Blackrock Castle Estuary walk etc??

sporina

Is the railway line/greenway - open yet - so that you can walk from Blackrock Castle the whole way around the estuary - and up to the marina, without having to cross the bypass in Mahon?

Mefistofelino

No. The section between Skehard Road and Blackrock Road is still closed.

cantalach

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058245104/blackrock-castle-estuary-walk-etc

The shared path that runs all the way along the water’s edge from Blackrock Castle to Jacob’s Island never closed. It rejoins the old railway line south of the pedestrian footbridge over the N40. You can’t do a full loop because the old railway line is still closed from a point about 200 metres north of the footbridge.

Summary: you can still walk/run/cycle along the estuary from Blackrock Castle to Jacob’s Island.

sporina

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119039839#Comment_119039839

mayb you didn't read my post properly - I asked if you could walk the whole way around without having to cross at Mahon..

in any event - my Q is answered - its still closed.. the railway line that it..

hate coming off and having to cross the main rd.. defeats the purpose of a peaceful walk - will stick to the marina for now

cantalach

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119040290#Comment_119040290

The only part of this you can’t do currently is from St Michael’s Drive to the Marina. You seem to think that you need to cross the N40 at the busy Mahon overbridge and pass through the very busy road junction between Mahon Point SC and the retail park. This is not the case. You can still bypass all that nastiness by using the dedicated footbridge further west and the part of the railway line running behind the retail park. At the point where you finally come to the closed part of the railway line, a permanent ramp up to St Michael’s Drive brings you almost to the CSO and it’s fairly quiet suburban roads from the CSO up to Blackrock Harbour. So just to be clear, the way you cross over the N40 on foot is not affected by the closure.

sporina

@cantalach ok - so where do I go exactly? apologies I don't know the names of the roads etc.. I'm a blow in... so... walking along the railway line - then I have to come off due to the works.. and up onto the main rd... where do I go them? I usually head for ALDI to get back to the pier.. so there's another way? if you have already said so, sorry I don't follow - can you mayb explain again?

who_me

Last time I tried it (taking the route clockwise, so coming up the old railway line from the South), you had to turn off the line near the Mater Private hospital. I tried Google Maps to show the shortest route back up to the Marina/Blackrock, and this is what it came up with.

Normally I've gone via Church Road which is a much longer route to the West, so I'd advise following the route above if it's accurate. Hopefully it'll reopen again soon, it's not nearly as nice a walk having to leave the railway line.

cantalach

This is the way I would go from the ramp up from the railway line near the Mater Private to Blackrock Harbour: https://goo.gl/maps/n9NF1hM3848VSont5

sporina

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119041565#Comment_119041565

thats exactly the route I have been using.. like minds and all that...

sporina

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119042589#Comment_119042589

thats basically the same as the route I already use!!!!! swings and roundabouts..

not sure what you thought I was asking.... anyway..

bottom line, the railway line is NOT open and there is no way to do the loop without having to go up to the main busy roads of Mahon! grrr....

hope it reopens soon..

cantalach

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119043343#Comment_119043343

Sorry but I’m completely confused. Your first post said your main requirement was to be able to do your walk “without having to cross the bypass in Mahon”. Even when the old railway line is reopened you will still have to cross the N40 in the exact same spot that you do today. So your ask is an impossibility now and in the future. That’s what’s confusing me.

whisky_galore

The shovel-breastfeeding set are taking their sweet time with repairs. The Taj Mahal would be put up faster.

mobitron

I assume this will have to be open again by the June bank holiday weekend as it's part of the Cork City marathon route (unless the route is changing this year).

sporina

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119044273#Comment_119044273

huh? before this one could always walk the loop without having to come up the main roads in Mahon.. you just went around the estuary (from the castle) took the right over the bridge and onto the railway line - straight up to the marina and right to go back to the castle..

dunno where your at..

anyway.. my query is answered..

TheChizler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119045424#Comment_119045424

Do you mean Skehard Road? By the Maxol? By main road you could either mean this or the 4/6-lane N40.

cantalach

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119045572#Comment_119045572

Take your pick. The OP’s first post asked about doing the walk “without having to cross the bypass in Mahon” (I’m quoting exactly). That was impossible before the railway closed, it is impossible currently, and it will still be impossible when the railway reopens.

But as the thread wore on, the OP forgot what they originally asked and now says they want to do their walk “without having to come up the main roads in Mahon” (again, I’m quoting exactly) which is obviously a completely different thing.

I’m actually kind of curious to know what the next evolution of their requirement will be. Maybe something like “without ever being more than fifty metres from a flower bed”.

TheChizler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119049767#Comment_119049767

I think they always meant come off the line at Skehard Road by Maxol, the N40 never came into it, bypass was just a poor choice of word.

