THE COMING OF THE RAILWAY to CARRIGALINE.
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A railway served Carrigaline between 1903 and 1932 as part of the Cork, Blackrock and Passage Railway (CB&PR) with an onward extension to Crosshaven. The line to Passage was opened in 1850 and many years of negotiations ensued before the line eventually reached Carrigaline and Crosshaven.
A Proposed Railway from Cork -Kinsale via Carrigaline was anticipated in the decades preceeding the turn of the century as the following advertisment shows -from the Cork Examiner Newspaper dated June 30th 1845:
Proposed Cork, Passage and Kinsale Railway. Passing near Monkstown,
Carrigaline and Belgooly. Provisionally Declared. Length of line 22 miles.
Capital £250,000 in 10,000 shares at £25 each. No shareholder to be liable beyond the amount of his subscription. Deposit £1-10-0. per share.
Provisional Committee:
Bull, James, Lakeville, Cork; Burke, Col., Prospect Villa, Ringaskiddy, Cagney, Michael, Cork; Connor, Daniel, Ballybricken, Ringaskiddy. Coppinger, Thomas, Midleton; Cramer, Marmaduke, Rathmore, Kinsale, Duke, Sir James, M.P., Alderman of the City of London; Dunscombe, Nicholas, Grenville Place, Cork; Hayes, Joseph, Clarence Place, Cork Hodder, Samuel, Ringabella; Howe, George, Cork; Meade, William. Ballymartle; Moloney, John, Ballinaboy, Ballinhassig; Reeves, Thomas Tramore, Cork; Roberts, Michael, Mount Rivers; Roche, Edmund, MP, for County of Cork, Trabolgan, Cork; Rogers, Robert, Mardyke, Cork, Sealy, Wintrop, Nohoval.
With powers to add to their numbers.
BANKERS: In Ireland- The Provincial Bank of Ireland.
In London- Smith, Payne and Smith, 1 Lombard St.
ENGINEERS: Sir John MacNeill, L.L.D. Richard W.Townsend, M.R.I.A
SOLICITORS: Samuel P. Townsend, 9 South Mall. Pontifex and Moginie, 5 South St. Andrews Court, Holborn Hill, London.
This undertaking is projected with the support of the most influent, land owners and merchants along the line, and is intended to afford the towns of Douglas, Passage, Monkstown, Carrigaline and Kinsale, the important advantage of railway communication with the City of Cork The district for eight or nine miles south of Cork, is thickly populated with the better class of society, and the delightful watering places Passage and Monkstown are among the best and most respectably frequented in Ireland. There are in the course of erection numerous villas and dwellings in the neighbourhood and the report of the Irish Railway Commission published in 1837, states that in traffic and returns a line of railway between Cork and Passage, will greatly resemble the Dublin and Kingstown Railway.
The extensive fisheries of Kinsale, its connection with the City of Cork, and its advantages as a watering place render it of the highest importance to increase facilities of communication, and more especially as the proposed railway to the inland districts north of Cork, will make the town of Kinsale, easy of access to the inhabitants of these parts. The district over which the line will pass has been examined, the line laid out, and been found to present great facilities for a railway. Large quantities of limestone are available from the quarries at Carrigaline. Sea-sand and seaweed both from Kinsale and Carrigaline, are taken and distributed in the district through which this line is proposed to pass, and form an important consideration in the anticipated traffic of the railway.
The weekly traffic in passengers between Cork and Passage was in the year 1836, as shown by the Irish Railway Commidssion Report to be 6800 persons. Of these 6800, many pass to and from Monkstown, which as well as the large number at present passing to and from Carrigaline, Belgooly and Kinsale, will no doubt be greatly increased.
The Irish Railway Commission Report further states that the exports and imports of Kinsale exceed 15,000 tons, to which may be added the traffic to and from the several flour mills along the line being seven in number and capable of manufacturing 80,000 barrels of wheat annually. The income to be derived from passengers and goods (even taking the latter as low as 112 %) will render this undertaking, making every deduction, productive of a profit of from 8 to 9%.
Applications for shares to be made on the usual form to the Solicitors in Cork and London; to the Secretary and to Labertouch and Stagfort, 25 College Green, Dublin; Thomas Hone, 5 Foster Place, Dublin; Williarn Connell, 1 South Mall. Cork; Kennedy & Harvey, Morrisons Quay, Cork; George Bearnish, 38 Lower Gardiner Street, Dublin and James Morgan, Royal Exchange Insurance Office, Patrick's Quay, of whom Prospectus may also be had"
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Unfortunately, due to the depressed state of the economy & difficulties in planning, it took many decades until the railway finally came to Carrigaline & Crosshaven.
Finally, rail services came to Carrigaline on June 15th 1903. The line was officially opened on the 31st May 1904 by the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, the Earl of Dudley. At Crosshaven there was a large crowd gathered to witness the arrival of the first official train. On the platform there, the Parish Priest, Canon Jeremiah Carey read a welcome address as also did W.M.Hodder, to which Lord Dudley echoed his reply. The railway was built as a commercial enterprise to improve the local transport infrastructure within this part of the then burgeoning British Empire; to transport goods and commuter traffic to and from Cork City; to increase tourism to the holiday destination of Crosshaven; and to service the army at various times. Carrigaline station was used extensively for the movement of goods. During harvest time much of the threshings were moved to Cork by rail and it was commonplace to see twenty horses and carts involved in the removal of grain from local farms to Carrigaline Station. Each train could cart a combination of passengers, goods, coal, animals, etc. During the thriving summer months, trains would leave Cork at half hourly intervals on Sundays to bring great crowds to Crosshaven.
