Steaming into the Future

Dublin to Drogheda Railway Map 1844

The Dublin to Drogheda line was thirty two miles long and it took approximately one hour and eighteen minutes to travel the distance on the train when it was first opened. During its first summer three types of trains frequented the route: the mails, the quick trains and the mixed trains. The mail trains and the quick trains only accommodated first and second class passengers, and travelled at the highest speed. These trains only stopped at Malahide and Balbriggan. The mixed trains which stopped at all the stations and shipped all types of goods also carried third class passengers. It was known to have better conditions for third class passengers than other railway lines and this encouraged poorer classes to take the train especially during the winter months. Its terminus in Dublin was Amiens Street, now known as Connolly Station.

Dublin to Drogheda Railway Map 1844

Dublin to Drogheda Railway Map 1844

The Dublin to Drogheda line was thirty two miles long and it took approximately one hour and eighteen minutes to travel the distance on the train when it was first opened. During its first summer three types of trains frequented the route: the mails, the quick trains and the mixed trains. The mail trains and the quick trains only accommodated first and second class passengers, and travelled at the highest speed. These trains only stopped at Malahide and Balbriggan. The mixed trains which stopped at all the stations and shipped all types of goods also carried third class passengers. It was known to have better conditions for third class passengers than other railway lines and this encouraged poorer classes to take the train especially during the winter months. Its terminus in Dublin was Amiens Street, now known as Connolly Station.

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As early as 1826 authorisation had been sought and received for a railway between Limerick and Waterford, but the scheme was too ambitious for the time and it was not built for another 20 years. There were more immediate prospects of success in the Dublin area, where a group of bankers formed the Dublin and Kingstown Railway Company (D&KR), subscribing £100,000 to build a line to carry both passengers and goods. The Dublin & Kingstown, opened in 1834, was built to the 4 ft 8 ½ in/1440mm gauge common, though not universally employed, in Britain at the time. The contractor, William Dargan, had gained experience building roads in Britain and was to play the key role in the creation of Ireland's transport infrastructure in the future.

On 19 May 1836 an Act of Parliament established The Ulster Railway Company which was authorised to build a 36 mile/58km line from Belfast to Armagh. The first section to Lisburn opened in 1839. Though the D&KR had announced its intention of carrying both passengers and goods, the Ulster Railway Company was in fact the first to do so. Dargan, who built the railway, was also engaged in the construction of the Ulster Canal linking Lough Neagh with upper Lough Erne, and with the extension of the line to Portadown in 1842 passengers were transferred to steamers to continue their journey. At Belfast itself he had cut through sandbanks to open the port to large vessels, in the process creating Queen's Island, the future location of the Major shipbuilding industry, first known as Dargan's Island.

Baldoyle Bridge

This is an illustration of a crowd looking over the railway bridge at Baldoyle in the nineteenth century. Baldoyle bridge is on the Dublin to Drogheda railway line which commenced construction in 1838. The view from the bridge, at this time, looked out across the bay at Sutton, Howth and Ireland’s Eye. During the planning of the route there were initial debates on whether the line should run inland or take the costal route. Fortunately for Baldoyle, the costal route was approved in the end.

Baldoyle Bridge

Baldoyle Bridge

This is an illustration of a crowd looking over the railway bridge at Baldoyle in the nineteenth century. Baldoyle bridge is on the Dublin to Drogheda railway line which commenced construction in 1838. The view from the bridge, at this time, looked out across the bay at Sutton, Howth and Ireland’s Eye. During the planning of the route there were initial debates on whether the line should run inland or take the costal route. Fortunately for Baldoyle, the costal route was approved in the end.

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As the Ulster rails reached Portadown trials were taking place from Dublin to Skerries on the first section of the Dublin and Drogheda Railway. In 1836 the British government set up the Drummond Commission to enquire into the whole question of railway development in Ireland. It concluded that the sparse and scattered population pattern would justify no more than two major trunk routes: Dublin-Belfast and Dublin-Cork, with branches to Limerick and Galway. Popular opinion, otherwise 'railway mania' dictated otherwise, and soon every town of any size was clamouring for its rail connection.

