European Railroad Discussion > A walk along the Former GS&WR Limerick to Foynes line (Ireland)

Hi,

In early 2023 a friend and I walked quite a few miles on the soon to be reopened former Great Southern and Western Railway tracks between Limerick and the Port of Foynes in Ireland. The contractors had cut down all the brush on the long out of service line making it an easy walk. Note at this time no work on any of the track or structures along the ROW had been done. Here is what we found: 
The first three pictures were near Kilgobbin. The second picture are the gates that could be seen along most public crossings. The third is of a crossing identification tag at a lightly used farm road.  

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Again near Kilgobbin. The only locals we ran into the entire time were four legged. 

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Now we're at Ballingrane. The first picture is of the cabin (signal box, tower, lol?) there. There were quite a few cordeaux style porcelain insulators on the ground here. Some were marked P&T for the (Irish Republic) Post and Telegraph Company. Insulators in Northern Ireland are marked GPO for the (British) General Post Office.   

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Just a smidgen west of Ballingrane was a grade crossing gate operator shanty. He would manually raise and lower the crossing gates in this area for the trains. It was probably a cozy place to live back in the day. 

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The first picture shows the grade crossing located at the shanty. Pics 2 and 3 are of the River Deel about two miles west and the blocked railway bridge over it. 

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Sights along the ROW. A farm and two old tie plates. 

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Closer to the Port of Foynes: The Robertstown Viaduct and a mauled semaphore signal.  

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Some more insulators and a semaphore signal. 

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Great Southern and Western marked counterweight on the semaphore. 

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An old abbey, an Irish railroad crossing sign, and a semaphore signal near the Port of Foynes. 

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More semaphores near the Port of Foynes. In looking back at it I really wish I could have grabbed that clear lens off the signal in the first picture somehow :)

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A steam era Irish water tower and it's marking along with the signal cabin at the Port of Foynes. 

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That's all folks! The first picture was taken through the window of the cabin.
Hope you enjoyed the tour! I'd imagine a lot has changed in the nearly two years since these pictures were taken.

Matt 

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You really captured the original character of the line.  Great series of photos.  I just checked the Contractor's website (John Sisk & Son), and learned they began laying new concrete ties and rail in May 2024.  Freight service is expected to return in 2026.

Thanks for sharing.

Gary

Thanks for this great show.  Gerry

Thank you and may the wind be always at your back.

-John

And may you be in heaven before the Devil knows you're gone...

Nice set, thanks.