Alternative Arrangements

Situated in Belleek, the most westerly settlement in the United Kingdom the project is centred on the contested border. After producing a pamphlet and physical piece which researched the deep history of the railway and the reason for its closure, I chose to base my project on it. Railway lines once spread across the whole of Ireland and were much loved by the locals, being used for transporting goods, livestock and becoming a melting pot for all walks of life.

Unfortunately, following partition, the lines, the border closed in 1957, due to the financial difficulty and complications over customs. This created a huge economic and cultural loss to the communities. The proposal aims to remember this forgotten heritage and to bring back the cultural, economic, and environmental benefits the railway brought. The overall proposal is a greenway scheme which re connects the towns and villages along the route, to the beach at Bundoran.

Inspired by the ridgeway by Muf, small interventions encourage a productive integration with the landscape, such as the foraging walkway. The site for the main proposal is the northwest of Belleek main street and is a narrow embankment where the train used to come into the town. Its topography was explored through models. Below the site was a cave which once extracted iron from the limestone bedrock. Using the materials of the geology which were also used for the railway infrastructure, the architecture is embedded in its landscape and history. In order to celebrate the heritage, I chose the client of Head-hunters Railway Museum who are located in Enniskillen.

The proposal will therefore include a children’s workshop, museum, film screening room and café, generating a proposal which will be inviting, bringing back the community feel of the railway platforms. The scheme extends into the water with seating down the cliff and the original railway bridge will be reinstated. The benefits will be extended across Belleek and onto the other towns and villages on the disused railway line.