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Silver spade and
special wheelbarrow, used by Charles Stuart Parnell Esq, MP, when he cut
the first sod of the W.C.R. on 26th of January 1885. The wheelbarrow bears
the inscription "Erin go Brath", which is Gaelic for Ireland
For Ever. Both spade and barrow now reside in Ennis Museum.
To view the complete
route of the West and South Clare Railway, click on the above map. Please
note it may take some time to download. You can click on the town names
to open the station plans.
Ennistymon on 28
July 1952, Locomotive No. 9C, on 9:58am goods from Kilrush, taking water.
Driver Tom Reidy on the Engine.
Moyasta junction
in 1933 looking south. Kilrush branch to left, Kilkee to right.
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The first sod was
cut on 26th January 1885 at Miltown-Malbay by no less a personage than
Charles Stewart Parnell, M.P., although actual work on the line began
on 3/11/1884. After the ceremony Mr. Parnell was presented with a shovel
and barrow made of silver by the contractor Mr. Murphy.
Work now got underway at both ends, and after a strike for increase of
wages on Saturday May 28th 1885, rapid progress was made. Active operations
were being carried out at Ennis, Corofin, Ennistymon and Miltown-Malbay.
By the 15/10/1885 the line had been ballasted from the Asylum crossing
near Ennis, to a point beyond Corofin, a distance of 9 miles.
The Company now ran into financial difficulties as the sales of the guaranteed
shares were rather slow and an effort was made to obtain financial assistance
from the Board of Works. A loan of £54,400 was granted from the
Board of Works under the 1886 Act, legislation, borrowed on mortgage,
and the primary security guaranteed shares for equal amount, to be paid
back in 1895. Basically the Act enabled the Government to lend money,
on the deposit of guaranteed shares, and as well as this loan to the West
Clare, only three others were made.
Four hundred men were immediately re-employed and on Tuesday 7th June
1887 Maj. Gen. Hutchinson C.E. did his first inspection for the Board
of Trades of the line from Ennis to Lahinch, and on the following day
from Lahinch to Miltown Malbay. The major actually made 24 specific recommendations
for improvement prior to opening. He inspected the line again on Tuesday
29th of June and recommended that the line could be opened on 4 conditions
to be completed. At a special meeting of the Company the following day
it was decided that regular train services would commence on Saturday
2nd July 1887 with three trains each way running in connection with the
trains arriving and departing in the broad gauge lines at Ennis. Major
Gen. Hutchinson carried out his third and final inspection of the line
on 20/8/1887.
South Clare Railway
from Sanction to Opening
The "South
Clare Railway Company Limited" was registered on the 9th June 1884
in Dublin. From the outset both the W.C.R. and the S.C.R. companies were
very closely connected, because they shared the same chairman and co-directors.
In addition the posts of Engineer, Secretary and Manager were filled at
a later date by the same personnel. It was proposed to run a line from
Cappa Pier to Kilrush and Kilkee. At a later date it was decided to connect
this line with the West Clare at Miltown Malbay.
There was very strong opposition as to the location of the line and it
did not get off to as easy a start as the West Clare. A few weeks before
the Spring Assizes there were four proposals on the agenda, two on the
5' 3" gauge and two on the 3' 0" gauge. On Monday 3rd March
1890, after 6 years of debating the pros and cons of the proposed lines,
the project once again came before the Grand Jury. There was general agreement,
however, that if some line was not now sanctioned, South Clare, in all
probability, would never be connected by rail with the remainder of the
country. Besides it was clearly pointed out that this line could only
be build under the 1883 Act, as under the 1889 Act there was no further
monies available. The railway was indeed, built under the provisions of
the Tramways Act 1883, The provisional Order in Council (Ireland) (South
Clare Railways) Confirmation Act 1890, receiving the Royal Assent in 14/8/1890.
The railway was to run from Miltown-Malbay to Moyasta Cross, via Quilty,
Kilmurry, Craggaknock, Doonbeg and Shragh, with branches to Kilrush and
Kilkee.
The railway in a great measure owed its progress to Mr. W.C. Reeves of
Besboro House, Killimer, one of the local landlords, and therefore Mrs.
Reeves turned the first sod on October 8th 1890 at Kilkee.
The first train on the line ran on Wednesday May 11th 1892 from Miltown-Malbay
to Kilkee and Kilrush. The train was hauled by one of the new South Clare
engines 0-6-2 No. 6 Saint Senan. After four inspections by Major Gen.
Hutchinson on behalf of the Boards of Trade, the line was finally opened
for passenger traffic on Friday 23rd December with two trains each way
from Ennis to Kilrush and Kilkee and two short workings from Ennis to
Miltown-Malbay.
Trains and Traffic
Dogged by
money problems from the outset there was no provision made for a repair
depot and the total amount of rolling stock which was considered necessary
for the opening of both lines was not made. The absence of the necessary
equipment to carry out even minor repairs to engines was a costly error.
It was pointed out at the Railway Commission (1906-10) that the average
number of wagons generally per mile of line in Ireland was 6 whilst, on
the West & South Clare Railways it was only 2!
