Derelict Nation: September 2011

9/24/2011

Ballisodare Train Station


Ballisodare Train Station - Inside the Maintenance Shed

Ballisodare Train Station lies on the Sligo-Dublin line. This much photographed derelict station closed in the 1960's. It comprises of a train station and maintenance shed.

View from the Ledge: Maintenance Shed.

The train station and the maintenance shed are great subject matter to photograph. It sits in an area of waste land that is bordered by a housing estate on one side and the working track on the other. A pathway from Ballisodare leads into the train station.

Maintenance Shed with Housing Estate

Windows

Roof

In 2004 there was a campaign to re-open Ballisodare Station. Plans to develop a new station are also in the Ballysadare Mini Plan of 2009.

Derelict Train Station on the working Sligo-Dublin line.

Ticket Office

Entrance to Station

View from the Ledge

CLICK HERE TO VIEW MORE PHOTOS OF BALLISODARE TRAIN STATION ON FLICKR

9/22/2011

Derelict Nation's Blog Post on Abbey Manor Hotel Creates Widespread Public Reaction

Innishfree Suite. The Abbey Manor Hotel. August 2011.

Its been a month since I blogged about the Abbey Manor Hotel in Leitrim. I visited the hotel on two occasions and photographed the derelict interior. Everything in the hotel had been left ready for business. It was as if the owners one day locked up the premises and did not come back.


Set for dinner

During my visit to the hotel I disturbed a burglar in the process of stealing antique paintings. It was possible to walk into the hotel from a vandalised door at the rear.

Click here to view the original Abbey Manor Hotel blogpost.

Since putting up this post there has been widespread local, national and even international interest in my pictures of the hotel. The people of Dromahair were shocked to see a much loved local listed landmark in such a state. Numerous comments were left on the post expressing concern and also thanks. Many comments were from people who had got married at the hotel over the years; my favourite comment read 'we know the price of everything and the value of nothing'.

Entrance to the Innishfree Suite

Local radio and press took up the story. It was reported on Shannonside FM, the Leitrim Observer and the Sligo Champion. Most significantly a Facebook campaign was started to Save the Abbey Manor Hotel. This group has been very active in finding out who owns the hotel and also trying to re-open it for business. I have given the group my photographs of the hotel in order to help them with the campaign. I am currently trying to meet with the group in order to work creatively with them on the Save the Abbey Manor campaign.

It has been really interesting to see the reaction to my post about the Abbey Manor. My aim as an artist is to be like a mirror, to show things that are right there, but may not always be obvious. What I see from the widespread reaction to my pictures is that the Abbey Manor Hotel is special to many, many people. It is great to see people group together to try and do something practical about it. It will not become another victim of the recession.

click here to read about Derelict Nation and the Abbey Manor Hotel in Leitrim Observer

Click here to read about Save the Abbey Manor Hotel in Leitrim Observer

Click here to read about Save the Abbey Manor Hotel in Sligo Champion

Click here to visit Save the Abbey Manor Hotel on FacebookClick here to view Save the Abbey Manor Hotel on Facebook.

9/08/2011

O'Connors Hotel, Swinford, Mayo.

View from O'Connors Hotel.

O' Connors Hotel is not strictly a derelict building. It belongs to the Walsh family of Swinford and has a working bar on the ground floor of the building.
Conor Walsh kindly let me photograph the hotel. It is largely unused and is a very interesting place because it is filled with relics of different times. I was particularly interested in all the different wallpaper and many different colours painted on the walls.


Medicine Cabinet

Wall

Colours

The hotel is typical of an Irish hotel built before the Celtic Tiger. It is an old building that has been added to over time. This has led to an unusual layout that doesn't always make sense. There are even stairs like the ones in Fawlty Towers!

Staircase

Internal Window

Lightswitch

Lightswitches over the years

There are lots of interesting objects and memories in the hotel. Some are quite old and some are more recent. The hotel is currently being tidied up, so this is a good time to record its treasures and histories.