West Clare Railway to Reopen(Moyasta-Kilrush)

Carazy

Just read that Jackie Whelan and co are to develop the railway as far as Kilrush and maybe even Doonbeg. They have great commitment. Will be nostalgic to see the Slieve Callan travel to Kilrush again.

West Clare railway link for Kilrush

GORDON DEEGAN
Tue, Jan 17, 2012
PLANS HAVE been announced to extend the famous west Clare
railway into the market town of Kilrush within the next two years.

Jackie Whelan, originally of the committee for the Restoration of
the West Clare Railway, said yesterday that after Kilrush, he was
planning to extend the line to Kilkee and to provide a rail-link to
the €150 million Doonbeg Golf Club resort on the Clare coast.

Some 2.5km of track of the restored railway are already in place
at Moyasta, mid-distance between Kilkee and Kilrush.

In August 2009, Mr Whelan rejuvenated the west Clare railway
with the completion of the restoration project on the 120-year
old Slieve Callan steam engine.

Yesterday, he said that visitor numbers to the railway had been
boosted with the return of the steam engine and last year topped
18,000 people.Visitors can travel on board the 40-tonne Slieve
Callan on the restored track.

Between 1892 and 1952, the Slieve Callan powered the west Clare
railway, which had been immortalised in song by Percy French. The
railway was shut down by the government in 1961.

In a submission lodged with Clare County Council, Mr Whelan stated
that Shannon Development had confirmed plans “to assist the West
Clare Railway lay its track into Kilrush and the service to the town is
hoped to begin within two years”.

In the document, Mr Whelan confirmed the railway’s intention to extend
to Doonbeg Golf Club.

Confirming that negotiations have been ongoing sometime with the directors
of the club, Mr Whelan wrote: “It is now intended that, subject to the fina
l financial arrangements being satisfactory, the west Clare railway will extend
its track to Mountrivers along its former track-bed wherever possible.

“From a site alongside the former Doonbeg station, the line will be extended along
the river bank to a station alongside the golf club hotel.”

The route of the west Clare railway is protected in the Clare county development plan.

© 2012 The Irish Times

WakeyTyke

Whilst I would love to see the Slieve Callan running along the old track at the bottom of my garden I think this will remain purely aspirational and never get turned into reality.

Jim Martin

WakeyTyke wrote: »

Whilst I would love to see the Slieve Callan running along the old track at the bottom of my garden I think this will remain purely aspirational and never get turned into reality.

Why?

Balagan

Who or what is going to pay for it?

WakeyTyke

Jim Martin wrote: »

Why?

Because there are landowners along the route of the railway who do not want to see the track returning

REPSOC1916

Well we'll all know the reason for Whelan's bankrupty hearing.

Seriously - there is little if any economic justification for it.

finbarrk

It would be nice, but realistically pie in the sky.

Figerty

'I have a dream' as Martin Luther King said.

How many people told Jackie Whelan he wouldn't get this far. To his credit he has god a wreck of a train restored, a train line up and running, and has ambition to get it further developed.

It's more people like this we need. A few people don't want the trainline..more fool them.

Run_to_da_hills

It would probably carry more passengers than the WRC.

Balagan

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

It would probably carry more passengers than the WRC.

Ah now, leave The Galway Eight alone! They live in fear of driving or the bus!

Lady Chatterton

REPSOC1916 wrote: »

Well we'll all know the reason for Whelan's bankrupty hearing.

Seriously - there is little if any economic justification for it.

I'm confused, if you are referring to the Whelan Group (Ennis), it is my understanding that Jackie had no involvement in that business.

Lady Chatterton

Figerty wrote: »

'I have a dream' as Martin Luther King said.

How many people told Jackie Whelan he wouldn't get this far. To his credit he has god a wreck of a train restored, a train line up and running, and has ambition to get it further developed.

It's more people like this we need. A few people don't want the trainline..more fool them.

I completely agree with you! Fair play to Jackie Whelan, he has ploughed half a million of his own money into the restoration project. As the parent of a five year old who is train mad, I have enjoyed many a Sunday afternoon back in Moyasta, it is really wonderful what has been achieved there.

I remember when the Slieve Callen Engine was left parked up in Ennis Railway Station and it was so sad to see it being vandalised and just being left there to fall apart.

