Connolly station ( ga, Stáisiún Uí Chonghaile) or Dublin Connolly is one of the busiest railway stations in
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...
and
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...
, and is a focal point in the
Irish route network. On the
North side of the
River Liffey, it provides InterCity,
Enterprise
Enterprise (or the archaic spelling Enterprize) may refer to:
Business and economics
Brands and enterprises
* Enterprise GP Holdings, an energy holding company
* Enterprise plc, a UK civil engineering and maintenance company
* Enterprise ...
and
commuter services to the north, north-west, south-east and south-west. The north–south
Dublin Area Rapid Transit
The Dublin Area Rapid Transit system (stylised as DART) is an electrified commuter rail railway network serving the coastline and city of Dublin, Ireland. The service makes up the core of Dublin's suburban railway network, stretching from Gre ...
(DART) and
Luas light rail services also pass through the station. The station offices are the headquarters of Irish Rail,
Iarnród Éireann. Opened in 1844 as ''Dublin Station'', the ornate facade has a distinctive
Italianate tower at its centre.
History
On 24 May 1844 the
Dublin and Drogheda Railway (DDR) began public operations from an interim terminus at the
Royal Canal, and on the same day the foundation stone for what is now Connolly station was laid by
Earl de Grey,
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. The station was opened for operations on 29 November 1844 as ''Dublin Station'', but was renamed ''Amiens Street Station'' ten years later, after the street where it is located. The terminus building, which was also to be the DDR's headquarters, designed by William Deane Butler, was constructed of Wicklow granite at a cost of £7,000 and opened in 1846. The flight of steps from the street was to prove difficult for luggage porters and some thirty year later a sloped ramp from opposite
Store Street was created to allow step-free pedestrian and vehicle access to platform level.
Originally the station served only a single mainline to
Drogheda
Drogheda ( , ; , meaning "bridge at the ford") is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, north of Dublin. It is located on the Dublin–Belfast corridor on the east coast of Ireland, mostly in County Louth ...
, and in 1853 through services to
Belfast
Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...
commenced, and an amalgamated company, the
Great Northern Railway Ireland (GNRI) taking over operations. In 1879, architect John Lanyon designed a red sandstone and brick headquarters for the GNRI.
In 1891, the City of Dublin Junction Railway opened a separate station called ''Amiens Street Junction'' immediately next to the DDR's station. Amiens Street Junction had through platforms, allowing passengers to travel over the
Loopline Bridge
The Loopline Bridge (or the ''Liffey Viaduct'') is a railway bridge spanning the River Liffey and several streets in Dublin, Ireland. It joins rail services from south of Dublin to Connolly Station and lines north.
Designed by John Chaloner ...
to
Westland Row on the city's
Southside and onwards to
Rosslare.
In 1937, the
MGWR
The Midland Great Western Railway (MGWR) was the third largest Irish gauge () railway company in Ireland. It was incorporated in 1845 and absorbed into the Great Southern Railways in 1924. At its peak the MGWR had a network of , making it Irelan ...
's
Broadstone Station
Broadstone railway station ( ga, Stáisiún An Clocháin Leathan) was the Dublin terminus of the Midland Great Western Railway (MGWR), located in the Dublin suburb of Broadstone. The site also contained the MGWR railway works and a steam ...
was closed, and the services to
Sligo were transferred to Westland Row via Amiens Street Junction.
After the amalgamation of the
GNR (I) at the end of the 1950s, the two stations were merged into one, simply called Amiens Street. The platforms built by the DDR became platforms 1–4, now used for Intercity and Enterprise trains to Sligo and Belfast; the platforms built by the CDJR became platforms 5–7, used for
DART
Dart or DART may refer to:
* Dart, the equipment in the game of darts
Arts, entertainment and media
* Dart (comics), an Image Comics superhero
* Dart, a character from ''G.I. Joe''
* Dart, a ''Thomas & Friends'' railway engine character
* Da ...
, Commuter and Rosslare services; the DDR's station building became the main passenger entrance and ticket hall; and the CDJR's building fell into disuse.
