#dublinport - The Irish Times writes that the giant bronze timepiece the “time ball” that was visible across Dublin city until the time of the 1916 Rising, could be reinstated as part of the refurbishment of Ballast House at O’Connell Bridge.

The time ball, which was erected at the tip of a mast on top of the old Ballast Office in the mid-1860s, then headquarters of Dublin Port, was dropped 6ft at 1pm every day to allow ships in the docks to set their chronometers to Greenwich Mean Time.

However, when the ball dropped at 1pm GMT, for the rest of the city, it was just 12.45 DMT – Dublin Mean Time. The capital, and much of the country kept to its own time through most of the Victorian era, recognising the fact that the sun rose and set 25 minutes later in Dublin than London.

The newspaper has further coverage here.