Here is a picture of the engine in Ennis prior to restoration. (It is difficult to see the extent of the damage to it as it was painted entirely in black at the time).



The Slieve Callen Engine in 2009 after it had been restored.



Here is a little clip of the day in August 2009 when the 117 year old Slieve Callen returned to the track after an absence of 50 years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rZdQf6uIdE

golfball37

Its his own money so fair play to him. Amazing the amount of belittling that goes on in this country.

Even if it was public money being discussed I'd much rather see it go into local Projects like this than to top up Brian Cowans pension or pay off Anglo Irish Banks bad debts.

dr.fuzzenstein

Why shouldn't it work? Why shouldn't it be done?
I really hope this takes off and becomes reality, stranger things have happened.
Here in Clare we have an international airport, a motorway that runs the length of the county, an industrial estate, the coast, farming, tourism an d so on and so forth.
I cannot see why all that should not work, other than the monkeys in charge who cannot think further business wise than a farm and maybe a B&B.
Whatever money that can be borrowed begged or stolen or raised by cakesales should be ploughed into the above, a joined up strategy should be developed and some serious marketing abroad for Clare as a tourist destination should be undertaken.
Poor mouthing and moaning of "Ah jaysus, can't be doing that now, sure now, sure it'll never fly, ah no now, ah can't be doing that" won't get it to happen.
What this county needs is vision, daring, enterprising spirit, global thinking and some serious balls when it comes to taking decisions. And of course an attitude of thinking beyond one's own slice of the pie and if someone might get a bigger slice.
Ok, we're stuffed so.

Jim Martin

and if the National Rail Museum takes off at Moyasta- what a boost that would be (if the Dubs don't pour cold water over it)!

Balagan

My own view would be that Doonbeg Golf Club has been very badly affected by the economic downturn abroad and at home; Shannon Development may very well be subsumed into some other kind of tourist board administration and Clare County Council is likely, after bitter experience, to be very careful with the use of funds. If Mr. Whelan can afford this extra undertaking for the railway himself and he feels that is the best use of his funds at this time, then fair dues to him. It is a lovely undertaking which has brought visitors to the area and is delightful.
But, with the infrastructure of the country breaking down to such an extent that people are unable to afford, or in some cases, even access, basic medical treatment and medicines; where the weakest, the old and the infirm are facing increasingly miserable lives, I would not like to see one cent of public funds spent on extending this project,at this time, lovely and all as it is.

dr.fuzzenstein

Balagan wrote: »

My own view would be that Doonbeg Golf Club has been very badly affected by the economic downturn abroad and at home; Shannon Development may very well be subsumed into some other kind of tourist board administration and Clare County Council is likely, after bitter experience, to be very careful with the use of funds. If Mr. Whelan can afford this extra undertaking for the railway himself and he feels that is the best use of his funds at this time, then fair dues to him. It is a lovely undertaking which has brought visitors to the area and is delightful.
But, with the infrastructure of the country breaking down to such an extent that people are unable to afford, or in some cases, even access, basic medical treatment and medicines; where the weakest, the old and the infirm are facing increasingly miserable lives, I would not like to see one cent of public funds spent on extending this project,at this time, lovely and all as it is.

Well, maybe he can get financial backers for his project, I'm sure a lot of companies would see a good sponsorship opportunity there and if he can attract sufficient numbers, there's no reason on earth it cannot work.
It would also attract additional visitors to the entire area.
If we just say "let's not invest a cent in anything and just ride what we have", visitor numbers will go only one way: down.
If you have a business going, you GOT to invest in it, if you don't, it'll die.
And once that happens and ONE person says "I don't understand how this could have happened!", I'll be only to happy to slap them, because they don't have the business sense of a piece of moldy cheese.

Carazy

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

Well, maybe he can get financial backers for his project, I'm sure a lot of companies would see a good sponsorship opportunity there and if he can attract sufficient numbers, there's no reason on earth it cannot work.
It would also attract additional visitors to the entire area.
If we just say "let's not invest a cent in anything and just ride what we have", visitor numbers will go only one way: down.
If you have a business going, you GOT to invest in it, if you don't, it'll die.
And once that happens and ONE person says "I don't understand how this could have happened!", I'll be only to happy to slap them, because they don't have the business sense of a piece of moldy cheese.

My thoughts exactly!