In 1966, the 50th anniversary of the
Easter Rising
The Easter Rising ( ga, Éirí Amach na Cásca), also known as the Easter Rebellion, was an armed insurrection in Ireland during Easter Week in April 1916. The Rising was launched by Irish republicans against British rule in Ireland with t ...
, Amiens Street was selected as one of fifteen main stations in Ireland to have their names changed to honour patriots executed for their roles in the rising. Amiens Street was renamed Connolly Station, after revolutionary socialist
James Connolly.
Services to
Galway
Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a City status in Ireland, city in the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lo ...
and
Mayo via
Mullingar and
Athlone
Athlone (; ) is a town on the border of County Roscommon and County Westmeath, Ireland. It is located on the River Shannon near the southern shore of Lough Ree. It is the second most populous town in the Midlands Region with a population of ...
had run through Connolly to Pearse from 1937, but were transferred to
Heuston Station in the 1970s. Sunday trains to Cork, Limerick and Waterford during the 1960s operated from Connolly platforms 5, 6 and 7 through the
Phoenix Park Tunnel, so as to avoid the cost of opening Heuston for the limited Sunday traffic demand at that time.
In 1984, the electrification of parts of the Dublin-Belfast and Dublin to Wexford lines was completed, and
DART
Dart or DART may refer to:
* Dart, the equipment in the game of darts
Arts, entertainment and media
* Dart (comics), an Image Comics superhero
* Dart, a character from ''G.I. Joe''
* Dart, a ''Thomas & Friends'' railway engine character
* Da ...
services commenced. The red-brick station building built by the CDJR was refurbished and reopened for commuters.
During the late 1990s, Connolly Station was completely renovated and partially rebuilt. An entirely new station hall was built, the roof over platforms 1 to 4 was replaced, and a new bar/café and shops were installed. The former DART/Suburban station entrance (CDJR building) and the secondary station hall (further north on Amiens Street) were again closed, but a new entrance on the
International Financial Services Centre side was opened. The
Luas Red Line
The Red Line () is one of the two lines of Dublin's Luas light rail system. The Red Line runs in an east–west direction through the city centre, north of the River Liffey, before travelling southwest to Tallaght, with a fork to Citywest and Sa ...
began serving the station in 2004.
As part of the preparation for this, the ramp that had been a bus terminus was demolished and replaced with a two-platform tram station connected to the main concourse by escalators and lift.
Docklands railway station
The opening of
Docklands Station in March 2007 provided an extra terminus station to take pressure from Connolly. During Monday to Friday peak times, trains from
M3 Parkway and
Dunboyne arrive at Docklands Station. It also provides an alternative terminus for the Western Commuter line to
Mullingar if needed.
Docklands is the planned terminus for services to
Navan.
City Centre Resignalling Project
A City Centre resignalling project began in March 2015 and was placed in commission on 15 November 2020. According to Iarnród Éireann, the project has provided the ability to operate 20 trains per hour in both directions through the Howth Junction to Grand Canal Dock line, which caters for Howth DARTs, Malahide DARTs, Northern Commuter trains, Belfast Enterprise services, Sligo InterCity, Western and South Western Commuter services, as well as other services in the Connolly to Grand Canal Dock area. This means that more trains travel through Connolly rather than terminating; it has also facilitated the use of the Phoenix Park rail tunnel for commuter rail connections.
Connolly Station Area Redevelopment
This project redevelops the east section of the Connolly station area "...to provide 81,500 sq. m. of mixed commercial, residential community and leisure uses comprising 50,200 sq. m. of office accommodation; 106 apartments; a hotel; retail and restaurants and a crèche."
In April 2012, CIÉ received planning approval from Dublin city Council for the redevelopment. In September 2017, CIÉ announced it was seeking a partner to develop Connolly Station site. In 2018, CIÉ appointed Oxley Holdings as its partner for the construction of 697 build-to-rent apartments on Sheriff Street Lower. Planning permission was lodged in April 2019.
