The Merrion Gates () is a railway

level crossing A level crossing is an intersection where a railway line crosses a road, path, or (in rare situations) airport runway, at the same level, as opposed to the railway line crossing over or under using an overpass or tunnel. The term a ...

in Sandymount, Dublin, Ireland, where the DART and

Dublin–Rosslare railway line The Dublin-Rosslare Main Line is a main rail route between Dublin Connolly station and Rosslare Europort, where it connects with ferry services to the United Kingdom and mainland Europe. The line between Dublin and Greystones is electrified and ...

crosses Strand Road near its junction with Merrion Road. There is pedestrian access to

Sandymount Strand Sandymount Strand ( ga, Dumhach Thrá) is a large strand on the east coast of Ireland, adjacent to the village and suburb of Sandymount in Dublin. It is part of South Bull - a major component of the south side of Dublin Bay, and part of the Dubl ...

immediately to the east of the railway crossing. First built in 1834, the junction is a "notorious" traffic bottleneck, which also restricts the possible frequency of railway traffic. The term "Merrion Gates" is sometimes used to refer to the surrounding area, and a number of nearby businesses take their name from the junction.

History

The Merrion Gates site is close to the former

Merrion Castle Merrion Castle was a castle situated about 300m south of the present-day Merrion Gates, to the south of Dublin city centre. Built in the early fourteenth century, it was from the sixteenth century to the early eighteenth century the principal s ...

, which was destroyed during the Irish Rebellion of 1641. The railway line and gates were built in 1834, at a site described in some sources as a "symbolic entry point to the inner city". Important passengers, who travelled to Dublin by train from

Dún Laoghaire Dún Laoghaire ( , ) is a suburban coastal town in Dublin in Ireland. It is the administrative centre of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown. The town was built following the 1816 legislation that allowed the building of a major port to serve Dubli ...

port, were sometimes greeted at the Merrion Gates – including the Papal legate in advance of the 1932 Eucharistic Congress of Dublin. In 1921, during the Irish War of Independence, the Merrion Gates were the site of an ambush and shootout which resulted in the deaths of two civilians. Merrion_Gates_Old_Station

The Merrion Gates railway crossing lies just north of the former Merrion railway station. This station opened in 1835 and closed in 1935. Neighbouring stations, still in operation, include Sydney Parade to the north and Booterstown to the south.

Development proposals

As of the early 21st century, the Merrion Gates are a well-known and "notorious" traffic bottleneck, where the gates have been reportedly "closed for up to 20 minutes per hour at peak times". In 2016, the National Transport Authority unveiled a proposal to close the Merrion Gates and to divert motor traffic onto a new road bridge to be built over the railway approximately 250 metres to the north. The proposal expected that pedestrian and cycle traffic would be routed through a tunnel under the crossing. As of mid-2018, these proposals had reportedly been "shelved".

References

{{coord, 53.316388, -6.204953, type:landmark, display=title Merrion, Dublin Transport in County Dublin Railway stations closed in 1935 Townlands of County Dublin Dublin (barony)