Midland Great Western Railway
Encyclopedia

The Midland Great Western Railway (MGWR) was the third largest Irish gauge
Irish gauge
Irish gauge railways use a track gauge of . It is used in* Ireland * Australia where it is also known as Victorian Broad Gauge* Brazil where it is also known as Bitola larga no Brasil....

  railway company in Ireland. It was incorporated in 1845 and absorbed into the Great Southern Railway
Great Southern Railway
Great Southern Railway can refer to:* Great Southern Railway - tourism and rail operator* Great Southern Railway - Former railway serving the South Gippsland region in Victoria, Australia...

 in 1924. It served part of Leinster
Leinster
Leinster is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the east of Ireland. It comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Mide, Osraige and Leinster. Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the historic fifths of Leinster and Mide gradually merged, mainly due to the impact of the Pale, which straddled...

, County Cavan
County Cavan
County Cavan is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Cavan. Cavan County Council is the local authority for the county...

 in Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...

 and much of Connaught
Connacht
Connacht , formerly anglicised as Connaught, is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the west of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for...

. Its network was entirely within what in 1922 became the Irish Free State
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...

.

Develpment

The Midland Great Western Railway Act of 1845 was passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...

 and the first route, to Enfield, opened in 1847. At its peak the MGWR had a network of 538 miles (865.8 km), making it Ireland's third largest network after the GS&WR and the Great Northern Railway of Ireland
Great Northern Railway (Ireland)
The Great Northern Railway was an Irish gauge railway company in Ireland.The Great Northern was formed in 1876 by a merger of the Irish North Western Railway , Northern Railway of Ireland, and Ulster Railway. The Ulster Railway was the GNRI's oldest constituent, having opened between Belfast and...

, or GNR(I).

Dublin to Galway

Rivalry existed between the MGWR and the Great Southern and Western Railway
Great Southern and Western Railway
The Great Southern and Western Railway was the largest Irish gauge railway company in Ireland in the late 19th and early 20th centuries...

, each of which wanted to build the line to . The MGWR started constructing from its line at and the GS&WR from its line at . The MGWR reached first, in 1851, and thus the GS&WR was forced to operate its service over MGWR track between Athlone and Galway after it reached Athlone in 1859, paying the MGWR 65% of passenger and 55% of goods receipts. The GS&WR retained a separate station, which is now the sole operating station, the last service to the MGWR running on 13 January 1985.

Galway to Clifden

The MGWR received a grant of £264,000 to build a railway to Clifden
Clifden
Clifden is a town on the coast of County Galway, Ireland and being Connemara's largest town, it is often referred to as "the Capital of Connemara". It is located on the Owenglen River where it flows into Clifden Bay...

, with stations at Moycullen
Moycullen
Moycullen Moycullen Moycullen (official name: Maigh Cuilinn, Plain of Holly, or Plain of Cullen (a local giant) is a suburban village in County Galway, Ireland, about 10 km (7 mi) north west of Galway city. It is located near Lough Corrib, on the N59 road to Oughterard and Clifden in...

, Oughterard
Oughterard
Oughterard is a small town on the banks of the Owenriff River close to the western shore of Lough Corrib in County Galway, Ireland. The population of the town in 2006 was 1,305...

, Maam Cross
Maam Cross
Maam Cross is a crossroads in Connemara, County Galway, Ireland. It lies within the townland of Shindilla.-Transport:*Maam Cross railway station opened on 1 January 1896 and finally closed on 29 April 1935.-See also:...

, Recess
Recess, County Galway
Recess is a village in County Galway, Ireland. Its official name is in Irish, Sraith Saileach, and translates as "stream of the willow tree".-Transport:*Recess railway station opened on 1 July 1895 and was closed on 29 April 1935....

 and Ballynahinch
Ballynahinch
Ballynahinch is the name of a number of towns in Ireland:*Ballynahinch, County Down, a town in Northern Ireland*Ballynahinch, County Armagh, a townland in County Armagh, Northern Ireland*Ballynahinch, County Galway in the Republic of Ireland...

. The railway opened on 1 July 1895 but due to its inland route it did not serve the bulk of the area's population. It was closed in 1935.

A similar branch line was built at the same time from Westport
Westport, County Mayo
Westport is a town in County Mayo, Ireland. It is situated on the west coast at the south-east corner of Clew Bay, an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean....

 to Achill, via Newport and Mulrany. The line was closed in 1937.

Branch lines

At its peak the MGWR had a number of branch lines: to (opened as the Dublin and Meath Railway 1862, leased to the MGWR 1869, sold to the MGWR 1888)
  • extension from Navan to , (opened by the Navan and Kingscourt Railway 1865, sold to the MGWR 1888)
  • Kilmessan Junction to Athboy
    Athboy
    Athboy , is a small agricultural town in County Meath in Ireland. It is located on the junction of the N51 and R154 roads. The town is located on the Yellow Ford River, in wooded country near the County Westmeath border.-History:...

