List of narrow gauge railways in Ireland
Encyclopedia
Ireland
formerly had numerous narrow gauge railways, most of which were built to a gauge of 3 feet (914.4 mm). The last (non-preserved) line to close was the West Clare Railway in 1961.
The Irish Steam Preservation Society
also operates a narrow gauge line at Stradbally, Co. Laois
. This line was built in the preservation era as opposed to being one of the historic Irish narrow gauge lines.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
formerly had numerous narrow gauge railways, most of which were built to a gauge of 3 feet (914.4 mm). The last (non-preserved) line to close was the West Clare Railway in 1961.
List of closed lines
- Ballycastle RailwayBallycastle RailwayBallycastle Railway was a narrow gauge railway line which ran from Ballycastle to Ballymoney, both in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.-History:...
(opened 1880; closed in 1950) - Ballymena, Cushendall and Red Bay RailwayBallymena, Cushendall and Red Bay RailwayThe Ballymena, Cushendall and Red Bay Railway was a narrow gauge railway between Ballymena and Retreat, both in County Antrim, in what is now Northern Ireland. It operated from 1875 to 1940.-History:...
(opened 1875; closed in 1940) - Ballymena and Larne RailwayBallymena and Larne RailwayThe Ballymena and Larne Railway was a narrow gauge railway in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The first part opened in July 1877 and regular passenger services began in August 1878, the first on the three foot Irish narrow gauge...
(opened 1877; closed in 1950) - Bessbrook and Newry Light Railway
- Castlederg and Victoria Bridge TramwayCastlederg and Victoria Bridge TramwayThe Castlederg and Victoria Bridge Tramway was a narrow gauge railway , operating in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland...
(opened 1883; closed in 1933) - Cavan and Leitrim RailwayCavan and Leitrim RailwayThe Cavan & Leitrim Railway was a narrow-gauge railway in the counties of Leitrim and Cavan in the north-west of Ireland, which ran from 1887 until 1959.Unusually for Ireland, this 914mm -gauge line survived on coal traffic, from the mine at Arigna...
(opened 1887; closed in 1959) - Clogher Valley RailwayClogher Valley RailwayThe Clogher Valley Railway was a 37 mile long narrow gauge railway in County Tyrone and County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It opened in May 1887 and closed on 1 January 1942 .-Route:...
(opened 1887; closed in 1942) - Cork, Blackrock and Passage RailwayCork, Blackrock and Passage RailwayThe Cork, Blackrock and Passage Railway was a narrow gauge railway in County Cork, Ireland. It was originally opened in 1850 as a broad gauge railway between Cork and Passage West, but was converted to 3' gauge in 1902. An extension southwards from Passage West to Crosshaven opened in 1904...
(closed in 1932) Converted to narrow gauge in 1902 - Cork and Muskerry Light RailwayCork and Muskerry Light RailwayThe Cork and Muskerry Light Railway was a narrow gauge railway in County Cork, Ireland. The first part of the railway opened in 1887 and closed in 1934. A major reason for building the railway was to exploit tourist traffic to Blarney Castle.-Initial route:...
(opened 1887; closed in 1934) - County Donegal Railways Joint CommitteeCounty Donegal Railways Joint CommitteeThe County Donegal Railways Joint Committee operated an extensive 3 foot gauge railway system serving county Donegal, Ireland,from 1906 until 1960...
(BG 1863; NG 1892 ; closed in 1960) - Dublin and Lucan Electric Railway, 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) (closed in 1925)
- Giant's Causeway TramwayGiant's Causeway TramwayThe Giant's Causeway Tramway, operated by the Giant's Causeway, Portrush and Bush Valley Railway & Tramway Company Ltd, was a pioneering gauge electric narrow gauge railway operating between Portrush and the Giant's Causeway on the coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland...
(closed in 1949) - Glenariff Iron Ore and Harbour CompanyGlenariff Iron Ore and Harbour CompanyThe Glenariff Iron Ore and Harbour Company was a railway and harbour company in Glenariff, County Antrim, in what is now Northern Ireland. It operated Red Bay Pier on the Antrim coast and about of narrow gauge railway between the pier and Cloughcor Mines in Glenariff...
(open 1892; closed in 1875) - Listowel and Ballybunion Railway (closed in 1924) Lartigue MonorailLartigue MonorailThe Lartigue Monorail system was developed by the French engineer Charles Lartigue . He developed a horse drawn monorail system invented by Henry Robinson Palmer in 1821 further....
- Londonderry and Lough Swilly RailwayLondonderry and Lough Swilly RailwayThe Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway Company is an Irish public transport and freight company incorporated in June 1853. Despite its name it operates no railway services. It formerly operated 99 miles of railways but closed its last line in July 1953...
