free hit counter
Poolbeg/Pigeon House Power Station, Dublin, Ireland November 2016 | Oblivion State Urban Exploration

Post a thread

Post a thread in one of the forums

Browse the forums

Browse threads and contribute to reports

Contact Staff

Contact the team

Poolbeg/Pigeon House Power Station, Dublin, Ireland November 2016

True_British_Metal

Full Member
OS Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2013
Messages
66
Reaction score
127
Points
33
Solo jaunt, part 3/3 of TBM's swansong. This could well be the last explore I do for a long time, lest I get up to anything in Taiwan. Apart from a fail at St Ita's asylum in Portrane the day after, I suppose one could say this is my last explore for a while.

History taken from Irish UE: The Pigeon House power station is one of the iconic landmarks of Dublin. It was built on the turn of the 20th century and began operation in 1903. The coal fired power station continued to run for the next 73 years and was finally decommissioned in 1976. The power station which replaced it is now sprawled out on a vast site next to it. The old coal fired power station was built on land next to the old Pigeon House (the large grey building in the bottom right of the below satellite photo) which is how the area got it’s name. Alongside the power station there are also some small remains of the old Pigeon House Barracks which were used to defend the port in times past.

The explore: This is going to be hard, I just know it is. How could it not be? It might be a Sunday, but this is in a busy dockyard next to a very live power station in the capital of Ireland. I might be alone, but I'm not bowing down from a challenge. I should have started earlier, but going out drinking and having a blast the night before put paid to any early wake up calls. So I make my way down here, and I know the way in... or so I think I do. It's a beaten walkway up to this palisade fence, so I get myself ready and vaunt myself over the fence. I thrash myself through the thick bushes, and I'm greeted with a view over the iconic power station.

Bollocks. There's no way of getting round to the other side unless I go into the compound, which is covered with CCTV. There's a guard at the gate, so I can't walk in. I end up faffing around, and doing the long walk round the back of Poolbeg, the active part. I might be able to walk up the beach... nope. It's fenced off, and covered with CCTV all the way along. I have no choice; this could be a fail...Or not.

Oh no... I can't do that. I'll get busted within seconds. Cautious and ever aware of the guard in the gatehouse next to me, I step beyond the gates. Will he stop me? Will he come out and get irate with me? He does nothing. Gingerly I keep going forward, seeing nobody but ever aware of the CCTV that watches the car park and hotel building. Past the cameras, I hear nobody so I just keep going. I walk in like I own the place! I'm in within a minute.

An aerial view, not my photo

satellite.png


Inside, I suppose in owing to the relatively built up and active area it finds itself in, damage is at an absolute minimum for a building that has been closed since 1976. Hard to believe isn't it?

I start off looking through the nooks and crannies of the building before taking photos of the main turbine hall.

30741347030_65a8e5962a_b.jpg


It's all pretty stripped and very decayed, but nothing short of stunning. Some really interesting pieces of architecture can be found.

30995138241_22b4bdf28e_b.jpg


30741731190_44c546cc20_b.jpg


30741989710_f18b51a5a2_b.jpg


31073348006_9a0b1d06e8_b.jpg


31109372135_08c69a6f81_b.jpg


But nothing thus far compares to this. Ladies and gentlemen, take a look at this!

30302856503_87afed79ca_b.jpg


31109693295_42e7be0b9c_b.jpg


I suppose if Battersea Power Station was a complete derp, it would be Pigeon House wouldn't it? Ha ha ha ha!

30303216313_70d4ea7b66_b.jpg


30303323133_82b06f4548_b.jpg


Taking photos in here was a real challenge, being dark and trying to avoid damn camera shake! But I pulled it off.

30996560611_d9617139da_b.jpg


Being closed for so long, it's inevitable that the building has since been stripped of its turbines. Oh how I would've loved to have seen it back then...

30303688943_2a58f71b64_b.jpg


30968452432_b208210ae2_b.jpg


30997779221_ef3c417b49_b.jpg


30744554420_1e6a39ba13_b.jpg


30744710670_6d50f71829_b.jpg


30744833080_90809f6c13_b.jpg


Love as always,

TBM x

 

hamtagger

OS Full member
OS Full member
Joined
Jan 30, 2014
Messages
3,517
Reaction score
1,062
Points
113
Location
Lincoln
That control room looks well nice for being so derpy. Great effort walking past the guards too lol :)  Enjoy your time in Taiwan and maybe we'll see something from there? (y)  

 

The_Raw

Administrator
Staff member
Admin
Joined
Dec 16, 2013
Messages
3,931
Reaction score
2,183
Points
113
Dat control room (y)  

 

Conrad

Oblivion State Member
OS Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2015
Messages
90
Reaction score
115
Points
43
The whole place looks awesome. I've never seen anything like pictures 5 and 6 part of a substation? Or maybe bus bars?

 
Top