Connolly Luas stop
Connolly is an interchange with Dublin's
Luas light rail tram system. Built in an area in front of the main station entrance that was previously a bus terminus, the two Luas platforms are covered by a large, segmented canopy. Stairs and lifts directly link the platforms with the station entrance.
When the Luas
Red Line commenced service in 2004,
Connolly was the sole northern terminus. In 2009, the line was extended eastwards to
The Point, and Connolly became the sole station on a spur. Immediately after trams leave the stop, they go through a junction. However, in regular passenger service, trams only ever turn right, heading through the city centre towards Tallaght and Saggart. Around half of all services on the Red Line serve Connolly, and signage suggests that passengers make the short walk to
Busáras Luas stop, where trams are more frequent. Connolly Luas stop is closed in the evenings and early mornings.
Connections
While Connolly mainly connects Dublin to the East Coast of Ireland and to Sligo,
Dublin Heuston serves the South and West of the country. Connolly Station is connected to Heuston via the
Luas tram. Rail links connect the two stations passing through a tunnel under the
Phoenix Park
The Phoenix Park ( ga, Páirc an Fhionnuisce) is a large urban park in Dublin, Ireland, lying west of the city centre, north of the River Liffey. Its perimeter wall encloses of recreational space. It includes large areas of grassland and t ...
. Since 21 November 2016, passenger services regularly use it. Up until then, its main purpose was the transfer of
rolling stock
The term rolling stock in the rail transport industry refers to railway vehicles, including both powered and unpowered vehicles: for example, locomotives, freight and passenger cars (or coaches), and non-revenue cars. Passenger vehicles ca ...
and
locomotive
A locomotive or engine is a rail transport vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. If a locomotive is capable of carrying a payload, it is usually rather referred to as a multiple unit, motor coach, railcar or power car; the ...
s (the main service depot is at
Inchicore
Inchicore () is a suburb of Dublin, Ireland. Located approximately west of the city centre, Inchicore was originally a small village separate from Dublin. The village developed around Richmond Barracks (built 1810) and Inchicore railway works ...
, just outside Heuston).
Rail and ferry connections at Dublin Port
The station is connected by bus to
Dublin Port with
Stena Line
Stena Line is a Swedish shipping line company and one of the largest ferry operators in the world. It services Denmark, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Latvia, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Sweden. Stena Line is a major u ...
ferries from the Ferry Terminal to
Holyhead
Holyhead (,; cy, Caergybi , "Cybi's fort") is the largest town and a community in the county of Isle of Anglesey, Wales, with a population of 13,659 at the 2011 census. Holyhead is on Holy Island, bounded by the Irish Sea to the north, and i ...
, with connecting trains along the
North Wales Coast Line to
Bangor,
Llandudno Junction,
Colwyn Bay,
Rhyl,
Prestatyn
Prestatyn is a seaside town and community in Denbighshire, Wales. Historically a part of Flintshire, it is located on the Irish Sea coast, to the east of Rhyl. Prestatyn has a population of 19,085,
History Prehistory
There is evidence that ...
,
Chester
Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...
,
Crewe
Crewe () is a railway town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England. The Crewe built-up area had a total population of 75,556 in 2011, which also covers parts of the adjacent civil parishes of Willaston ...
and stations to
London Euston.
SailRail
In Britain and Ireland, a SailRail ticket allows travel with a combination of train and ferry. The brand, which was in existence by 2005, is principally associated with rail tickets between National Rail stations in Great Britain and stations in ...
is promoted as a viable alternative to air transport by using trains and ferries to reach places across the Irish Sea.
Holyhead
Holyhead (,; cy, Caergybi , "Cybi's fort") is the largest town and a community in the county of Isle of Anglesey, Wales, with a population of 13,659 at the 2011 census. Holyhead is on Holy Island, bounded by the Irish Sea to the north, and i ...
can also be reached by
Irish Ferries or
Stena Line
Stena Line is a Swedish shipping line company and one of the largest ferry operators in the world. It services Denmark, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Latvia, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Sweden. Stena Line is a major u ...
from
Dublin Port, reached by walking beside the tram lines around the corner from
Amiens Street, Dublin
Amiens Street is a road in Dublin, Ireland, that runs from Memorial Road to North Strand.
