Art panel tells station stories

IARNRÓD Éireann, together with Turtle Bunbury Histories and Flahavan’s, have installed a beautifully illustrated panel at Dún Laoghaire Station called Past Tracks.

Researched by historian Turtle Bunbury and illustrated by renowned artist, Derry Dillon, it tells fascinating stories about historical events that occurred in the vicinity of Dún Laoghaire. 

As commuters wait for their train, they can learn all about the 5,000 convicts that were held on board the Essex, which was a captured American ship that served as a floating prison in Dun Laoghaire Harbour between 1791 and 1853, for those before being transported to Australia to serve their sentence.

James Bond’s Mentor, the flamboyant Hollywood producer, who grew up on Mellifont Avenue is also remembered for converting James Bond’s character from the dour spy of Ian Fleming’s novels into the dashing, charismatic star of 25 films. These are just a sample of the fascinating tales.

Historian Turtle Bunbury first approached Iarnród Éireann over a year ago with the idea of creating historic panels at stations around the country that could be enjoyed by members of the travelling public as they waited for their trains.

Flahavan’s, Ireland’s oldest privately owned family food business with its own rich history spanning seven generations, agreed to come on board as sponsors and 10 stations around the country now have Past Track panels, which feature quirky and accessible information about the areas surrounding the stations.

Speaking at the launch, Mr Bunbury said: "In Ireland, we are surrounded by the past wherever we stand.

Past Tracks is about taking some of the stories from our rich history and presenting them to commuters as something that will hopefully intrigue, amuse and maybe even inspire them as they proceed onwards with their journey.”

John Flahavan added: "We are delighted to be involved in bringing local history to life through the Past Tracks project with Iarnród Éireann as the rail network was integral to the brand’s expansion and success during the mid-20th Century.

“Flahavan’s has had a trusted place at Ireland’s breakfast tables for generations and our own history is interwoven with the history of our local area in Kilmacthomas, Co Waterford where we’ve been milling oats for over 250 years.

!We are pleased to be associated with this initiative, as it presents local history in an engaging and meaningful way to passengers young and old across the country.”

Iarnród Éireann District Manager for the Dún Laoghaire area, Chris Rafferty said: "The station here in Dún Laoghaire is very much part of the local community and I am delighted that my customers have such interesting information to read, while they wait for their train.

“Too many of us now have our heads constantly stuck in phones or other devices and it is important to appreciate the world around us. We cannot move into the future if we do not appreciate the past and these little nuggets that Turtle Bunbury has created are living history". 

Turtle Bunbury is an expert researcher, historian and storyteller.

He researches the history of families, businesses, organisations and houses, capturing the legacy of the past, preserving the future for generations to come.

His books include the award-winning 'Vanishing Ireland' series, '1847' and, coming in 2020, 'Ireland's Forgotten Past.' See www.turtlehistory.com 

Derry Dillon is an Irish illustrator with over 20 years’ experience in children’s book illustration, educational publishing and tutoring in illustration and design.

He works in a variety of both digital and traditional mediums.