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$th January^ 1893, 



Professor M. F. FitzGerald, B.A., C.E., in the Chair. 



John Lanyon, Esq., C.E., gave a lecture on 



THE PROPOSED BELFAST CENTRAL STATION 



AND RAILWAYS. 



Mr. Lanyon commenced his lecture by recounting the different 

 steps that had been taken in Ireland to facilitate mail and 

 passenger and goods communication, with special reference to 

 the communication between Dublin and Belfast; the first regular 

 communication between these two places being by stage coach, 

 which performed the journey in the very good time of twelve 

 hours. In 1842 the line of railway from Belfast to Portadown 

 was commenced ; in 1844 Dublin was connected by rail with 

 that portion of Drogheda which lies on the south side of the 

 River Boyne ; in 1845 powers were obtained to make a line 

 from Drogheda on the north side of the Boyne to Newry, with 

 a branch line to Portadown, and subsequently the erection of 

 the Boyne Viaduct completed the through line of railway 

 between Belfast and Dublin. Up till very recently there was 

 in Dublin a break very similar to that which now exists in 

 Belfast. This has been to a great extent obliterated by the loop- 

 line between the Great Northern and the Dublin, Wicklow, 

 and Wexford Railways, and will be further cured by the 

 communication that will shortly be finished with the Great 

 Southern and Western Railway by a tunnel under the Phoenix 

 Park; and it is only a question of time when this communication 

 shall be made good to the Midland Great Western Railway. 



The lecturer then proceeded to explain the proposed scheme, 

 the objects of which he stated to be the uniting in one central 



