Quite a few visitors to this site come to read about the Broadstone. Here is a piece about the pontoon bridge used at the Broadstone between (AFAIK) 1847 and 1877. It was designed by Robert Mallet and it is interesting to see how an inventive engineer solved the peculiar problems of the Broadstone site.
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Mallet was even more “inventive” than people might know, for, in October 1849, on Killiney Beach, he invented seismology. He dug a large hole, filled it with dynamite, went to the top of Killiney Kill where he set up a detector, and then detonated the dynamite. This allowed him to measure how fast waves travelled through the Earth. This was, in fact, the first “controlled source” seismological experiment ever to be performed – anywhere in the world. He continued his work in Naples after the massive earthquake of 1857. The Mallets also made the railings around Trinity College, and you can still see the maker’s name on those railings along Nassau Street.
Eoin
Thanks, Eoin; that was quick!
By the way, I would be interested to know if Mallet’s foundry made any barges or canal boats other than the pontoon. So far I haven’t found any information on the subject. bjg