     (opened 1864, closed 1963)
  • Nesbitt Junction (near Enfield
    Enfield, County Meath
    Enfield or Innfield is a town in south County Meath, Ireland, situated between Kilcock and Kinnegad and very close to the border with County Kildare...

    ) to Edenderry
    Edenderry, County Offaly
    Edenderry is a town in the north of County Offaly, Ireland. It is near the borders with Counties Kildare, Meath and Westmeath. The Grand Canal passes immediately south of the town through the Bog of Allen and there is a short spur to the town centre....

     (opened 1877, closed 1963)
  • Streamstown to Clara, County Offaly (opened 1863, closed 1963)
  • Attymon Junction to Loughrea
    Loughrea
    Loughrea is a town in County Galway, Ireland. The town lies north of a range of wooded hills, the Slieve Aughty Mountains.The town expanded in recent years as it increasingly becomes a commuter town for the city of Galway.- Name :...

     (light railway
    Light railway
    Light railway refers to a railway built at lower costs and to lower standards than typical "heavy rail". This usually means the railway uses lighter weight track, and is more steeply graded and tightly curved to avoid civil engineering costs...

     worked by the MGWR, opened 1890)
  • Galway to Clifden (opened 1895, close 1935)
  • Westport
    Westport, County Mayo
    Westport is a town in County Mayo, Ireland. It is situated on the west coast at the south-east corner of Clew Bay, an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean....

     to Achill (opened 1895, closed 1937)
  • Inny Junction to Cavan Town (opened 1856, closed 1959)
  • Kilfree Junction to Ballaghaderreen (opened by the Sligo and Ballaghaderreen Railway 1874, sold to the MGWR 1877, closed 1963)
  • Crossdoney to Killeshandra
    Killeshandra
    Killeshandra or Killashandra is a village in County Cavan, Ireland, located 20 km northwest of Cavan town and is central to County Cavan's lakeland and geopark region, set in the unique Erne catchment environment of rivers, lakes, wetlands and woodland...

     (opened 1886, closed 1955)
  • Athlone to Westport (opened by the Great Northern and Western Railway 1860–66, leased to the MGWR 1870, sold th the MGWR 1890)
  • Claremorris to Ballinrobe
    Ballinrobe
    -Early history:Dating back to 1390, Ballinrobe is said to be the oldest town in South Mayo. The registry of the Dominican friary of Athenry mentions the monastery de Roba, an Augustinian friary whose recently restored ruins are one of the historical landmarks of the town today...

     (light railway worked by the MGWR, opened 1892, closed 1960)
  • Manulla to Ballina, County Mayo
    Ballina, County Mayo
    Ballina is a large town in north County Mayo in Ireland. It lies at the mouth of the River Moy near Killala Bay, in the Moy valley and Parish of Kilmoremoy, with the Ox Mountain range to the east and the Nephin Beg mountains to the west...

     (opened 1873)
  • extension from Ballina to to Killala
    Killala
    Killala is a village in County Mayo in Ireland, north of Ballina. The railway line from Dublin to Ballina once extended to Killala. To the west of Killala is a Townsplots West , which contains numerous ancient forts.- History :...

     (opened 1893, closed 1937)

Consolidation

In 1924 the Railways Act passed by the Oireachtas of the Irish Free State
Oireachtas of the Irish Free State
The Oireachtas of the Irish Free State was the legislature of the Irish Free State from 1922 until 1937. It was established by the 1922 Constitution of Ireland which was based from the Anglo-Irish Treaty...

 merged the MGWR with the other railway operators, the Great Southern and Western Railway
Great Southern and Western Railway
The Great Southern and Western Railway was the largest Irish gauge railway company in Ireland in the late 19th and early 20th centuries...

 (GS&WR) and the Cork, Bandon and South Coast Railway
Cork, Bandon and South Coast Railway
Cork, Bandon and South Coast Railway , was an Irish gauge railway in Ireland. It opened in 1851 as the Cork and Bandon Railway, changed its name to Cork Bandon and South Coast Railway in 1888 and became part of the Great Southern Railway in 1924....

, to form the Great Southern Railway, and in 1925 these were joined by the Dublin and South Eastern Railway
Dublin and South Eastern Railway
The Dublin and South Eastern Railway was an Irish gauge railway in Ireland from 1846 to 1925.It was incorporated by Act of Parliament in 1846 as the "Waterford, Wexford, Wicklow and Dublin Railway Company". In 1860 it was renamed the "Dublin, Wicklow and Wexford Railway Company" and on 31...

 to form the Great Southern Railways.

Livery

The MGWR painted its locomotives bright green until 1905, when an experimental but short-lived dark blue was tried on some engines. This did not wear well and the company reverted to green. From about 1918 locos were painted gloss black until the MGWR became part of the GSR.

