Ballyhale: The railway station and the people who worked there

Ballyhale Station was an intermediate station opened in 1853 on the Kilkenny to Waterford line and built by the Waterford & Central Ireland Railway Company.

Located at Vicar’s Lane just a ten minute walk from the village of Ballyhale. It was a busy rural station until it closed in 1963 like many other small stations in Ireland at that time. The next station north of Ballyhale was Thomastown and Mullinavat was the next station south of it.

Station Masters at Ballyhale

The last Station Master to serve at Ballyhale was John Singleton a native of Lismore, Waterford. When John retired from the railway he bought the former Station Master’s house at Attanagh, Laois.

He later worked in a Garage in Ballyragget. He was an industrious man who hadn’t much time for time wasters, so much so that he hung a sign outside his office at the Garage which said ’if you have nothing to do… well don’t do it here’.

Other Station Masters at Ballyhale were John O’Shea, Charlie Dobbyn, Doyle, Tom Nolan and Jimmy Mahoney from Buttevant. Jimmy was the last Station Master at Thomastown and went on to work at Hoyne’s after the railway and lived at Station Road.

John O’Shea was born in Ballyragget on November 1, 1865 the older of the two brothers who were both Station Masters. He joined the GSWR Company at Maryborough Station in 1883 at the age of 18 for experience and training purposes. He was transferred to Kilkenny Station on November 3, 1888. John was appointed Station Master at Ballyhale Railway Station in 1891 and served there until 1924.

John was an entrepreneur in his own right as he purchased two houses in the village of Ballyhale. He set up a shop in one of the houses and his sister Mary came down from Ballyragget to run the business.

As per GSWR regulations of the time he was not permitted to be involved in any other business ventures. In modern day parlance ‘no nixers’. The station provided freight services for the local co-ops and businesses with coal, cement, beet to the sugar factories at Carlow, Thurles and Mallow being the main goods.

Emigration Service

John was very innovative and set up an Emigration Service Agency at Ballyhale Station – for New York via Queenstown (Cobh). There was large paintings of the Ocean Liners displayed at the Station. This surely was certainly a unique service for a small rural village railway station in Kilkenny at the time.

Ballyhale Station was a busy stop on the main Kilkenny to Waterford section of the Line which served Carlow, Athy, Kildare and Dublin. Passengers could also travel to Ballyragget, Abbeyleix and Maryboro via a stop at Kilkenny on its line to Maryborough.

Ballyhale employed five people during John’s time including himself the Station Master, signalman and two linesmen who had to walk the line half way to the next station (Mullinavat and Thomastown) on either side of it. They inspected the line, ensured no cattle on the line and that all gates were securely locked. They also covered storage shed for loading goods in and out on the siding.

John O’Shea married Johanna Dunphy from Windgap in 1900, and they had four sons two of whom Nicholas and Joe attended Kilkenny CBS secondary school. They enjoyed free travel via the guards’ van at the back of the train. They enjoyed the comfort of the warm van in winter times, as the guard knew how to fully stoke up the stove with coal and timber blocks.

McBride Railway Family

The last signal man in Ballyhale was Bobby McBride, Bobby was married to Gretta Walsh of Bennettsbridge. When Ballyhale closed in 1963 Bobby went to Waterford and Kilmeaden. His name is mentioned on the information board at Kilmeaden Station on the Suir Valley Railway line.

Robert originally hailed from, Castleblaney and he lived at Kiltorcan level crossing where Christy Wemyss is today. The McBride’s later moved to Knockmoylan where Maria Morrissey is. All of the McBride family worked on the Permanent Way including Tom, Ned, John and Dick who lived at Ferrybank. Bobby Snr retired as a Per Way Inspector at Newbridge. Those McBride’s were uncles of Bobby who worked at Waterford. Kitty McBride married Tom Nolan, Station Master and eventually moved west.

The Morton family

Joe Morton came from Dublin circa 1923. He lived at Derrynahinch level crossing. The house was demolished some years ago and has an automatic barrier in place now.

Joe worked as a Per-Way milesman and his wife worked the crossing gates for €1 per annum. Johnny Morton also worked on the Per-Way as a milesman. Harry andJimmy became publicans in Dublin. Damien Duff the ex-Blackburn Rovers, Chelsea, Newcastle United and the former 100 capped Republic of Ireland soccer international is believed to be a relation of the Mortons

The Henneberry family

They were all born at the gate lodge of Castlegannon and their father was Jim Heneberry a Per-Way milesman. The lodge has since been demolished.

Mick spent most of his working life as a signalman at Ballyhale Cabin. Larry worked as a milesman around the Lukeswell area and became a ganger. When the crossing closed at Castlegannon he and his daughter Kathleen moved to Kiltorcan, with Kathleen operating the gates until the late 1970s. Larry’s son Jimmy became the road freight manager at CIE Cork.

The Station House

The Station House and Store at Ballyhale was sold by public auction in 1965 for £300 and £200 respectively to Bill O’Neill. Bill’s daughter Mary was amongst one of the first female clerks to work with the CIE, initially at Bagenalstown and later at Kilkenny. Bill’s grandson Ger Holden now resides there. In recent years a loop was constructed near the former Station so as to allow Trains to pass each other.

Othe locals to work with the Railway were Patrick Murphy (porter), James Madden, Derrynahinch (Milesman), Henry Fleming (Ganger), John Fleming (railway labourer), Michael Hanrahan (porter), Jack Russell, Kiltorcan (milesman), Jack Mulrooney (signalman Kilkenny) and Martin Ryan, (relief signalman) from Wexford. It said that he was the first person to have a transistor radio.

Back in the day the freight train took local horses to the Dublin and Spring Horse Shows at Ballsbridge, the local kids waited for the return of the horses counting the rosettes and the colours of same. Mary Holden recalls the late Luke Maloney, Knockwilliam who was the proud owner of many champions. Paddy Power who was married to Alice McBride was a fowl buyer who sent turkeys etc by train to customers all over Ireland.

The level crossing at Knockwilliam

The crossing which is located between Ballyhale and Knockmoylan was used by farmers, mainly Ryan’s, Maloney’s and Shefflin’s which all have land “over” the railway, Michael and Mary O’Keeffe lived there, when they passed way the house was knocked and in recent years an under pass was constructed, making movement of animals and vehicles very safe.

The Walsh family 1930s – The Corcoran family 1950s

They lived and farmed across from the Station House, there was no entry or exit to village road etc. except by using the level crossing, while the signal cabin was operational this crossing was safe but when the cabin closed you crossed at your own risk, many families used this crossing from upper Kiltorcan, Reids, Hawes and O’Keeffe’s came to school this way.

Thankfully, Irish Rail built an overhead bridge circa the year 2000, life for the farmer is safer. Eamonn De Valera is reported to have used the Walsh house as a safe house during the troubles?

Donie Butler will present a Talk on Ballyhale Railway Station on Wednesday 18th November at the Community Hall, Ballyhale at 8.30pm. Admission is free. All are welcome. Light refreshments served.

My grateful thanks to Mary Holden and P F O’Shea for their assistance in helping to compile this article -- Donie Butler