APH
By Jim Flynn
Source: Athenry ADC’S publication-The Athenry Journal 1995
In 1851 The Midland Great Western Railway opened its station in Athenry. The line was extended from Athenry to Galway completing one hundred and twenty eight miles of railway. At that time there were great hopes of developing Galway as a major transatlantic port using Lever Line ships. However, the Great Southern and Western Railway had more influential backing and Cobh in Cork was selected as the transatlantic port.
Important railway town and junction
In 1860 Athenry became a junction, with the opening of the line to Tuam and in 1869 when the Ennis line was completed Athenry became a very important railway town. The Waterford and Limerick railway controlled the line from Ennis to Tuam and eventually continued on to Collooney in Sligo. The down platform had a name board stating ‘Athenry and Ennis Junction’ and the up platform stated ‘Athenry and Tuam Junction’. The signal cabin contains sixty-four levers, one of the largest cabins in the West of Ireland.
Major advancement in travel
The arrival of the railway was a major advancement in travel for passengers and freight replacing horse, car transport and barge movements for freight. Finance for these various routes was raised by the gentry and every effort was made to accommodate the laying of the track adjacent to the “Big Houses” as can be seen at Woodlawn. A glance at the railway network map at the end of the last century showed the country very well served by various companies with most places not more than a few miles from a railway station.
Railway to north Galway
During the mid 1850s there was intense interest in extending railway lines and the people of North County Galway were no exception. In 1854 a committee was formed to connect Tuam and Athenry and in 1858 a bill was lodged in the House of Commons to construct a railway called the ‘Athenry and Tuam Railway’: A & TR. Gentlemen named in this bill were: Denis Kirwin, Martin J. Blake, Charles Blake, Robert Henry, John W. Cannon, John Stafford Kirwin, and David Ruthledge. The intention was to use the facility of the Midland Great Western Railway at Athenry.
The House of Commons passed the Bill, and when it came before the House of Lords there were two objections: one from M.G.W.R. who generally objected to any development which might affect its own plans, and the second from Lord Lucan who felt the Tuam line may affect his plans for the Mayo Railroad. The objections were overruled and an agreement was reached whereby the Midland Railway would operate the Tuam line for ten years paying a sum of £400 per year for the facility.
The Bill became an Act; the cost of construction being estimated at £90,000. Shares valued at £10 each being issued and borrowing of £39,000 also being available. The Act stated the junction be at the eastern end of the Midland station and the terminus at the Galway Road in Tuam. The Board of Trade demanded bridges to be built suitable for a double track and throughout the section of line where possible bridges instead of gates be built. This development can be seen at the metal bridge at Caheroyan where the stone bridge on the Tuam line is obvious. Facilities for booking and other office work would be provided by Midland.
William Dargan
In March 1959, William Dargan was appointed as contractor and this was very warmly received as Dargan was well known as a capable contractor. Dargan purchased considerable shares in the A&TR. 750 men worked on the construction and the rails were imported to Galway and taken to Athenry by the Midland. Tuam station was built by a local contractor for £4000.
Rapid construction took place and by 19th September 1860 the line was completed well ahead of schedule and was inspected by Captain George Ross R.E. from the Board of Trade. He was very satisfied with the work performed as the bogs had been suitably drained to allow the lines through the bog to be as stable as any other portion.
On September 27th 1860 the first passenger train departed to Tuam and the shareholders were asked to subscribe £1 per| share towards a testimonial fund for the A&TR Chairman, Denis Kirwin and £250 was collected.
Excitement and intense rivalry
Building and developing railways continued to cause excitement throughout the country after the A & TR was connected to Athenry. Rivalry was intense for territory and battles that commenced at board level were often finalised at the House of Commons in London where the railway company with the best political connections succeeded in getting Bills passed.
The rivalry and bitterness was addressed by an arbitration decision in 1860 regarding territory for MGWR (Midland Great Western Railway) and GSWR (Great Southern and Western Railway) and each company was allocated territory as follows:
GSWR – Ireland south of a line Dublin-Edenderry-Athlone and East Bank of the Shannon.
MGWR- areas North and West of this boundary.
At this time the Waterfbrd and Limerick Railway (W & L), which was the fourth largest Railway Company, extended its railway from Limerick to Ennis. The MGWR had the main line from Dublin (Broadstone) via Mullingar and Athlone to Galway and the A & TR (Athenry and Tuam Railway) was working to Tuam using MGWR rolling; stock i.e. engines, carriages and freight wagons.
Ennis to Athenry railway
In September 1859 promoters of a railway^line from Ennis to Athenry held a meeting in Gort. Such was the enthusiasm for this development that £13,000 was subscribed in thirty minutes. Mr. Nicoll, who was Secretary of A & TR, attended the meeting and Mr. Hemins, whom I assume was the MGWR Engineer-in-Chief, was appointed to act as consultant engineer to the new company. He estimated that the 35 miles of track could be built for £6,000 per mile.
The British Government Act incorporating this new railway line called Athenry & Ennis Junction Railway (A & EJ) received Royal Assent on the 20th August 1860. Share capital was £200,000. The Midland Railway subscribed £100,000 and A & TR £10,000. Among the promoters were George Gough, Lough Cutra, and Mr. Dennis Kirwin, whom we recall was the Chairman of the A & TR. At the first meeting of the new company on the 19th Sept. 1860, Mr. Nicoll was appointed secretary at a salary of £100 p.a. resulting in him being secretary of both railways joining the Midland in Athenry. This meeting;
noted the railway mileage from Cork to Galway would be reduced by 79 miles and Waterford to Cork reduced by 57 miles. At that time Galway was being earmarked to become the major transatlantic port and was after Dublin and Belfast.
Slow progress
The Board of the Midland Railway was not happy with the local contribution and pro-posed the line be diverted from Gort to Loughrea and join the Midland at Woodlawn or Attymon, but the A & EJ Board refused to divert from their original proposals.
Mr. William Munroe was awarded the contract to build the Railway for £250,000. Shares, Debentures and Lloyds Bank accounted for the majority of the payments with only £20,000 cash included. The contract was divided into two parts: Ennis to Gort to be completed by the 1st October 1864 and Gort to Athenry by the 1st October 1865.
Bankrupt and new loan to restart construction
Unforeseen circumstances resulted in slow progress and the money was quickly absorbed. The W & L Railway offered £6,000 in return for two Board seats at a meeting on the 18th February 1863 and Mr. Malcolmson and Mr. Stephen’s from Waterford replaced two A & EJ directors. In August 1865 Mr. Munroe went bankrupt and work was halted.
In August 1866 the Public Works Commissioners sanctioned a loan for £59,000 to restart building. The Midland were approached but were reluctant to get involved. A new firm, Edgeworth and Stanford, commenced work in 1867. This firm proposed that if the stations were not completed and the electric telegraph was not installed the £59,000 would cover the building costs. Passenger platforms would be built at Crusheen, Tubber, Gort, Ardrahan and Craughwell. At this stage of the building, Hon. Gough and W.H. Gregory had resigned from the Board. As part of the construction^ work the contractors purchased engine No. If from the Midland for £300.
By March 1868 a request was made to view Lord Lucan’s stations on the Athlone/Waterford line as the design for the stations had not been completed.
Unsatisfactory work
In August 1868 the contractors advised that the line would be open on the 1st January 1869; the Waterford and Limerick Railway (W & LR) engineer examined and found matters very unsatisfactory. He found no work done at Ennis or Athenry and the track was not good with three types of rails and fastenings used and the ballast was large stones topped with gravel. Col. Rich approved the openings of the line in 1869. No agreement had been finalised with W & L regarding working on the line.
