Watch out for prying eyes at the traffic lights and place back carefully in the same position
Met Éireann
The history of modern meteorology in Ireland dates back to 8 October 1860, when the first weather observations were transmitted from Valentia Observatory on Valentia Island in County Kerry to the British Meteorological Office. A network of weather stations was established around the coasts of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
Following Irish independence in 1922, the Irish Free State continued to rely on the British Met Office for weather services, and the Met Office continued to administer the weather stations around Ireland. With the advent of transatlantic air services in the 1930s, it was decided that Ireland needed its own weather service to provide detailed aviation weather reports.
In 1936, the Irish Meteorological Service was set up with its headquarters in St. Andrew's Street, Dublin. In 1937 it took over the network of weather stations from the British Met Office. On the date of transfer, the Irish weather observation network consisted of the following stations: Valentia Observatory, then the only permanently manned weather statio, 4 telegraphic stations (at Malin Head, Blacksod Point, Roches Point and Birr), 18 climatological stations & 172 rainfall stations.
At first, the new weather service was bolstered by Met Office employees seconded from London, but by 1941 they were able to depend on their own resources. During the Emergency (as the Second World War was referred to in neutral Ireland), the Irish Meteorological Service supplied the Allies with weather information despite Ireland's neutrality. The decision to go ahead with the D-day landings was made following a favourable weather report from the Blacksod Point weather station in County Mayo.
The service expanded rapidly in the post-war years, with its headquarters relocating to O'Connell Street in Dublin. The service began supplying forecasts to Radio Éireann from 1948, to daily newspapers from 1952, to television from shortly after the first Radio Telefís Éireann television broadcasts in 1962, and recorded telephone forecasts in the 1960s. Ireland joined the World Meteorological Organisation in the 1950s, and was a founder member of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts in 1975 and EUMETSAT in 1983.
The service was renamed to Met Éireann in 1996.
In 1975 the new headquarters of Met Éireann, the Irish Meteorological Office, opened just off Glasnevin Hill, on the former site of Marlborough House. The Met Éireann building was built in a somewhat pyramidal shape and is recognised as one of the most significant, smaller commercial buildings, to be erected in Dublin in the 1970s.
Marlborough House
Marlborough House - 1944–1972 - Marlborough House in Glasnevin, Dublin was registered as a detention centre for up to 50 boys on 24th March 1944, pursuant to Part V of the Children Act, 1908.
For nearly 30 years children were kept in desperate conditions in this building and were abused on many levels.
In 1957- Marlborough House building was condemned by the Dept. of Works as “a grave risk of loss of life.” No alterations were made, and it continued unchanged for a further 15 years.
This has all been documented by The Child Abuse Commission. It makes chilling reading.
This CO grew up near here and to this day I remember the old building and seeing the boys in the yard over the wall on my way by on the bus. And much as I love old buildings I don’t think I’m the only one who was glad to see the old one torn down & this new building built for a new purpose.
Enjoy