Railways 1: Dublin-Carlow-Kilkenny

Map showing Carlow Railway Line

This section taken from a coloured County map of Carlow c1900 shows the Carlow Railway Line. The station in Carlow town and the station at Milford.

Carlow County Library

Map showing Carlow Railway Line
Carlow County Library

Map showing Carlow Railway Line

This section taken from a coloured County map of Carlow c1900 shows the Carlow Railway Line. The station in Carlow town and the station at Milford.

Carlow County Library

Enlarge image

By 1900, a railway network extended the length of County Carlow linking Carlow with Dublin and Waterford. A separate line ran from Tullow via Baltinglass and Naas to Sallins where it met the Great Southern and Western Railway. Also in existence was a line, which ran from Bagenalstown, through Borris and over a sixteen arch viaduct to Palace East branch line.

The first railway line, open as far as Carlow in 1846, was operated by the Great Southern and Western Railway Company. Their Chief Engineer, Sir John Benjamin Macneill, was responsible for the design of the Railway Station at Carlow. William Dargan (born near Carlow) was the engineer for the Carlow line.