Hidden Ulster Tours

Hidden Ulster Tours Experienced, professionally qualified guide leading short and long tours for groups of all sizes - walking, cycling, driving, coach - around Ireland.

Hidden Ulster Tours is the 'tourism' element of Stone Circle Consulting, and features news, stories and posts related to my tour-guiding business. This is where I will advertise upcoming walks and tours, or share items of interest in relation to tourism. For information on my talks, media consultancy, research and writing services, please visit www.facebook.com/stonecircleconsulting.

28/05/2025

I'm guiding a Belfast City Tour this morning and where better to come than my old alma mater - Queen's University Belfast. Under the blue skies, the red brick and yellow sandstone of this 19th century building are glowing.

For those who've never been inside, I've quickly gone into the entrance foyer, cloisters and Great Hall.

Hard to believe it's over 30 years now since Emma Birrell and I first met here!!

SCHERZER BRIDGESBridges along the Liffey SeriesI've taken this information from an explanatory board beside this unusual...
12/05/2025

SCHERZER BRIDGES
Bridges along the Liffey Series

I've taken this information from an explanatory board beside this unusual grey bridge on the north side of the Liffey - close by the Samuel Beckett Bridge.

The information is a bit too complex for my non-scientific brain but I hope it's of interest to someone 😀

In 1817 the Royal Canal was opened, connecting the River Shannon with Dublin. The canal entered the River Liffey at North Wall Quay. A cast-iron single track swivel bridge was constructed to carry traffic on the quays.

As traffic increased in the Docks area during the 19th century, the bridge was weakened and in 1860 a decision was taken by the Ballast Board (responsible for running the Port of Dublin] to build a new improved double track bridge. This rolling drawbridge survived until the early 20th century, when its poor condition made it too slow in allowing vessels through and caused significant delays to traffic.

In 1910 Sir John Purser Griffith (1848-1938) was Chief Engineer for the Dublin Port and Docks Board [formerly the Ballast Board] when it was decided to construct twin bascule bridges to replace the rolling drawbridge. He contracted with Spencer and Company of Melksham, Wiltshire to erect the bridges, which were built to the design invented in 1893 by William Scherzer of Chicago.

The Scherzer system reduced the time for suspension of traffic to four and a half minutes for a single vessel.

Construction of the bridges was commenced in 1911 and they were in full operation by 1912. The total cost of the project was £13,294.

How the bridges worked: When a vessel entered the dock the outer bridge was raised, and the street traffic was diverted over the inner bridge. The vessel was then brought into the entrance until it almost touched the inner bridge. The water in the inner lock was lowered, and the outer sea gates opened. Then the street traffic was stopped and the inner bridge raised. The vessel entered the lock and as soon as the vessel cleared the outer bridge it was lowered and the street traffic diverted over it. The operations were reversed for a vessel leaving the dock.

To the western end of the bridge segmental girders are attached to the main girders. These form the "rolling" surfaces upon which the bridges work. These segmental girders are extended. so as to carry the counterweight box containing steel and concrete. The essential feature of this type of bridge is that the centre of gravity of the whole moveable structure, including the bridge and counterweight shape, correspond with the centre of roll. By this means the bridge is in equilibrium in all positions.

Each bridge was worked by an electric motor. In the event of a power failure, the bridge could be opened by hand gear, operated by endless chain from the road level.

To prevent accidental displacement of the bridges on their paths, the track plates had steel teeth incorporated in them. Corresponding recesses for the teeth were cut in the curved track plates of the segmental girders.

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Blue Badge Tour Guide

Hidden Ulster Tours is a company set up by Laura (Lolly) Spence, a professionally qualified ‘Blue Badge’ tour guide. Offering a variety of tours (walking, cycling, car, coach) all over Ireland (north and south), I particularly enjoy creating bespoke tours for private groups or individuals - eg genealogy, Game of Thrones, food tours, Titanic, Ulster-Scots. My website is www.hiddenulstertours.com - please get in touch if you’d like my help planning a tour round any part of Ireland. Separately from my tourism business, I offer media consultancy, research and writing services, and deliver talks and presentations to groups on a range of subjects. Please visit www.stonecircleconsulting.co.uk for more information, or email me to request a list of topics.