Ever wondered about Dublin’s forgotten transport hub? Welcome to Dublin Broadstone.
Right here before us lies a place steeped in history. Dublin Broadstone was once one of Dublin’s most important areas. In the 19th century it boasted a major railway station and a bustling canal harbour. It was a key transport hub. Few people today know its significance.
Imagine the scene in 1789. A royal charter formed the Royal Canal Company. The company planned a canal linking Dublin to the River Shannon. Broadstone was chosen for a major canal harbour. Construction started in 1790. It was not easy. The canal encountered the North Circular Road. A humpbacked bridge Blacquiere Bridge was built to cross it. The biggest challenge was Constitution Hill. The canal had to cross this road on an aqueduct. Fosters Aqueduct named after John Foster was built. The Broadstone section of the canal opened in 1802. It offered limited service to Newcastle near Enfield. By 1817 the entire Royal Canal was complete. Broadstone became the main harbour linking Dublin to the Midlands.
The canal faced competition. The 1820s saw Bianconi Stage Coaches. These road coaches competed with the canal boats. The canal company countered with “fly boat” services. These were daily barges travelling to Mullingar. But canals were expensive to build. They quickly became outdated. In 1845 the Midland and Great Western Railway purchased the Royal Canal. They wanted to use the land to build a railway line west. They saw Broadstone harbour as a perfect location for a railway station.
In 1848 they created a train line. It ran north along Phibsboro. It passed under the North Circular Road. This train service ran from Broadstone to Mullingar. The canal passenger traffic collapsed overnight. Railway travel was much faster than canals. The Grand Canal’s passenger traffic figures dramatically illustrate the railways impact. Between 1845 and 1851 first-class passengers dropped by 90%. Second-class passengers also plummeted.
But Dublin Broadstone’s story continued. A magnificent Neo-Egyptian railway station opened in 1850. The station was not typical. It overlooked Constitution Hill. The railway brought new opportunities. As Dublin’s middle class grew so did demand for leisure trips. The railway company offered trips to fairs and races in the west of Ireland. These day trips were revolutionary. Before railways such trips were impossible.
By the 1870s the canal was an obstacle. Canal traffic at Broadstone was declining. A new dock opened where the Royal Canal met the Liffey. This new dock made the Broadstone harbour redundant. The harbour’s location made the station difficult to access. A pontoon bridge was used. But this was unsuitable for increasing rail traffic. The company filled in the canal dock in 1878. They built Western Way a new road. This road crossed the Aqueduct. The Aqueduct was now a road bridge. The Broadstone section of the canal was abandoned.
The railway station thrived. Large workshops opened in 1878. The Midland and Great Western Railway Company built all its trains there. The station was a major public station and workplace for people in the area. Census data from 1901 and 1911 show this. But the early 20th century brought change. Road transport became the major rival of the railways. In 1911 the Midland and Great Western Railway Company opened its first bus service. The declaration of independence spelled the end for Broadstone. In 1924 the Great Southern Railway closed several stations. Broadstone was not part of long-term plans. Connolly Station on Amiens Street was favoured. The station was given over to buses in 1934. The last train left Broadstone at midnight on 16 January 1937.
Today Dublin Broadstone is a reminder of Dublin’s changing transport needs. Its history is fascinating. It reminds us of progress and change. The once-grand Neo-Egyptian station now stands as a bus depot. The Royal Canal is a park. But the memories of Dublin Broadstone remain. It is a story of innovation. It is a story of decline. Most of all it’s a story of Dublin’s past.