A large crowd turns up to see the last ever train to leave Ballinrobe on the Claremorris branch line.
On 31st December 1959 the last train for Claremorris departed from Ballinrobe station just after 9pm. The branch line is one of six which have been discontinued as part of CIÉ (Córas Iompair Éireann) cost cutting measures.
No special ceremony has been organised, and despite the cold weather a sizeable crowd gathered to say goodbye to the local train service.
Train driver John Monaghan has worked on this line for twenty two years and is saddened at the closure of the branch line both for the public as well as the local railway community. He is one of the many workers whose lives will change completely.
It is not what I consider a nice gift for the new year.
A road service will replace the train, but John Collerin from the Ballinrobe Town Improvements Committee says people are not happy about what the future may look like.
They feel it is a step in very much the other direction.
Seán Bermingham witnessed the rail line opening in Ballinrobe 1892. It replaced the steamboat service from Cong Quay to Galway and back on a reliable timetable. A railway guard for many years Bob McManus recalls working on the line in the early days and transporting,
Gateways, gate timber, gates, stakes.
Ballinrobe business man JB Staunton also has many memories of the coming of the railway, and the improvements it brought to the lives of people in that part of south Mayo. At that time,
There was no motor cars, or even a bicycle.
This report for 'Provincial News Round Up’ was broadcast on 3 January 1960. The reporter is Karl Jones.
'Provincial News Round Up' was a weekly review of events in the 32 counties broadcast on Radió Éireann.
From the RTÉ Archives Acetate Disc Collection which has been digitised with the support of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) Archiving Scheme.
