Ballaghaderreen railway station

Ballaghaderreen railway station was a station which served Ballaghaderreen in County Roscommon, Ireland. It was the terminus of a branch line from Kilfree Junction.

History

Opened by the Midland Great Western Railway, 1924 the Railways Act passed by the Oireachtas of the Irish Free State moved the station to the Great Southern Railway. In 1925 another merger led to management by the Great Southern Railways. The station was then nationalised, passing on to the Córas Iompair Éireann as a result of the Transport Act 1944^[1] which took effect from 1 January 1945.

The unusual station building at Ballaghaderreen, built with rough stone, remains though very derelict. Part of the platform survives also, complete with name board posts. The goods shed, used by the GAA remains complete with its typical long cattle bank platform. The water tower and single road engine shed however have been demolished, a health centre now stands on their site. The terminus was unusual also for not having a signal cabin; the instruments were housed in the station building.

References

• Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-85260-508-1.