(closed in 1953) Converted to narrow gauge in 1885. - Schull and Skibbereen RailwaySchull and Skibbereen RailwayThe Schull and Skibbereen Railway was a minor narrow gauge railway in County Cork, Ireland. It opened in 1886 and closed in 1947. The track gauge was 3 feet . The formal name of the company was The West Carberry Tramways and Light Railways Company Ltd.-Route:The S&S' main line was 15½ miles long...
(open 1886; closed in 1947) - Tralee and Dingle Light RailwayTralee and Dingle Light RailwayThe Tralee and Dingle Light Railway and Tramway was a , 914 mm gauge narrow gauge railway running between Tralee and Dingle, with a branch from Castlegregory Junction to Castlegregory, in County Kerry on the west coast of Ireland. It operated between 1891 and 1953, the Castlegregory branch...
(opened 1891; closed in 1953) - West Clare RailwayWest Clare RailwayThe West Clare Railway originally operated in County Clare, Ireland between 1887 and 1961, and has partially re-opened. This gauge narrow gauge railway ran from the county town of Ennis, via numerous stopping-points along the West Clare coast to two termini, at Kilrush and Kilkee...
(closed in 1961)
List of preserved or restored lines
- Donegal Railway Heritage Centre
- FintownFintownBaile na Finne is a small village and townland on the banks of Lough Finn in County Donegal, Ireland. It is within the Gaeltacht, an Irish-speaking area, in the west of the county...
to GlentiesGlentiesGlenties is a village in the northwest of Ireland in central County Donegal. It is situated where two glens meet, northwest of the Blue Stack Mountains, near the confluence of two rivers. Glenties is the largest centre of population in the parish of Iniskeel...
railway, Co. Donegal - partly preserved http://homepage.eircom.net/~leslie/railway/ - Cavan and Leitrim RailwayCavan and Leitrim RailwayThe Cavan & Leitrim Railway was a narrow-gauge railway in the counties of Leitrim and Cavan in the north-west of Ireland, which ran from 1887 until 1959.Unusually for Ireland, this 914mm -gauge line survived on coal traffic, from the mine at Arigna...
at DromodDromodDromod is a village in County Leitrim, Ireland. Dromod is a noted fishing village on Loughs Bofin and Boderg, which are threaded by the River Shannon.... - Clonmacnoise and West Offaly RailwayClonmacnoise and West Offaly RailwayThe Clonmacnoise and West Offaly Railway is a narrow gauge railway and former tourist attraction in Ireland. Primarily built as an industrial line for hauling newly-cut peat, this 3 ft gauge railway was operated by Bord na Móna and conveys visitors over a 9 km rail journey through Blackwater Bog,...
- The Giant's Causeway and Bushmills RailwayThe Giant's Causeway and Bushmills RailwayThe Giant's Causeway and Bushmills Railway is a gauge narrow gauge heritage railway operating between the Giant's Causeway and Bushmills on the coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland...
- Waterford and Suir Valley Railway
- Cumann Traenach na Gaeltachta Láir
- West Clare RailwayWest Clare RailwayThe West Clare Railway originally operated in County Clare, Ireland between 1887 and 1961, and has partially re-opened. This gauge narrow gauge railway ran from the county town of Ennis, via numerous stopping-points along the West Clare coast to two termini, at Kilrush and Kilkee...
at Moyasta - Tralee and Dingle Light RailwayTralee and Dingle Light RailwayThe Tralee and Dingle Light Railway and Tramway was a , 914 mm gauge narrow gauge railway running between Tralee and Dingle, with a branch from Castlegregory Junction to Castlegregory, in County Kerry on the west coast of Ireland. It operated between 1891 and 1953, the Castlegregory branch...
at Tralee
The Irish Steam Preservation Society
Irish Steam Preservation Society
The Irish Steam Preservation Society was formed in 1965 in Stradbally, in Ireland. Under the auspices of Colonel Kidd, it held the first steam fair in Ireland on St Stephen's Day that year....
also operates a narrow gauge line at Stradbally, Co. Laois
County Laois
County Laois is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It was formerly known as Queen's County until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. The county's name was formerly spelt as Laoighis and Leix. Laois County Council...
. This line was built in the preservation era as opposed to being one of the historic Irish narrow gauge lines.
Operational industrial lines
- Bord na MónaBord na MónaBord na Móna , abbreviated BNM, is a semi-state company in Ireland, created in 1946 by the Turf Development Act 1946. The company is responsible for the mechanised harvesting of peat, primarily in the Midlands of Ireland...
- various industrial lines for transporting newly-cut peat
See also
- History of rail transport in IrelandHistory of rail transport in IrelandThe history of rail transport in Ireland began only a decade later than that of Great Britain. By its peak in 1920, Ireland counted 5,500 route kilometers...
- List of heritage railways in Northern Ireland
- List of heritage railways in the Republic of Ireland
- Listowel and Ballybunion Railway (Lartigue MonorailLartigue MonorailThe Lartigue Monorail system was developed by the French engineer Charles Lartigue . He developed a horse drawn monorail system invented by Henry Robinson Palmer in 1821 further....
)