It remained independent until nationalization in 1945, but like many irish lines was subsequently closed by coras iompair eireann in 1961. Locomotive 146 was eventually moved to dcdr at the end of november 2010, while locomotive 152 was moved to the west clare railway at the same time. In 1952, the original steam engines were phased out of use, slowly being replaced by diesel models. Dear sir, i have just spent a considerable, and extremely pleasant, time reading your fascinating journey through the history and locations of the west clare. West clare railway, the history of steam trains in ireland and the impact the railway had. Jackie whelan became involved when a committee for the restoration of the west clare railway was created in the mid 1990s. History, west clare railway, percy french, are ye right there. A short length of line has been preserved at moyasta junction. In the tracks of the west clare railway edmund lenihan. The western railway corridor is a recent term for a partly disused railway line running through the west of ireland. Provided to youtube by the orchard enterpriseswest clare railway thomas moorethe songs of thomas moore and percy french. The ennis station house built around 1860 served as the terminus of the west clare railway. In august 2009, the 117yearold slieve callan was returned to service on the west clare railway after an absence of more than half a century. It was a steam driven rail service between ennis and kilrush and the journey took about 3 hours.
In the tracks of the west clare railway is at once a history of a famous railway. The target under this objective is to evaluate the potential of the west clare railway line as a walking route and hold a meeting of the stakeholders to evaluate the possibilities. The tralee and dingle light railway and tramway was a 32 mi 51 km, 3 ft 914 mm narrow gauge railway running between tralee and dingle, with a 6. This 3 ft 914 mm narrowga uge rail way ran from the county town of ennis, via numerous stoppingpoints alon g the west clare coast to two termini, at kilrush and kilkee, with the routes diverging at moyasta junction. The railway timetable for three trains each way between ennis and kilkee with branch line connections to kilrush was published under the sole name of the west clare railway in june 1893. Ken lennan classifies known west and south clare railway signs etc. Experience the famous west clare railway by taking a trip aboard the. Moyasta junction railway station is the junction of the kilkee and kilrush branches of the west clare railway, from which point a single line continues to ennis and milltown malbay.
The west clare railway part 7 moyasta to kilrush and. The history of rail transport in ireland began only a decade later than that of great britain. On this short film we see train driver, christy buggle take the 1952 diesel. To record through storytelling and photographs the magic of the west clare railway made famous by percy french are you right. The west clare railway the building of the shannon hydroelectric scheme.
Posting in this way has meant that those who are particularly interested in railway history do not have a convenient place to go to read the articles i. The story of clare s all ireland hurling championship. The proposed main line was to start at the canal lock in clare street and would. It did start the century well, however, after the cappa pier and kilrush extensions to the west clare railway in 1892 connected the town to ennis by rail. Apr 15, 2019 appendix 1 percy french and the west clare railway. Objective 10 of the county clare heritage plan 2003 2007 is to develop new and maintain existing walking routes in county clare. From then on, the railway trundled on gaining new passengers as its services became better known.
West clare railway wild atlantic way heritage trails. The west clare railway part 2 corofin to lahinch roger. The west clare railway by patrick taylor goodreads. The first sod was turned by none other than charles stewart parnell himself. Ireland and railways a long history, but also a history of misguided modernization, as the thriving network built in the 19th century was closed and dismantled in the name of progress read. The west clare railway was officially opened on the 2nd of july 1887.
Because of a slow train and the decision of the driver to stop for no apparent reason, french, though having left sligo in the early morning. This 3 ft 914 mm narrowgauge railway ran from the county town of ennis, via numerous stoppingpoints along the west clare coast to two termini, at kilrush and kilkee, with the routes diverging at moyasta junction. Through the remainder of the 19th century there were surveys for branchlines to clare. My second visit was in late august 2009, after the west clare railway tank engine slieve callan.
The story has been well documented over the years, in book and song. Opening of the west clare railway ireland reaching out. Railway moyasta junction railway station is the junction of the kilkee and kilrush branches of the west clare railway, from which point a single line continues to ennis and milltown malbay. For what was a railway is now a disjointed succession of pieces linking not just places but in a way two worlds. Topographical and general survey 19423 crime and punishment in clare costume in county clare high prestige. Are ye right there michael is a song by the 19thcentury and early 20thcentury irish composer and musician percy french, parodying the state of the west clare railway system in rural county clare. By its peak in 1920, ireland had 3,500 route miles 4,200 km. Apr 20, 2019 6 thoughts on the west clare railway part 3 lahinch to miltownmalbay dave cooper april 24, 2019 at 7. Irish narrow gauge 3 gauge west clare railway 062t no. With the right leadership and vision a really unique walking and recreational route is possible, provided it is built around local communities who would take ownership of and. Read online in the tracks of the west clare railway and download in the tracks of the west clare railway book full in pdf formats. The west clare railway used to run from the county town of ennis to kilrush in county clare. Come visit us and immerse yourself in steam, nostalgia and times past.
It continued to run at a loss and finally all services were closed down on february 1961. Pursuant to section 19 of the transport act, 1958 the board of coras iompair eireann hereby gives notice. This post focusses on the line to kilrush and on to cappagh pier. They have an original steam engine which used to be outside ennis station but is now in working order. February the first 1961 saw the tragic closure of the famous west clare railway. The county had a population of 118,817 at the 2016 census. To detail all the subsequent history of the uptodate system now known as. The west clare railway wcr originally operated in county clare, ireland, between 1887 and 1961. The famous west clare railway was a railway system formed by the cooperation of two companies, the west clare and the south clare railways, and ran together as private railways from 1892 until 1923 when they were amalgamated by the new state under the control of the great southern railway. The coming of the railway to limerick by martina clancy limerick.
