WALK THE LINE

BLACKROCK RAILWAY WALK

Once up a time you could get a train from Albert Road to Passage/Monkstown via Blackrock and Rochestown. These days you may walk the line.

The rails of course are long gone and the walk starts at the eastern and of the Atlantic Pond though you may of course, for old time’s sake, start at the site of the old station on Albert Road, probably best known to many of you as the place where Carey’s Tools now do business. The line opened in 1850 and closed in 1932.

If you join by the Atlantic Pond as I did last week, you will come across some remains (watch for red brick) of the railway furniture. The path will take you through Blackrock and out over the ring road, west of Mahon Point, and soon you’ll meet another path (that comes from Blackrock Castle).

From here, you may continue for as long as you wish, to Rochestown or further, or you may go back via the Castle, or just walk back directly to Atlantic Pond. This is quite a network of walks and it is a popular one. Also a clean one as the part that runs along the old railway has been paved over.