History
The road was known as The Strand in the early 18th century. It was renamed after John Stratford, 1st Earl of Aldborough (Viscount Amiens) in 187 ...
into
Store Street or by Luas one stop to
Busáras where
Dublin Bus
Dublin Bus ( ga, Bus Átha Cliath) is a State-owned bus operator providing services in Dublin. By far the largest bus operator in the city, it carried 138 million passengers in 2019. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann. ...
operates a service to the Ferry Terminal, or Dublin Bus route 53 or to take a taxi.
Former ferry and DART connection at Dún Laoghaire
The ferry service from Dún Laoghaire was discontinued indefinitely in September 2014. Passengers travelled on the DART to
Dún Laoghaire to sail using the
Stena Line
Stena Line is a Swedish shipping line company and one of the largest ferry operators in the world. It services Denmark, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Latvia, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Sweden. Stena Line is a major u ...
service. Now the route is a bus via
Dublin Port to
Holyhead
Holyhead (,; cy, Caergybi , "Cybi's fort") is the largest town and a community in the county of Isle of Anglesey, Wales, with a population of 13,659 at the 2011 census. Holyhead is on Holy Island, bounded by the Irish Sea to the north, and i ...
as above.
Rail and ferry connections at Rosslare Europort
InterCity trains from Connolly to
Rosslare Europort connect with the evening ferry to
Fishguard Harbour with through ticketing to places including
Carmarthen,
Llanelli
Llanelli ("St Elli's Parish"; ) is a market town and the largest community in Carmarthenshire and the preserved county of Dyfed, Wales. It is located on the Loughor estuary north-west of Swansea and south-east of the county town, Carma ...
and
Swansea
Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the C ...
.
Irish Ferries and
Stena Line
Stena Line is a Swedish shipping line company and one of the largest ferry operators in the world. It services Denmark, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Latvia, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Sweden. Stena Line is a major u ...
operate ferries from
Rosslare Europort to
Cherbourg
Cherbourg (; , , ), nrf, Chèrbourg, ) is a former commune and subprefecture located at the northern end of the Cotentin peninsula in the northwestern French department of Manche. It was merged into the commune of Cherbourg-Octeville on 28 Febr ...
in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. There is also a seasonal route to
Roscoff operated by
Irish Ferries.
Services
Connolly has seven platforms; four terminals (1-4) and three through - the former Amiens Street Junction station - (5-7). The ticket office is open from 06:30 hrs to 19:00 hrs, Monday to Sunday. The station also features a depot for the Commuter, the InterCity and the
Enterprise
Enterprise (or the archaic spelling Enterprize) may refer to:
Business and economics
Brands and enterprises
* Enterprise GP Holdings, an energy holding company
* Enterprise plc, a UK civil engineering and maintenance company
* Enterprise ...
.
InterCity
There are three InterCity routes served:
*The Enterprise service to
Belfast Lanyon Place (intermediate stops, , , , and ). Departs from platform 2
*
Sligo Mac Diarmada non-stop to
Maynooth and calling at all stations to Sligo. Peak services call at
Drumcondra. Departs from platform 4
*
Rosslare Europort, calling at
Tara Street
Tara Street is a major traffic route in Dublin, Ireland, partly due to the current one-way traffic flow in the city centre. ,
Dublin Pearse,
Dun Laoghaire,
Bray,
Greystones and all stations to
Rosslare Europort. Not all services call at
Kilcoole
Kilcoole () is a village in County Wicklow, Ireland. It is three kilometres (2 miles) south of Greystones, 14 kilometres (9 miles) north of Wicklow, and about 28 kilometres (17 miles) south of Dublin. It was used as the set for the Irish tel ...
