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Paradise Lost: Howth Junction and Donaghmede

Alighting onto a post-apocalyptic concrete and steel abyss I surveyed the mesh of stairs, like an Escher lithograph, leading everywhere and nowhere simultaneously. “Where am I?” asked a bemused elderly lady I had stepped onto the platform with: “Howth Junction”. “Oh dear”.
Relativity, M. C. Escher, Lithograph, 1953.

Oh dear indeed. Where is the front of this ‘station’? I refuse to call it one: it is merely a set of stairs and a lift. Following signs to the exit I’m greeted with a dystopian Alice in Wonderland prospect of turning left into a car park and right along an overgrown, dirty footpath. I choose the latter; at least it might lead somewhere.
The path to former station master's house, Howth Junction

Dodging filth like the mad hatter, the elegant brick gables, stone lintels and terracotta chimney stacks of the former station master’s house can be spied amongst a wilderness of ivy, grass and razored-fencing. Forlornly neglected, the graceful merging of Classical pediments and Romanesque arched windows with Victorian brown and red brick creates an almost chequer-board effect. Bricked-up, graffitied with holes in the roof, an ire starts to brew within.
Former station master's house, Howth Junction

Opened in 1848, Howth Junction formed the Y junction from Dublin Amiens Street (now Connolly) heading east to Howth and north towards Belfast. Both lines still operate and continue to provide the junction with four platforms. Not listed on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, an architect is unknown, but there are echoes of the designs by George Papworth at Balbriggan and Kells.
Balbriggan

The original station at Howth Junction is long gone, as are the tropical palm trees which once garlanded the platforms. The GNRI brick-built signal box was removed for the insertion of electricity for the DART. It had all the hallmarks of designs by the GNRI’s first chief engineer, William Hemingway Mills: the semi-architrave windows are the main giveaway.
Palm trees at Howth Junction, 1977.
Former signal box, Howth Junction

Crossing the super-highway of Kilbarrack Road I feel like I’ve been transported to Stevenage. I head to Howth Junction Cottages and get a bit excited by the row of gabled-fronted houses. Three per unit, the quoined corners and window accents give me a sense they could be railway-related, but their size and location tell me to stop getting notions.
Howth Junction Cottages
One interesting site is that of the modern flats called Howth Junction Court. According to the Historic Map 25 inch (1888-1913) on GeoHive.ie, an enclave of buildings lay opposite the station master’s house. The houses of Howth Junction Cottages are not built, but there is another enclave on the corner where they would be built.
Historic Map 25 inch (1888-1913)

And so, another post another question: were the buildings at Howth Junction Court and Howth Junction Cottages railway-related, maybe even worker’s houses, signal boxes or train sheds?

But for now, I’ll leave you with the prophetic words of John Milton:

“At once as far as Angels kenn he views 
The dismal Situation waste and wilde, 
A Dungeon horrible, on all sides round 
As one great Furnace flam'd, yet from those flames 
No light, but rather darkness visible 
Serv'd onely to discover sights of woe…”
Milton, J., Paradise Lost: Book  1 (1674)

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