Passenger Traffic
Passenger traffic generally during the summer season was double the winter
period, reaching its peak during July August. Passenger traffic remained
steady for a period after the amalgamation with the G.S.R. (Great Southern
Railway) in 1925, but with improved roads and the advent of the motor
car and bus, there was a decline in the number of passengers carried during
the 1929-40 period. The outbreak of World War II coupled with the shortage
of petrol, lead to a big increase in passenger traffic on the system.
After the war with the return to more normal times the passenger traffic
again declined but when C.I.E. (Córas Iompair Eireann) abandoned
steam for diesel working in 1952, there was quite a noticeable improvement
in the number of passengers on the line.
Goods and Mineral
Traffic
The mineral traffic consisted mostly of turf from the bogs of Shragh and
Monmore. This traffic after a small beginning of only 8 wagons in 1896
had increased to 1,194 wagons in 1911 reaching its highest figure of 1,560
wagons in 1921. Kelp traffic from Quilty and for a period slate quarry
traffic from Lahinch to Cappa also contributed to the mineral traffic
and coal berthed at Cappa was always a fair percentage of the same traffic.
Livestock
The traffic in livestock (cattle, horses, sheep and pigs) was always good
as some of the best fairs in the country were held in the area.
Locomotives
A total of 19 steam locomotives are known to have worked on the West &
South Clare Railways, between 1886 and 1956. Twelve were purchased by
the W.C.R, four by the S.C.R., two came under CIE auspices from the Tralee
& Dingle section, and one was a contractors engine.
On the non steam front, there is a suggestion that the West Clare had
a self propelled inspection car. However, the Great Southern Railway introduced
one in 1925, and followed this with two passenger carrying railcars in
1927. CIE completely dieselised the line between 1952 and 1955, with four
railcars, and three locomotives.
War of Independence
and Civil War
In common
with their fellow workers in other Irish railways W. & S.C.R. employees
played a prominent part in the War of Independence. They claim they were
one of the first, if not the first, railway workers to throw down the
gauntlet to the British Army of occupation in Ireland. This is not strange
because Clare was a hotbed of Republicanism during that period. The loco
crews and guards were in the front line trenches so to speak, and the
stationmasters, porters, signalmen and milesmen did their part when the
occasion required it. Loco crews and guards refused to work trains when
members of the Crown forces were on board. Trains were also held up and
raids carried out by the I.R.A. to examine mail in an effort to stop information
getting into the hands of the British. When arms and other equipment were
being sent to West Clare by rail it was often the railwaymen gave the
"tip off". After negotiations between British and Irish delegations
were taking place in London a ceasefire was ordered. Consequently there
was a period of comparative quietness, only some minor incidents occurred.
A new and probably
more terrible phase in Irish history followed soon afterwards with the
outbreak of the Civil War and the railway came in for more than its share
of damage. A whole series of incidents took place which at times completely
disrupted traffic on the system.
Decline and Fall
In March
1945, after the formation of C.I.E. officials of the Railway Manager's
Office, Kingsbridge, called on traders in the towns in West Clare served
by the railway, to ascertain their views on the delivery of goods and
supplies by lorry, or a continuation of existing services by rail. When
the results of this survey became clear, Mr. David Stewart, Traffic Manager
C.I.E. pointed out that the traffic which had increased during the War
was again falling off and that the traders in the area were not prepared
to support the railway. 258 trades were interviewed, 149 preferred road
transport, 96 were in favour of rail and 13 showed no preference.
Soon afterwards an article in the official organ of C.I.E. said that the
company were contemplating closure of the line.
On 29th July, 1945 a very large meeting was held at Kilrush at which representatives
were present from Kilrush, Kilkee, Doonbeg, Kilmurry, Miltown-Malbay,
Lahinch, Ennistymon, Corofin and Ennis. It was decided to set up a committee
in each area to collect data, of facts and figures, to be collated by
a central committee and to prepare a memorandum to be circulated to Senators
and Dail Deputies and to arrange a meeting with the Minister of Industry
and Commerce.
The central committee was formed at a meeting in Miltown-Malbay on 11th
August 1946. It was decided that the only hope of saving the line was
to have it converted to broad gauge. A survey of the line was carried
out and it was announced on 30th April 1950 that the estimated costs of
converting the line to standard gauge would be £692,267. The report
was submitted to the Board of C.I.E who replied that the cost was prohibitive
and the traffic on the line did not warrant such an outlay. But there
was also good news. The Company had decided to spend £60,000 on
4 new diesel rail cars. The line was reprieved for a time at least.
It was announced on 26th July 1958, that the Transport Commission had
recommended that all railway lines operating in County Clare should be
closed. After several protests, a special resolution was passed that the
Minister should not allow C.I.E. to put buses on routes served by the
railway. In an effort to at least prolong the life of the line the Minister
was asked to give the County Council more time to improve the roads in
the area to cater for the heavy lorry traffic which would follow on the
closure of the line.
By this time the West Clare was the last Irish narrow gauge line to remain
open. But to the authorities in Dublin the railway was undoubtedly an
operating anomaly, and on 27 September 1960 C.I.E. gave notice of intending
closure with effect from 1 February 1961. C.I.E. claimed that the West
Clare was losing £23,000 per year, despite considerable traffic
handled. In December it was announced that the line would close completely
on 1 January 1961. Eventually the line closed on 31th Januray 1961.
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