Clareman

IMVHO, tourism is a major resource that we haven't tapped into half enough, I went on holidays to Australia and was going to Melbourne near the end of my trip, everyone I met told me that I had to go down the coast road that there were some amazing sights/natural resources, down I went, hours and hours of a drive to see coastal features that I grew up next to (columns, stacks, arches, pollock holes), don't get me wrong the weather has a lot to do with it as well, but once Irish people realise the amazing features we have at our disposal the better we'd be.

Also, to nail my colours to the mast, imvho the closure up of the old West Clare Railway followed by the ripping up of the tracks almost immediately was 1 of the shorted sighted actions ever taken in this country, imagine having an infrastructure in place where you could get a train from Limerick to Shannon to Kilkee to Lahinch, it'd be like having a DART/Luas, even if it wasn't profitable back then, why not leave the tracks there in case it could be utilized in the future.

Johnboy1951

Clareman wrote: »

IMVHO, tourism is a major resource that we haven't tapped into half enough, I went on holidays to Australia and was going to Melbourne near the end of my trip, everyone I met told me that I had to go down the coast road that there were some amazing sights/natural resources, down I went, hours and hours of a drive to see coastal features that I grew up next to (columns, stacks, arches, pollock holes), don't get me wrong the weather has a lot to do with it as well, but once Irish people realise the amazing features we have at our disposal the better we'd be.

Also, to nail my colours to the mast, imvho the closure up of the old West Clare Railway followed by the ripping up of the tracks almost immediately was 1 of the shorted sighted actions ever taken in this country, imagine having an infrastructure in place where you could get a train from Limerick to Shannon to Kilkee to Lahinch, it'd be like having a DART/Luas, even if it wasn't profitable back then, why not leave the tracks there in case it could be utilized in the future.

Around the same time, they closed the rail line from Waterford to Tramore.
I believe one of the few lines in the country at the time that was making a profit.
They took up the line and that was it. Gone forever.
Replaced with infrequent and unreliable bus services.

Tramore is now a satellite town and all those living there & working in Waterford have to drive.

Rail lines are worth saving. I hope this works.
Future generations will benefit .... either directly by travelling or through tourist attractions.

Balagan

Clareman wrote: »

IMVHO, tourism is a major resource that we haven't tapped into half enough, I went on holidays to Australia and was going to Melbourne near the end of my trip, everyone I met told me that I had to go down the coast road that there were some amazing sights/natural resources, down I went, hours and hours of a drive to see coastal features that I grew up next to (columns, stacks, arches, pollock holes), don't get me wrong the weather has a lot to do with it as well, but once Irish people realise the amazing features we have at our disposal the better we'd be.

Also, to nail my colours to the mast, imvho the closure up of the old West Clare Railway followed by the ripping up of the tracks almost immediately was 1 of the shorted sighted actions ever taken in this country, imagine having an infrastructure in place where you could get a train from Limerick to Shannon to Kilkee to Lahinch, it'd be like having a DART/Luas, even if it wasn't profitable back then, why not leave the tracks there in case it could be utilized in the future.

I was trying to figure out how could you possibly think that tearing up the West Clare Railyway tracks was one of the (did you mean to add 'most'?) shortsighted actions ever taken in this country and then bits of that poem of Patrick Kavanagh, Epic, came back to me

I have lived in important places, times
When great events were decided, who owned
That half a rood of rock, a no-man's land
Surrounded by our pitchfork-armed claims.
I heard the Duffys shouting "Damn your soul!"
And old McCabe stripped to the waist, seen
Step the plot defying blue cast-steel -
"Here is the march along these iron stones."
That was the year of the Munich bother. Which
Was more important? I inclined
To lose my faith in Ballyrush and Gortin
Till Homer's ghost came whispering to my mind.
He said: I made the Iliad from such
A local row. Gods make their own importance.

kildarecommuter

Just wondering has there been any developments with this plan to extend?

Jim Martin

kildarecommuter wrote: »

Just wondering has there been any developments with this plan to extend?