View of Drogheda and Railway

This illustration shows the railway line in Drogheda with the town in the background. The railway line was officially opened by the Lord Lieutenant of the time, Earl De Grey, on 24th May 1844. Unfortunately its Dublin terminus at Amien Street was not built in time for its maiden journey, and so it started its couse a few miles north of the station near the bridge over the Royal Canal. At the time that the railway was being built Ireland was experiencing the Great Famine and was in economic and social depression. The construction of the railway granted some relief from this for those that were employed to build the lines. When the line was open, business in the towns which it passed began to increase as markets became more accessible and agricultural produce was traded to and from the towns.

View of Drogheda and Railway

View of Drogheda and Railway

This illustration shows the railway line in Drogheda with the town in the background. The railway line was officially opened by the Lord Lieutenant of the time, Earl De Grey, on 24th May 1844. Unfortunately its Dublin terminus at Amien Street was not built in time for its maiden journey, and so it started its couse a few miles north of the station near the bridge over the Royal Canal. At the time that the railway was being built Ireland was experiencing the Great Famine and was in economic and social depression. The construction of the railway granted some relief from this for those that were employed to build the lines. When the line was open, business in the towns which it passed began to increase as markets became more accessible and agricultural produce was traded to and from the towns.

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The Dublin and Drogheda project, in seeking to link with the Ulster Railway (UR), faced a fundamental engineering problem. The UR had been built to a gauge of 6 ft. 2 in. while John Macneill, the engineer appointed to the D&DR, was advocating 5 ft 2 in.. The UR protested to the Board of Trade in London which dispatched a Major-General to adjudicate on the issue. His method was to take the narrowest gauge then in general use, 5 ft., add it to the widest, 5 ft. 6 in., and split the difference. Thus under an Act of 1846, 5 ft. 3 in./1600 mm. became the compulsory Irish standard gauge. The D&DR opened to Drogheda in 1844. By 1852 the route to Belfast was complete except for the Boyne crossing. A temporary wooden structure was put into service and a permanent viaduct saw its first train on 5 April 1855.

Royal and Ulster Canals

The Ulster Canal was opened in 1841 linking Lough Neagh to the Erne waterways. Its sucess depended on the Erne and Shannon waterways being linked. However, by the time this was completed, the Ulster Canal had fallen into disrepair. Also, it appears that there was lack of water from the canals feeder lake, Quig Lough. A feasability study has been carried out looking into reopening this canal.

Royal and Ulster Canals

Royal and Ulster Canals

The Ulster Canal was opened in 1841 linking Lough Neagh to the Erne waterways. Its sucess depended on the Erne and Shannon waterways being linked. However, by the time this was completed, the Ulster Canal had fallen into disrepair. Also, it appears that there was lack of water from the canals feeder lake, Quig Lough. A feasability study has been carried out looking into reopening this canal.

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While the route north had encountered little opposition that proposed to the south and west was trespassing on the territory of the Grand Canal Company, which saw in the railway a serious commercial threat. There were powerful British interests, however, backing the scheme. By 3 July 1848 the line had reached Limerick Junction and a connection with the Waterford and Limerick Railway. On 18 October 1849 a train from the Dublin terminal, Kingsbridge, arrived at a temporary platform at Blackpool on the outskirts of Cork city. Work on this and many other projects had continued against the grim background of the Great Famine, at its worst in the years 1845-9; but despite this, track mileage rose from 65 in 1844 to over 360 four years later. As a nationwide system took shape its demographic and economic consequences became apparent. The third major system after the Great Northern (GNR) and the Great Southern and Western (GSWR), the Midland Great Western (MGWR) opened the first section of its line in 1847, laid alongside the ailing Royal Canal, which was anxious to sell. A deal was struck and the canal passed into the ownership of the MGWR. By 1850 passenger traffic on both canals had virtually ceased. The MGWR was extended to Galway in 1851.