. Peak services call at
Blackrock,
Lansdowne Road and
Grand Canal Dock. The 16:33 departure from Connolly to
Rosslare Europort offers a connection to ferries to
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
and
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. Departs from platform 5
DART
DART
Dart or DART may refer to:
* Dart, the equipment in the game of darts
Arts, entertainment and media
* Dart (comics), an Image Comics superhero
* Dart, a character from ''G.I. Joe''
* Dart, a ''Thomas & Friends'' railway engine character
* Da ...
services use platforms equipped with overhead wires (Platforms 5, 6, and 7). Terminal Platform 4 is also electrified. As of January 2019, there are 6 DARTs per hour in each direction on weekdays. These are:
*Northbound: 3 per hour to
Howth
Howth ( ; ; non, Hǫfuð) is an affluent peninsular village and outer suburb of Dublin, Ireland. The district as a whole occupies the greater part of the peninsula of Howth Head, which forms the northern boundary of Dublin Bay, and include ...
and 3 per hour to
Malahide.
*Southbound: 4 per hour to
Bray and 2 per hour to
Greystones.
After years of delays, Irish Rail increased the DART frequency to every ten minutes in September 2018, which increased the number of trains per hour in Howth and Malahide to three, and those terminating at Bray to four per hour—but kept Greystones at two per hour, with some peak services also terminating at Dún Laoghaire. It is also planned to expand the DART lines to Maynooth, Hazelhatch and Balbriggan or Drogheda.
Commuter
Some Commuter services run along the DART line as far as Malahide. There are 2 Commuter services per hour in each direction off-peak. These are:
*Maynooth from platforms 6 or 7: Calling at all stations to Maynooth.
*Drogheda/Dundalk from platform 6 or 7: Calling at Malahide and all stations to Drogheda/Dundalk, with some services also calling at
Howth Junction,
Clongriffin and
Portmarnock
Portmarnock () is a coastal suburban settlement in Fingal, Ireland, with significant beaches, a modest commercial core and inland residential estates, and two golf courses, including one of Ireland's best-known golf clubs. , the population was ...
.
2 trains per hour to
Dublin Pearse from platform 5 or 6.
Peak time services also run to
Longford,
Hazelhatch
Hazelhatch () is a townland in South Dublin on the border with County Kildare in Ireland. It is located on the R405 regional road, approximately halfway between Celbridge and Newcastle. The Grand Canal passes through the area, and Hazelhatch ...
,
Newbridge,
Newry, Dundalk, Balbriggan, Grand Canal Dock and Bray. There are also 3 trains per day from M3 Parkway to Connolly but do not run the return journey.
Statistics
Gallery
Image:Dublin Connolly.jpg, The front of the main concourse in 2007
Dublin Connolly (8208).jpg, Terminus platforms 1 to 4 in 2004
NIR 8208 (Enterprise).jpg, NIR Locomotive with an Enterprise service to Belfast Central
Image:Connolly Luas.jpg, Luas tram terminus at the station entrance in 2005
See also
*
List of railway stations in Ireland
*
Dublin Connolly railway station (DART)
Dublin Connolly DART station was a railway station, that was located next to Dublin Connolly railway station in Dublin.
The station opened in 1984 and closed in 1999.
History
The station opened on 23 July 1984, to allow the DART service to stop ...
References
Bibliography
*
* Johnson, S. (1997). ''Johnson's Atlas & Gazetteer of the Railways of Ireland'', Midland Publishing Ltd. .
*
:* (see also
RTÉ
(RTÉ) (; Irish for "Radio & Television of Ireland") is the national broadcaster of Ireland headquartered in Dublin. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on television, radio and online. The radio service began on 1 January 1926, whil ...
TV series of same title)
*
External links
Irish Rail Dublin Connolly Station Website
{{Authority control
Connolly
Iarnród Éireann stations in Dublin (city)
Railway stations opened in 1844
Railway stations served by Enterprise
Luas Red Line stops in Dublin (city)
1844 establishments in Ireland
Railway stations in Ireland opened in 1844