A question for Northside history buffs and urban explorers
Who here remembers the underground passage across the Kilbarrack Road between 2nd and 3rd cul-de-sac on St. Donaghs Road? It linked up with a lane between the houses on Mount Olive Road and Kilbarrack Road which was later abandoned and taken out with the land given over to the residents on either side of the lane.
The actual underground was pretty big. Wide enough for maybe two small cars side by side. It was a big concrete culvert box. It was always dimly lit and prone to water pooling in the rain. On each side of Kilbarrack rd, there was a ramp to enter and a set of concrete steps at the other end. The ramp started where the bus stop is on Kilbarrack Road.
As kids we used to ride down the concrete steps in the bread crates we "borrowed" from Dunnes Stores. There was a landing halfway down the steps so you would fly down the first flight, hit the landing, most likely spin around and go down the second flight backwards. Half the time you tipped over and fell out. There were more cuts and bruises riding that thing. Probably a broken bone or two over the years. You would never get away with it now.
You can still see one remnant of the past. The small wall that runs along Kilbarrack road alongside St. Donaghs road has a cut in it. Maybe a hundred meters or so. That was where it was and where the rail along the ramp and stairs existed.
I can't find any record of it online but I remember when it was filled in back in the 80s. We were all allowed to dump all kinds of household waste and debris to fill it in. Another thing you would never get away with these days.
Some day somebody is going to drill down into Kilbarrack road for some unrelated construction and find that void. The actual underpass was bricked up on each side. It was the ramp and stairs that were infilled.
Id be curious if anyone has any photos or history of that part of my childhood.