Next railway lecture to take place at Rothe House, Kilkenny next week

Donie Butler will present the seventh railway lecture in his series of lectures on the railway of North Kilkenny featuring the Kilkenny to Maryborough/Portlaoise line, Ballyragget Station as well as the branch line to Corbettstown, Castlecomer Station and Deer Park Colliery.

Following the series of talks, a meeting was held at the Home Rule Club, John’s Quay, Kilkenny earlier this year amongst railway enthusiasts to establish the Kilkenny Railway Heritage Society. Donie Butler was elected chair, Sean O’Neill, honorary secretary, Mary Holden treasurer, Malcolm Noonan, PRO and John Delaney vice-chair.

The meeting prioritised its aims and objectives as follows: To preserve the heritage of the railway lines in Kilkenny City and county. These lines consist of the defunct Kilkenny to Portlaoise line and the branch line from Dunmore West Junction to Castlecomer Junction and Deer Park Colliery. The existing line between Kilkenny and Ferrybank/Waterford and Kilkenny to the Cherryville Junction at Kildare.

Further lines which passed through South Kilkenny were former lines Ferrybank to Rosbercon, New Ross, Ferrybank to Rosslare, Ferrybank to Mallow and the present Ferrybank to Limerick line. Many of the destinations on these lines had level crossings and gatekeepers’ lodges and some had Station Master’s Houses.
BIG READ: All aboard for a trip on the old Kilkenny to Maryborough line!

CIE regretfully decided to demolish some of the old stations like at Ballyragget, Castlecomer and Bennettsbridge. Some fine examples of station masters’ houses still exist at Castlecomer, Ballyragget, Kilkenny, Gowran and Thomastown.

The KRHS firmly believe that the Minister’s for Transport and Heritage have major roles to play in restoring the heritage along with CIE and the Local Authority. Many of the buildings are protected structures and thus there is an obligation on the owners CIE to conform to the Protected Structures Act (PSA) and comply.

Kilkenny Railway Heritage Society says it wants to hold these bodies to account for their lack of action.

“Kilkenny MacDonagh Station is crying example of the way it has been ignored by CIE in terms of lack of compliance with the PSA over the last 28 years,” said Donie Butler. “CIE finally accepted their responsibility in the matter in recent years but now they plead that they do not have the funds.

“Meanwhile the planning department of Kilkenny County Council under the direction of Denis Malone have been very vigilant in following up CIE under the PSA, but alas, to no avail to date.”