Went to a talk by Jackie Whelan in Kilkee a couple of weeks ago and, if I heard right, doesn't seem to have been any progress whatsoever!

haulagebasher

Jackie has done well to achieve a running sleive callan and have a few hundred meters of usable track in place. Fair play to him. However there is an enormous canyon of difference between a few hundred yards of track in a field and a full scale for up to 10km. This woulod require at least one major level crossing of the which would have to be automated (N67) and possibly other accomodation crossings. Then there's line structures like bridges and drainage which must be recommissioned and inspected regularly by an engineer. Add to that insurance, planning and proper signalling and your in to the millions. That's even before you lay a single track panel. The PW itself is only a very small part of a rail project.Mark my words, this will never materialise. It closed for a reason you know.

finbarrk

kildarecommuter wrote: »

Just wondering has there been any developments with this plan to extend?

Thats one idea that will never happen.

Shapey Fiend

I'm all for investing in tourism but we need to make sure the money is invested in the right areas. We've got great features like the cliffs which have been turned into loss making enterprises because they need large staffs and the canteens. I think we've got a tendancy in this country to only look at the initial set up cost and ignore the ongoing costs.

I don't know if the ongoing cost of a line that's 20 miles long instead of 2 would be that different. But the county council would probably try and recoup the costs of all the land purchases like they did with the cliffs and you'd end up paying 8 quid for parking or whatever. Sometimes things are best left as they are. There are already a lot of large arts and tourism buildings under utilised in the county and in the next 10 years they're going to be an awful drain on public coffers instead of being a boon because they weren't sized appopriately.

I think most of Co. Clare's unique appeal for foreign tourists is stuff that's hundreds of thousands of years old rather than 150. Not to knock the Clare Railway but you might find that plowing 10's of millions into it could be a tough sell when the Tourism board may find much more success promoting the county's other features.

dr.fuzzenstein

Shapey Fiend wrote: »

I'm all for investing in tourism but we need to make sure the money is invested in the right areas. We've got great features like the cliffs which have been turned into loss making enterprises because they need large staffs and the canteens. I think we've got a tendancy in this country to only look at the initial set up cost and ignore the ongoing costs.

I don't know if the ongoing cost of a line that's 20 miles long instead of 2 would be that different. But the county council would probably try and recoup the costs of all the land purchases like they did with the cliffs and you'd end up paying 8 quid for parking or whatever. Sometimes things are best left as they are. There are already a lot of large arts and tourism buildings under utilised in the county and in the next 10 years they're going to be an awful drain on public coffers instead of being a boon because they weren't sized appopriately.

I think most of Co. Clare's unique appeal for foreign tourists is stuff that's hundreds of thousands of years old rather than 150. Not to knock the Clare Railway but you might find that plowing 10's of millions into it could be a tough sell when the Tourism board may find much more success promoting the county's other features.

I disagree a little bit there. Both the railway and the cliffs are an excercise in how to have two things that could be marvellous and how to remove the one single thing that makes both worth seeing.
We now have cliffs that you can't get near because someone might fall off.
And a train that has nowhere to go.
So both are pointless in their current form.
If I was a tourist I'd be dissapointed after seeing them. I know that because I was a tourist and I did see them.
And I was dissapointed.

Clareman

The problem we are facing now is that of an economic and short sighted nature, no government in the current economic climate could possibly fund the redevelopment of the West Clare Railway, there are far more deserving railway ventures that could be undertaken that would benefit far more people around the country, I will however go back on my soap box and point out that when the West Clare Railway was shut down 50 years ago that the tracks should been retained and had minimal upkeep carried out on a yearly basis in order to potentially re-open it, again I can only imagine the impact that having a narrow gauge railway running from Limerick-Shannon-Ennis-West-North Clare would have.

Jim Martin

The narrow gauge ran only from Ennis (not Limerick/Shannon)!

Keano

I've read the numbers are way down on what was expected on the Limerick-Ennis-Galway line and will be reviewed in the new year so any plans for extending it will never get the go ahead, more than likely services will be reduced.

CptSternn

Keano A Legend wrote: »

I've read the numbers are way down on what was expected on the Limerick-Ennis-Galway line and will be reviewed in the new year so any plans for extending it will never get the go ahead, more than likely services will be reduced.

I was excited when they first opened the Ennis/Galway line, until I saw the prices. Paying like 40 quid to take over an hour to get to Galway is mental. If I take the family there I can drive and get there quicker for a fraction of the price. If they made it a bit more reasonable then I am sure more people would actually use it. You can't afford even a day trip there on the weekends at the current prices.