TECHNICAL DETAILS
The Cork, Blackrock and Passage Railway line originally opened in 1850 as a broad gauge (5' 3" or 1600 mm) railway between Cork and Passage West, but was converted to 'narrow gauge' (3' or 914 mm) in 1902. Four narrow gauge steam locomotives were built for the line by Neilson Reid in Glasgow. When the railway was finally closed, the four engines were transferred to the Cavan and Leitrim Railway which was also narrow gauge. They were re-numbered 10L, 11L, 12L, 13L. The cost of the Crosshaven extension amounted to over £200,000 sterling -a costly debt at the time for the CB&PR company to undertake..
THE FIRST TRAIN JOURNEY TO CARRIGALINE.
On Thursday June 11th, 1903 the Board of Trade inspection was performed by Lieut. Colonel P.C. Donlop accompanied by F.Fox, engineer in chief of Sir Douglas Fox and Co., London. The works were deemed excellent and the certificate to operate the line was issued. Present on that day were J.J.O'Sullivan, General Manager of the Cork, Blackrock & Passage Railway; J.13est, Contractor; J.James, the Contractors Engineer; S.Gaffney, Resident Engineer and A.C.Adams, Company Resident Engineer.
In the afternoon of Friday June 12th, 1903 the first preliminary trip was arranged for the directors of the company to inspect the new section of railway line. Among those who travelled to Carrigaline on that historic first train were: Stanley Harrington, Chairman of the Cork, Blackrock & Passage Railway; The Deputy Chairman; J.J.O'Sullivan, General Manager; M. Coppinger, Company Secretary; K.B.Williams; D.M.Daly; J.H.Carroll; Col.Sugrue; and W.B.Ronan, Solicitor.
A report from the Cork Examiner from 15th June 1903 states:
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"From the timetable which has been placed in our hands by the General Manager, we find that the directors are endeavouring to open up the district to tourist and ordinary traffic in a most liberal manner. Their programme is an attractive and extensive one. It includes circular tours around the harbour, which have been arranged in conjunction with the Great Southern and Western Railway Company, cheap daily excursion tickets to Crosshaven and Carrigaline, evening and other tickets, market tickets from all stations and a coaching service between Crosshaven , Carrigaline, pending the completion of the line to the former place This coach service will tap the centre of that beautiful district which between Carrigaline and the Atlantic, and will enhance the trip. Such places as Ballyfeard, Tracton and Minane Bridge have in the past been almost as inaccessible as if they were a hundred miles distant, now thanks to the enterprise of the Passage Railway Company, they are nearly as easily reached as if they were the suburbs of the city.
The rates for goods and cattle have been generously framed by the company, and instead of charging the full rail mileage of eleven miles. A they very wisely have decided only to charge for a mileage of eight miles in order to help the producers of the district to get their goods quickly and cheaply to the markets. The same broad minded principle had been applied to the fixing of the passenger fares, and the fare from Carrigaline by coach and vice versa is but sixpence. Coaches can be specially engaged for excursions or smaller picnic parties through the General Manager or the proprietors of them by giving two days notice.
Special facilities in regard to low rates and otherwise will be given to those sending milk, butter, cream, eggs, poultry, fruit and so forth, not alone to such local markets as Monkstown, Queenstown, Passage and Cork, but also to the larger centres of distribution in England and elsewhere. The goods service for all stations on the railway will be conducted from Albert Street Terminus, and from Queenstown, Haulbowline, Aghada and islands in the harbour, the service will be continued as heretofore by the company's goods steamers from St. Patrick's Bridge."
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TICKETS PLEASE
The line lasted only a few years after Irish Independence. In 1924 the company was incorporated into the 'Great Southern Railway' but economic depression & improvement to road transport ensured the business was never profitable again. Consumer spending was greatly reduced and competition from motor buses became intense (Cork tramways were also affected, closing in 1931). After a short lifespan of 29 years, the line finally closed on June 1st 1932. Many of the men employed in laying the track (such as ganger 'Kerry' Mick Sullivan) were involved in dismantling it. There is a story that, on the announcement of the line about to close – a great outcry occurred and a massive delegation of local interests descended on the offices of the then owners the Great Southern Railway. The Railway boss asked the delegates to show their rail tickets –but they had almost all travelled by car to the meeting. Perhaps a story told many times at railway closures.
REMNANTS
The Station at Carrigaline served for many years as the District Court until the 1990's, before being transferred first to the Community Complex and later to the Court in Anglesea Street, Cork. Remnants of the station remain and also of the 'Black Bridge' on the Crosshaven Road. A raised area can be seen behind old Waterpark where the line used to run along and of course the entire old railway line has been transformed into an amenity walk from Carrigaline to Crosshaven.
CARRIGALINE RAILWAY WALK – Initiated at the Crosshaven end by two senior citizens and supported by Cork County Council this is a hugely popular public amenity along the route of the former Cork, Blackrock and Passage Railway and the section in question was opened over 100 years ago and operated between 1903 and 1932. Carrigaline Lions Club was to the fore in providing a car park and amenity area. Along with a millennium project of 1,000 trees planted in the area immediately west of the first car park.
Carrigaline - Crosshaven Railway Line (now a walkway) at Drakes Pool
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