tarboat's photos with the keyword: northern ireland

Standing on the corner of Royal Parade and North Street in the centre of Belfast the former Bank of Ireland Building is one of the finest Modernist buildings in Ireland. It was was constructed during 1929 and 1930 to designs by Joseph Vincent Downes. The exterior is Portland limestone and the building is listed grade B+ which is the equivalent of II* on the British mainland. As of 2023 the buillding remains empty.

Carrickfergus gasworks has been preserved as a museum by a local Trust and comprises the largest surviving gasworks in Britain and Ireland. I was privileged to be given a personal tour of the premises when I visited. This is one of the three retort benches on the site. Sadly the Trust has found itself unable to meet the cost of running the museum and it is now closed and handed back to the landowners Historic Environment Division. Hopefully it will reopen in 2023.

The Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast is seen here during the docking of the Byford Dolphin Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit. The six month contract saw the rig surveyed and a number of modifications made in addition to standard maintenance and renewals.

The surviving gasholder at Carrickfergus gasworks was erected in 1949 and is the sole survivor of the three that were once on the site. In front is the base of one of the two earlier gasholders at The brick lined tank only needs water around the sides of the metal holder and therefore some of the space inside is filled with a brick cone often referred to as a "dumpling". All is now preserved as part of the gasworks museum.

Dukart's Canal was built to provide transport for coal from the Drumglass Collieries to the Coalisland Canal in County Tyrone, Ulster, Ireland. It opened in 1777, and used three inclined planes, rather than locks, to cope with changes in level. There is little evidence that it was ever used, as the planes could not be made to work properly, and they were dismantled in 1787. The most prominent canal structure still extant is this ashlar stone aqueduct at Newmills, built around 1768, where the canal was carried over the River Torrent.

This is the base of one of the two early gasholders at Carrickfergus gasworks. The brick lined tank only needs water around the sides of the metal holder and therefore some of the space inside is filled with a brick cone often referred to as a dumpling.

Sinclair's was once one of Belfast's most prestigious department stores. The first part of the store on Royal Avenue was built in 1926 in the classical style faced with a yellowish terracotta. As a consequence of the troubles, the department store closed and on 1 September 1972 and the building was sold off to a Japanese company for just £60,000. Today it is occupied by a cafe, with office space above. The building is listed Grade B+, the equivalent to Grade II* listed status in Britain.

Sinclair's was once one of Belfast's most prestigious department stores. The first part of the store on Royal Avenue was built in 1926 in the classical style faced with a yellowish terracotta. As a consequence of the troubles, the department store closed and on 1 September 1972 and the building was sold off to a Japanese company for just £60,000. Today it is occupied by a cafe, with office space above. The building is listed Grade B+, the equivalent to Grade II* listed status in Britain.

Valves on the top of the gasholder at Carrickfergus.

This gasholder was erected at Carrickfergus gasworks in 1949 and is the sole survivor of the three that were once on the site. It is now preserved as part of the gasworks museum.

I don't often do selfies but this can be an exception. That's my shadow from the top of the surviving gasholder at Carrickfergus gasworks. Below you can see the remains of the two earlier holders that this replaced in 1949. The brick lined tank of one is on the left whilst only the circular outine of the base is visible for the other.

Sinclair's was once one of Belfast's most prestigious department stores. The first part of the store on Royal Avenue was built in 1926 in the classical style. By 1935, Sinclair's was extended with an Art Deco style addition by Belfast-born architect James Scott, who had previously designed the 1926 building. This extension is faced with cream terracotta and topped with a clock. Today the building is occupied by a cafe, with office space above. It is listed Grade B+, the equivalent to Grade II* listed status in Britain.

Sinclair's was once one of Belfast's most prestigious department stores. The first part of the store on Royal Avenue was built in 1926 in the classical style. By 1935, Sinclair's was extended with an Art Deco style addition by Belfast-born architect James Scott, who had previously designed the 1926 building. The panels carry a gilt-edged circular 'Sinclair' shield with an embossed gilt-edged capital 'S' letter. As a consequence of the troubles, the department store closed and on 1 September 1972 and the building was sold off to a Japanese company for just £60,000. Today it is occupied by a cafe, with office space above. The building is listed Grade B+, the equivalent to Grade II* listed status in Britain.

Standing on the corner of Royal Parade and North Street in the centre of Belfast the former Bank of Ireland Building is one of the finest Modernist buildings in Ireland. It was was constructed during 1929 and 1930 to designs by Joseph Vincent Downes. The exterior is Portland limestone and the building is listed grade B+ which is the equivalent of II* on the British mainland.

Carrickfergus gasworks has been preserved as a museum by a local Trust and comprises the largest surviving gasworks in Britain and Ireland. I was privileged to be given a personal tour of the premises when I visited. This is one of the three retort benches on the site.

The Kilroot power station on the north shore of Belfast Lough has a capacity of 660 MW and produces one third of Northern Ireland's electricity. It is the country's only coal fired power plant although the plant was initially oil fired. Today there is 520 MW of coal/biomass generation and 140 MW from gas turbines. The plant is owned by the AES Corporation, a United States based energy company.

My view of the eclipse as I stood on a canal towpath somewhere near Lough Neagh. The slight cloudiness made it easier to see what was going on.

The Kilroot power station on the north shore of Belfast Lough has a capacity of 660 MW and produces one third of Northern Ireland's electricity. It is the country's only coal fired power plant although the plant was initially oil fired. Today there is 520 MW of coal/biomass generation and 140 MW from gas turbines. The plant is owned by the AES Corporation, a United States based energy company.