The West Clare Railway closed at the end of January 1961.
The RTE website has an archive radio broadcast taken on the final day of operation (no TV in those days!), interviewing both passengers and staff.
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Storm Chandra
With Storm Chandra having passed over and caused extensive flooding, the clean up operation is underway and RTE have a news article with an excellent photograph, taken from the Island Road overbridge in Enniscorthy, showing an Irish Rail crew at work removing debris from the railway bridge over the River Slaney with a road rail excavator.
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Elphin Windmill update
I reported previously on the damage caused to Elphin Windmill caused during Storm Eowyn in early 2025.
I am happy to report that funding to the tune of EUR35,000 has been awarded under the Heritage Investment Scheme to the group behind the scheme at Elphin towards its restoration.
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Gazetteer update – Donegal
Over the post Christmas period, I took myself up to east Donegal to close out the many missing stations in that area. I booked a self catering apartment just outside Lifford for a few days and used it as a base to cover the lines from Stranorlar to Glenties, Strabane to Letterkenny and Tooban Junction to Letterkenny, covering most stations thereon.
The photos taken and station pages updates have now been added to the gazetteer.
The RTE online archive periodically includes historic news items of industrial heritage.
One such clip relates to the conservation of Tuam Mill, dating from 1981.
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Water tower residential conversion
I came across this video on Youtube of a former water tower in Hertfordshire, England, which has been converted to a home.
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Way Down Underground
The above titled play takes place in the Derrynaflan Theatre at the Horse and Jockey Hotel in Tipperary on 11th January 2026. From the Nenagh Live website:
“Blending theatre, music, and video, the show takes audiences deep into the world of the early 1900s, when men laboured underground for the sake of their families. Though rooted in Slieveardagh’s past, this is a story repeated in countless communities and workplaces — the struggle, pride, and resilience of the working man.”
Tickets cost €20 and can be reserved by texting 086 196 0157 to reserve or on the Way Down Underground Facebook page.
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Maam Cross Station, Galway
The Irish Mirror is reporting that a fire has engulfed the signal cabin at the Connemara Railway at their restoration project at Maam Cross in Galway.
Update 16 December 2025: A GofundMe campaign has been opened to raise money for the restoration of the signal cabin.
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Maynooth Station footbridge
An upgrade initiated by Irish Rail, in advance of DART+WEST kicking off, is the replacement of the footbridge at Maynooth with a new, lift accessible footbridge immediately adjacent. Recent media updates noted the official opening of the new footbridge on 11 December.
When passing through the station last night, I noticed crews hovering around the old footbridge and when passing through the station today, the old footbridge is gone.
RTE reports that plans for a greenway on the ‘Burma Road’ – i.e., the line from Claremorris to Collooney – are dead. Technically, the decision only applies to the bit in Sligo, but given that Irish Rail have ruled out anything but a licence for the section in Co. Sligo, Sligo County Council have determined that a greenway adjacent to the railway is not feasible.