the M50 Finglas exit but I don't think they make any noise..

killbillvol2

The sound on the Youtube clip of Faro/Johannesburg is similar to some school bells. There's another option on the bell in our school which resembles an air raid siren.

A few years ago in our school the settings went wonky and the bell started going off at 9 pm as well as 9 am. 1 am as well as 1 pm etc. It drove people near the school mad but nobody actually mentioned it to us for weeks.

You could have a rogue school bell near you OP?

anncoates

I don't live anywhere near the area but am enjoying the thread and really curious to know what the sound is

Avada

Nim wrote: »

Could somebody please record the noise?

Where I am I dont know if a microphone on a phone (for example) would pick it up.

velo.2010

Well holy god... I not mad after all! I heard an air-raid type siren while growing up in Coolock during the 90's. The noise would start in the early hours of the morning and during the summer months - perhaps the humid air and/or wind from a south easterly direction carried the sound up from the docks if indeed that is where it came from. I did think I was just hearing things at that hour but it became so regular that it was in fact something that sounded like an air-raid siren. I wouldn't really mention it to anyone as it sounded silly so I could never find out why it would occur. The docks/industrial fire alarm theory sounds very plausible.

I too remember hearing the late night train runs as they let rip passing Father Collins Park as it would have been then. Plus, I heard one or two loud bangs from Dublin airport as they would test the engines at night after maintenance.

Peregrine

Random_Name wrote: »

Where I am I dont know if a microphone on a phone (for example) would pick it up.

Aw. I'm nowhere near the area but I'm too curious to walk away from this now

Mrs Shuttleworth

odyssey06 wrote: »

In the Clontarf area (St Lawrence Road), approx every 15 minutes I am hearing what sounds like the 'starter' noise of a house or car alarm. The alarm never goes 'full' blast, and the noise lasts about 30-60 seconds.

The noise appears to be coming from Stiles Road side (that is, further from the city centre than I am).

There are two active backstreet motor repairs operating from the laneway between Lawrence Road and Stiles Road. Could well be from one of those.

Mrs Shuttleworth

ixoy wrote: »

I've heard it on a number of occasions in the Clontarf Castle area. It does indeed sound like the announcement at a DART station but I'm not quite convinced that it's the exact same tones. It's quite audible when I do hear it.

For what it's worth I was quite close to Killester DART station until about 19:45 yesterday and didn't hear it at all so it may not be the source (or it just started later).

This is very interesting. I was in Portmarnock til 9pm, exactly in flight path at the Links apartments, no sound out there so not emanating from airport.

Arrived at Super Valu Killester at 9.30 and could hear the sound loud and clear. Needless to say my heart sank.

Got home to Stiles Road and was told the sound had started at 6.45pm.

Irish Rail received a complaint this morning about noise last night which the complainant assumed was from the line but they swear it's not them. In a coincidence tonight I visited a friend in Donaghmede whose husband works at Fairview Irish Rail depot. Swore blind no works last night or any alarms sounding which confirms poster above not hearing anything from the DART line.

No sound tonight, TG.

mardybumbum

Mrs Shuttleworth wrote: »

Has anyone heard the unusual sound tonight in Clontarf/Killester. It's a loud C-E-G-C musical progression, playing repeatedly since about 7pm, like a warning signal of some kind. It's driving our family and neighbours demented and not coming from any residential house.

C-E-G-C you say.

C, E & G. The three building blocks of the C major chord.
C major, the first key in the cycle of keys.
Music, perhaps the one true universal language.

Clearly intelligent beings OP.

I'm fashioning my tinfoil hat right as we speak.

Mardy

odyssey06

There is open pipe laying works going on in Fairview Park, and at junction of Alfie Byrne Road and Clontarf Road... wind whistling through those pipes could make a noise that sounds musical... but this seems more like human agency from the descriptions.

raxor

Haha I've actually checked this and it's in the key of F, F-A-C-F!

So for absolute clarity, it's exactly like Johannesburg in the above youtube video. (can't link cos I'm new)

Would it be an idea to get a list of potential sources together (schools, sportsgrounds, train stations etc.) and then when it happens next we can split them up and check what's local to each of us? I'd love to get to the bottom of this!

Captain Chaos

I live right on the DART line between Harmonstown and Killester and I have not heard this. I know it's not Irish Rail doing work as they do that between 1:30-4:30am if they do and then it sounds like very heavy road works.

I'm a very light sleeper and hear everything, even a mouse fart would wake me but I've yet to hear this strange noise.

Peregrine

Captain Chaos wrote: »

I live right on the DART line between Harmonstown and Killester and I have not heard this. I know it's not Irish Rail doing work as they do that between 1:30-4:30am if they do and then it sounds like very heavy road works.

I'm a very light sleeper and hear everything, even a mouse fart would wake me but I've yet to hear this strange noise.

The plot thickens..