Blitzkrieger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119044743#Comment_119044743

WTF are they doing? I was there earlier and they've a load of holes dug, and god knows what built jutting out into the path. This may turn into a ramp, but surely that should have went at the end of the platform? Plenty of work left to do there by the looks of it anyway....

whisky_galore

God only knows, usual council inefficiency and unaccountability all over a tiny section of walkway.

sporina

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119049767#Comment_119049767

what are you on about?? I never had to go near a bypass (which is a "road" and a v v busy rd)

my post from yday morn says it all

Mefistofelino

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119051148#Comment_119051148

Council may be paying for it but the work itself is being carried out by a private contractor.

From what I have seen, they've cut back the overgrowth, widened the path, new asphalt, new lighting, rebuilt the stonework of the old walls at the bridge on Skehard road, reconfigured the ramps, platform renovations in Blackrock, including the new steel pedestrian bridge and put a tiered limestone (?) retaining wall with planting at Skehard.

The first four items needed doing urgently - not so sure about the others

Karmella

I saw a post from Cllr Kieran McCarthy on FB recently - he had asked the council the exact same question - why was it taking so long. They had some vague answer that they discovered a whole lot of extra work needed to be done after they cleared back all the overgrowth etc. Sorry I can’t remember when they expected to finish though. Must have a look for the post.

edit: found it - mid July apparently.

Curb Your Enthusiasm

End of Summer by the time it's fully open again I'd say. Absolutely ridiculous inefficiency (I would nearly go as far as to say incompetence) here with seemingly no one being held accountable. Electronic boards on the walkway first said May, then June and now July. Only reason it's in the paper is because a cllr asked a Q on it - council would have remained hush hush with no reasons given otherwise. And lame excuses provided even at that.

Meanwhile, those walking and cycling are forced to navigate busy roads for months on end. It's not good enough tbh.

Marina 3 years in still has crappy moveable barriers with cars driving down it, nothing is being done about this: https://twitter.com/tobigrab/status/1525147082226552834?t=UVCStRjnY8pMfDzkDs4wTA&s=19

Motorists literally throwing the barriers into the grass verges. It was in the water at one stage.

sporina

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119059400#Comment_119059400

thanks a mill for that - sound info.. July though?! ffs

notAMember

Are you talking about by the blackrock station?

If you are, it’s running services for the planned building and transportation there. Sewers, power, water.

All the plans are on the council website. They’re not just making it up as they go along. :D There was a consultation process where the public could submit comments. It’s literally planned for years.

I really pity anyone putting up with the public like the council do. There’s always someone to complain after the fact I suppose.

There were at least two walls collapsing there that needed to be replaced to be safe, the big one took 4 months, but they managed to pull back the delay. The second one isn’t built yet, it’s at the top of the ramp.

whisky_galore

4 months. For a wall. Was it part of the Great Wall of China?

notAMember

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119069011#Comment_119069011

Oh you're a HOWL altogether. Yes, 16 weeks is exact the same as 2300 years.

It was during Covid, There were building restrictions and lack of availability of certain trades over the last 2 years. It is also outdoor work, over winter, impacted by temperatures for curing traditional mortar etc. The whole area is historic, they didn't replace a 200 year old wall with some shtty cavity block masonry, they restored like for like. Traditional craftsmanship takes time to do right as it has some limitations on when and how it can be done, especially in conditions where they are working at height on crumbling infrastructure.

There were a few stages from what I saw passing by.

• Discovering the problem, making a plan, getting approval, sourcing the contractors.
• Erecting 5 stories of cantilever scaffolding and securing it. ( that takes a few weeks. )
• Getting permission from the residents
• Setting up the road closures and access routes.
• Clearing working areas for the masons
• Dismantling piece by piece, a several hundred year old historic limestone wall.
• Evaluating which pieces can be reused and separating
• Source replacement stone
• Build double faced stonework
• Pointing and finishing
• Making good the work area again for the residents, reverse the temporary access routes.
• Remove the scaffolding

It grinds my gears when I see people belittling others work, especially that kind of hard slog, outdoors, lifting rocks and piecing that work together. Stone masonry is a skilled craft. There's no need to demean people doing it. They work damn hard. I hope it's ignorance of what they do, and not the snobbery towards trades that it comes across as.

whisky_galore

No doubt happy to go slow anyhow, in between arse scratching and cups of tea. No penalties for stringing a job out.

notAMember

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119083921#Comment_119083921

huh? It's a contractor doing the work, of course there are penalties.

I don't see any arse scratching or slacking off. Have you some other view, or just want to have a moan in general. It's not slow, as far as I can see even accelerated with increased scope, and long hours outdoor doing physical work in bad weather.

What's your job? Post it up sure, we can all have a go at you about your performance. Doesn't actually matter what the reality is, we'll just slag it off anyway.

sporina

@notAMember which is it.. you work for em or know someone who does? you seem v bias in any event

spare us - work down there has been so intermittent.. the signs said March, then May, now what?? blah blah

notAMember

Neither.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119087446#Comment_119087446

I walk the area a lot so I see the work they are doing.

walls started collapsing in on them so the amount of work increased.

more work = more time.

Not really sure why that doesn’t make sense to people and they immediately jump to calling the workers slackers.