In the current climate of heightened environmental awareness and concern over carbon footprints, many Irish citizens are expressing their dissatisfaction with the lack of public transport options, particularly in the western regions of the country . Interestingly, they highlight that during the 1920s, Ireland was better equipped with rail links.
Take Donegal County as an example, which has been devoid of any rail links since December 1959 . Many find it ironic that Ireland's rail infrastructure was more robust when it was a less affluent nation, frequently losing its population to emigration, compared to its status as a modern, developed country today.
Another abandoned rail line is the f ormer route between Galway City and Clifden , a picturesque town on the western edge of the country , in the Connemara region. The 48-mile track was operational between 1895 and 1935, passing through Moycullen, Oughterard, Ross, Recess, Maam Cross, Ballynahinch, and finally Clifden.
The Midland Great Western Railway, primarily funded by the Royal Commission for Irish Public Works, employed up to 1,500 local men at its peak to construct the tracks. Commencing in 1891, the project took nearly five years to complete and cost £9,000 per mile, significantly higher than the average cost at the time, which ranged between £3,000 and £5,000.
The introduction of the train service was expected to significantly boost the economy of one of Ireland's most deprived areas. It would offer local entrepreneurs, particularly fishermen, access to new markets and also expose the region, renowned for its breathtaking beauty, to tourism.
With trains from Dublin and Galway heading west, Connemara quickly gained a reputation as a favorite tourist spot for the British and Irish elite, thanks to its stunning landscapes and plentiful fishing lakes that were a hit with anglers. King Edward VII even toured the area in July 1903, highlighting the popularity of the Co Galway region as a holiday destination.
Despite being initially hailed as a significant economic boost that connected one of the regions hardest hit by the Irish Famine to the rest of the country, the Galway to Clifden route operated at a loss for years and was eventually permanently closed, despite local opposition, on April 27, 1935.
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According to local folklore , the line may have played a minor role in World War II after its closure. The iron from the tracks was removed and sold for scrap. A German company purchased the materials - which included the steel bridges over the River Corrib in Galway city - for a mere £10.
According to local folklore, the Luftwaffe - Germany's air force during World War II - used iron from the former railway line to manufacture bombs that were dropped on London during The Blitz. This bombing campaign, which spanned 1940 and 1941, resulted in over 40,000 civilian deaths.
The railway line, originally intended to connect this remote area with the wider world, may have unintentionally contributed to a global conflict. At least, that's how the story goes.
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