Dublin to Cavan by train

hayser

Anyone know if there is a direct route from Dublin to Cavan? I can't find one on Irish Rail. I wouldn't mind taking 2 trains if necessary if anyone would know where the 1st stops and the 2nd leaves from? If not it's looking like a bus

unclebill98

No trains to Cavan, just the bus.

You could get train to Edgeworthstown and then the bus.

Bummer1234

hayser wrote: »

Anyone know if there is a direct route from Dublin to Cavan? I can't find one on Irish Rail. I wouldn't mind taking 2 trains if necessary if anyone would know where the 1st stops and the 2nd leaves from? If not it's looking like a bus

The Last train to leave the county of cavan was in 1959(May not be accurate) and Iarnród Éireann are non existent in Co.Cavan so your only option is bus. Bus Eireann is alot more regular from Dublin due to no trains.

hayser

Thanks for the replies. Does anyone know why this is? Seems strange not to have a train go through a county in this day and age.

doolox

When Ireland was divided in 1922 into Northern Ireland and ....Ireland the rail authorities began to act in a partitionist way.

Belfast formed the nucleus of a new network linking Derry across the North coast and Newry through to the south.

The IRA used to bomb the Dublin Belfast line to "discourage" links.

The Ulster transport Authority closed many cross border line in the 50's and the Southern government followed with closures of lines connecting to these northern lines.

Only Sligo, Mayo and Galway now have lines connecting to Heuston Station today.

Donegal, Monaghan Cavan etc do not have any rail links from Dublin today.

Pete_Cavan

Seeing this thread and being aware of many current projects around the country to turn disused railway lines into Greenways for walking and cycling got me thinking is there any potential for this in Cavan. Greenways seem to be a great way to attract tourists (and then make them tired, hungry and thirsty so that they will spend money!) as well as being a great local amenity.

There two main rail lines in county Cavan; link from the Midlands Great Western Railway from Multifarnham in Westmeath to the Great Northern Railway at Clones via Cavan town (with branches from Ballyhaise to Belturbet and Crossdoney to Killeshandra), and the Cavan - Leitrim Railway which ran from Belturbet to Arigna. This is perhaps better illustrated below;



From the map, there were railway lines linking some of the main towns in county Cavan passing some very scenic areas which I am sure would be popular with tourists.

So the tracks were there but are they still there? I do know that Cavan County Council used part of the railway near Kilcogy for the recent realignment of the N55. You can make out the route of the railways from the Ordnance Survey Ireland satellite images from 2005. There are a number of places where the track seems to have become a public or private road, including here and here or taken over (bought?) by a farmer, like here. Other places a section of the track seems to have disappeared in order to extend fields, like here.

I dont know if in any of these cases the land has officially changed ownership or if the current occupiers just moved in and think they can claim squatters rights to it. From other reading on this site which I assume to be true, the land has to be formally abandoned by way of Act of Parliament before adverse possession can occur because statute law trumps common law. This of course is a legal issue and I dont think there is the interest or resources here for that battle to be fought in Cavan. Unless a big precedent is set elsewhere in the country, I think the rail lines in Cavan are lost for good.

bbam

Bummer1234 wrote: »

The Last train to leave the county of cavan was in 1959(May not be accurate) and Iarnród Éireann are non existent in Co.Cavan so your only option is bus. Bus Eireann is alot more regular from Dublin due to no trains.

Just to be Pedantic..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6R46dujSZ4

This is a video of the last train to leave Co. Cavan, it was used to clear the Navan to Kingscourt line in 2002.
I'll admitt it was a commercial line.. 1959 may well be the date of the last passenger train to leave the county.

there is a plan currently to convet the line to a cycle greenway... a much anticapeted project and I hope it comes to fruition.

The Woodcock

Stumbled across this thread as I have an interest in the use of old rail lines as greenways for walking/cycling.

Have there been any recent advances in plans to develop the disused rail lines around Cavan as greenways?

_Brian

The Woodcock wrote: »

Stumbled across this thread as I have an interest in the use of old rail lines as greenways for walking/cycling.

Have there been any recent advances in plans to develop the disused rail lines around Cavan as greenways?

Kingscourt to Navan has had some meetings and such but no progress.

Truth is the government has decided to divert Money to furthering existing greenways and concentrating tourism in the likes of Mayo rather than developing new greenways in places like Cavan that could do with more facilities to draw tourists.

Nekarsulm

They are supposed to be developing a greenway from Belturbet to Ballyconnell at the moment, along the old rail line.
I haven't seen it for myself though.