Passenger coaches were finished in varnish or brown paint until the advent of the blue livery. As on the locomotives, this was so short lived that few coaches ever received it. The MGWR reverted to brown, though after 1910 this was not so well-adorned with lining. From 1918 coaches were painted a very dark crimson, and after 1924 the GSR adopted a very similar shade.

Present day

The former MGWR's main lines still operational are owned by Iarnród Éireann
Iarnród Éireann
Iarnród Éireann is the national railway system operator of Ireland. Established on 2 February 1987, it is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann . It operates all internal intercity, commuter and freight railway services in the Republic of Ireland, and, jointly with Northern Ireland Railways, the...

. Routes between Dublin and Sligo, Athlone and Galway, Athlone and Westport and the Ballina branch remain open to passenger traffic. The Meath on Track campaign is campaigning to have the Navan – Clonsilla line (not to be confused with the former GNR Navan – Drogheda line) reopened earlier than the 2015 date announced under Transport 21
Transport 21
Transport 21 is an Irish infrastructure plan, announced in November 2005. It aims to greatly expand Ireland's transport network. A cost estimate of €34 billion was attached to the plan at the time....

. The Edenderry, Clifden, Achill, Cavan, Killeshandra, Ballaghaderreen, Ballinrobe, Killala and Loughrea branches lines are all closed.

Platform 11
Platform 11
Rail Users Ireland is a rail transport pressure group in Ireland whose agenda is centred on the idea that there is an economic case for expanding rail transport in Ireland through better utilization of existing infrastructure with only justified expansion of existing routes...

 has proposed running some – Dublin services via the MGWR station in and the disused route via to , reinstating the route of the first MGWR service via the former GS&WR line. The current Galway service runs from .

Three former MGWR stations are now hotels, two of which are called the "Station House Hotel" but are unconnected by ownership. They are the much-expanded former Clifden station in Co. Galway, Kilmessan Junction in Co. Meath and the Mullranny Park Hotel at Mulranny
Mulranny
Mallaranny —sometimes spelt as Malaranny, Mullaranny, Mullranny or Mulranny—is a seaside village on the isthmus between Clew Bay and Blacksod Bay in County Mayo, Ireland. Mallaranny is the home of colourful giant fuchsias and exotic plants...

, Co. Mayo.

The Great Western Greenway is a greenway
Greenway (landscape)
A greenway is a long, narrow piece of land, often used for recreation and pedestrian and bicycle user traffic, and sometimes for streetcar, light rail or retail uses.- Terminology :...

 rail trail
Rail trail
A rail trail is the conversion of a disused railway easement into a multi-use path, typically for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding. The characteristics of former tracks—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various development. The term sometimes also...

 that utilises the route of the former Westport – Achill branch line.

Preservation

No MGWR locomotive has been preserved but several of its standard six-wheeled carriages exist. One stands derelict at the Station House Hotel in Clifden and another three are on the Downpatrick and County Down Railway. Another, owned by the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland
Railway Preservation Society of Ireland
The Railway Preservation Society of Ireland is an Irish railway preservation group operating in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It was founded in 1964. The Society has its headquarters at Whitehead, County Antrim, Northern Ireland and a base at Mullingar, County Westmeath...

, is being refurbished for public use on the Downpatrick line. The MGWR's unique saloon coach built for William Dargan
William Dargan
William Dargan , an engineer, often seen as the father of Irish railways, came from Killeshin, County Laois, Ireland. Born in 1799, he constructed Ireland's first railway from Dublin to Dún Laoghaire in 1833. He constructed over of railway to important urban centres of Ireland...

 is at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum
Ulster Folk and Transport Museum
The Ulster Folk and Transport Museum is situated in Cultra, Northern Ireland, about east of the city of Belfast. It comprises two separate museums, the Folk Museum and the Transport Museum...

, Cultra
Cultra
Cultra is a residential suburban area adjacent to Holywood, County Down, Northern Ireland, part of Greater Belfast. It is also the name of an electoral ward of North Down Borough Council. It is comfortably one of Northern Ireland's most affluent areas...

, County Down
County Down
-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...

, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

.

See also

  • History of rail transport in Ireland
    History of rail transport in Ireland
    The history of rail transport in Ireland began only a decade later than that of Great Britain. By its peak in 1920, Ireland counted 5,500 route kilometers...

  • Rail transport in Ireland
    Rail transport in Ireland
    Rail services in Ireland are provided by Iarnród Éireann in the Republic of Ireland and by Northern Ireland Railways in Northern Ireland.Most routes in the Republic radiate from Dublin...

  • Iarnród Éireann
    Iarnród Éireann
    Iarnród Éireann is the national railway system operator of Ireland. Established on 2 February 1987, it is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann . It operates all internal intercity, commuter and freight railway services in the Republic of Ireland, and, jointly with Northern Ireland Railways, the...


External links



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