History, west clare railway, percy french, are ye right. Famine deeply affected the town but it was prosperous again by the 1890s, helped by the west clare railway. The west clare railway part 3 lahinch to miltownmalbay. Jul 07, 2019 the line of the west clare railway from moyasta to kilkee. West clare railway has been restored to provide a fun day out for families and school tours.
Dieselrailcar at shragh on west clare railway, the last cie 3ft narrowgauge railway then in operation, september 1960. Although trains are unlikely to ever again run between ennis and kilkee. The west clare railway wcr originally operated in count y clar e, ireland, between 1887 and 1961. Ballard bay 11 donegal point farrihy lough farrihy bay. I think i could justify its inclusion by saying that it had a branch to kilrush, a harbour on the shannon estuary that had been served by the city of dublin steam packet company, which also operated on. By allowing for easier transportation of goods and services, the railway provided a gateway for tourism and commercial trade to the loop head peninsula. Some historical confusion is caused by the reusing of fleet numbers when locomotives were withdrawn. The west clare railway part 6 moyasta to kilkee roger. Researcher with history and folklore project, limerick civic trust.
The two lines which left to the south and to the west served kilrush and kilkee respectively. Not least of these are the earthworks of the west and south clare railways. In 1955, the west clare was the only diesel run, narrow gauge railway in britain and ireland. The current status is less than half that amount, with a large unserviced area around the border area between northern ireland and the republic of ireland. You may be wondering how the west clare railway gets a place on a waterways history site. West clare railway county clare updated march 2021 top. West clare railway at moyasta, the visitor can take a trip aboard the steam train slieve callan and learn about the famous west clare railway which opened in 1893. Many attempts were made to provide railway transport connections to west clare but the area was just too remote for investors to take the risk of spending their. The west clare railway, with a collection of 5 ft 3 in and 3 ft stock based in the restored moyasta junction railway station. The west clare railway the building of the shannon hydroelectric scheme fortifications in the shannon estuary and galway bay. Later it was sold to major studdert, who gave his name to the bridges over the road and the. The footprint of the line is still in place, as are many of the station houses and associated structures. The line of the west clare railway from corofin to lahinch we.
West clare railway, vintage steam engine, tourist attraction. The three locos from the west clare railway, ennis, are now stored here. For instance, i am in the middle of writing a series of posts about the railway history of iran and i have created a thread for these posts in the middle eastern history section of the forum. Built under balfours light railway act of 1883, the west clare railway was a 27 mile, 3 ft. The west clare railway part 8 a miscellany roger farnworth. As in previous centuries, the town had a mixed history in the 1900s, with the first two decades encompassing the first world war and the rise of the irish independence movement. It was withdrawn in 1959, some years after the west clare had dieselised both passenger services 1952 and freight 1953. A traditional irish reel with two settings and six comments that has been added to fortyseven tunebooks. This book is at once a history of a famous railway.
The railway line ran from ennis to kilrush, a journey which took a total of 3 hours from end to end. It was inspired by an actual train journey in 1896. The waterford and suir valley railway, which runs 10 km of 3 ft gauge line between kilmeadan and waterford. It was a 3 foot narrow gauge railway which closed in 1961.
On our website you can stay up to date with all the happenings in moyasta station. West clare railway structures survey 2005 clare county council. Itinerary for a day with the kids hotel woodstock ennis. West clare railway county clare 2021 all you need to know. Drawing of a railroad truck or bogie from us army field manual fm 5520, figure 88. Media in category west clare railway rjd this category contains only the following file. History of kilrush kilrush chamber of commerce west clare. In the tracks of the west clare railway author eddie lenihan. Travels in county clare 15341911 the strangers gaze lloyds tour of clare, 1780. The west clare railway wcr originally operated in county clare, ireland, between 1887 and. Currently two sections of the line, from limerick via ennis to athenry and from collooney to sligo, see regular services, with other sections either closed or only technically classed as open. In the tracks of the west clare railway paints an evocative picture of a time when the railway breathed life into west clare. The west clare railway line has a unique history and significant elements survive to this day.
Hi, many thanks for this record of west clare railway, as the unfortunate death of driver patrick oneil in 1946 was my grandfather, its nice to have a record of events and life at the time. The line of the west clare railway from lahinch to miltownmalbay we. West clare railways last train journey 1961 youtube. The narrow gauge line closed entirely early in 1961. The lullymore heritage railway, a former peat railway on a mineral island in county kildare. May 09, 2019 the west clare railway 3 it was not until the mid 1990s that a local committee attempted to revive this treasured historical railway. I think i could justify its inclusion by saying that it had a branch to kilrush, a harbour on the shannon estuary that had been served by the city of dublin steam packet company, which also operated on inland waterways. Read download in the tracks of the west clare railway pdf. Jul 16, 2019 3 thoughts on the west clare railway part 8 a miscellany james murray august 11, 2020 at 10.
The end for the west clare came on 18th november 1960 when c. The importance, magnitude and impact of the birth of the west clare railway on the local transport system of county clare cannot be measured. West clare railway county clare 2021 all you need to. It is intended that locomotives 124, 152 and 190, along with locomotives a3r and c231, will eventually be put on display in a new museum that is planned for construction at the west clare railway.
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