The name derives from the Norse "Bradogue Steyn" or "Broad Stone", due to the Bradogue River crossing the road to Finglas at this location. "Bradogue" itself means "Young Salmon".
Beginnings
Designed by John Skipton Mulvany, the structure was built between 1841 and 1850, with the addition of the colonnade in 1861. Broadstone Station is constructed of granite in a neo-Egyptian style. During the construction of the permanent roof in the late 1840s it was damaged by a severe gale but complete disaster was averted by the earlier timber structure over which it was being built. The by two span roof is said to have been basis of the design for the larger span at Liverpool Lime street. In 1845 the Royal Canal was purchased by the Midland Great Western Railway Company with a view to using the land alongside the canal to construct a railway line to the west of Ireland. The line was constructed in stages and by 1848 reached Mullingar. Similarly Broadstone station was worked in tandem with opening in 1847 and final completion 1850. The MGWR developed locomotive and carriage works around the station. With the construction of the colonnade in 1861 trains arrived to the east side platform and passengers exited through the colonnade. Trains departed from the west side platform where there was a booking office and waiting rooms. The four middle tracks were used to stable rolling stock in the interim. The building at front of the station was used as the headquarters building for the MGWR and did not contain a passenger entrance. With Galway projected to become the main port for transatlantic passenger traffic between Europe and North America, the MGWR successfully competed with its rival the Great Southern and Western Railway to reach it first in August 1851. A special fourth class was introduced by the MGWR for poor migrants from the west going to Britain for work. The line, which branched out to serve Sligo, Westport, Achill and Clifden, was also used to transport large numbers of cattle. It was about this time that the majority of the houses in the area were constructed, as dwellings for workers on the railway. Most of the houses were built by the Artisan's Dwelling Company, which built many similar estates in Dublin and elsewhere, and houses of this type are now frequently described as Artisan cottages, regardless of their origin. Joseph Howley, a member of the Irish Volunteers in Galway, was shot dead by a special unit of the RIC known as the Igoe Gang at the station on 4 December 1920 during the Irish War of Independence.
Closure
The station was closed to public traffic on 18 January 1937 with MGWR services redirected to Westland Row. While the old MGWR main line was able to access the Dublin loop line to Amiens Street via the North Liffey line Newcomen Bridge junction this was not available to heavier engines such as the Woolwich Moguls due to weight restrictions over the lifting bridge over the Royal Canal. The alternative route via the Drumcondra link line would have required reversals to the Glasnevin and Drumcondra junctions so the connecting line also remodeled at the same time to allow direct through running. The associated complex was finally closed on 8 April 1961, having been used as the steam depot for Dublin between 1937 and this date. This building was one of Dublin's six original rail termini, the others being Westland Row Amiens Street, Kingsbridge, North Wall and Harcourt Street.
Location
Situated at the crest of Constitution Hill directly opposite King's Inns, the station served as the finishing point of the Midland and Great Western Railway.
Luas
Broadstone is a Luas stop on the LUAS Cross City Line between Broombridge and St.Stephen's Green. Work on building the line commenced in June 2013 and services began on 9 December 2017. The stop has lateral platforms and is located adjacent to the south front of the old Broadstone station building with access from Constitution Hill. The stop is called Broadstone-DIT because of its location near to DIT Grangegorman Campus. The LUAS line from central Dublin approaches via Domininck Street Upper and continues by curling round the western edge of the MGWR Broadstone site before re-joining the track of the old main line at the north of the site.
In April 2007 Iarnród Éireann announced that Broadstone Station was to be reopened for rail passenger use by 2010. This gave rise to a dispute between CIE/Irish Rail and the RPA over the use of the trackbed between Broadstone and Liffey Junction. On 5 February 2008Noel Dempsey, the Minister for Transport, indicated his preference for the Luas project over the re-opening of Broadstone for heavy rail, asking CIÉ to seek permanent planning permission to build and use Docklands Station for the purposes CIÉ intended for Broadstone Station.
Gallery
File:Broadstone DIT Luas Stop.jpg|Broadstone DIT Luas Stop File:Dublin RJD 121 for GSWR.jpg|1912 map showing Broadstone and pre-1937 layout at Glasnevin
