Stories of Killybegs Railway, Part 6

The Era of Excursions.

Before the railway came to Killybegs, the easiest way to visit the town was by sea.  As there was a strong economic and social connection between the two places, there was plenty of seaborne traffic to and fro, down the years.  The economic connection was by way of the smacks that traded across the Bay from Teelin, Killybegs, and Bruckless.  The social interaction was boosted annually by the Killybegs Regatta, which was patronised from the beginning by the Sligo yachtsmen.

People also came to Killybegs by road, to see the famous harbour, and to visit the cliffs at Slieve League.  One visitor left his account when visiting Killybegs in the summer of 1893, just as the Railway was about to be opened. The town pier (the old wooden one), was not yet built.   The visitor said:

“If Bray be termed the ‘Queen of watering-places, Killybegs well may be styled the ‘King’.  The village never looked prettier than this year.  On account of the weather being so fine and the scenery as beautiful the attraction to tourists who visited Killybegs before was irresistible.  Hence many are here much earlier than in former years.  The village is beautifully situated at the extremity of the splendid harbour at Killybegs – second to none in Ireland.  At all the tides, steamers of any tonnage can ride at anchor in whatever place in the harbour they wish to select. 

The water is very deep, and the anchorage could not be safer.  The only drawback to steamers and cruisers is the want of a proper pier at which they could discharge cargoes, but this is expected to be remedied by the present Government.  However there is a good slip, and this is of much advantage to fishermen and visitors, who can land at any time.  Every facility for boating and bathing is afforded at all times.  The hotel accommodation is excellent, and being a visitor, I can safely assert that the attendance given to strangers cannot be rivalled in Ulster – or perhaps in Ireland – and the charges are very moderate.  The railway, which is almost completed, will be a great factor in helping to develop this interesting resort.  Should tourists desire to visit Slieve League, Bun Glas, or Muckross Caves, they can go either by boat or car in three or four hours. 

The mountain scenery on the other hand beggars all description.  The place is bounded on the north by beautiful heath-clad hills, well stocked with every species of game, affording great sport to tourists.  A beautiful seat at Fintra, about one and a half miles from Killybegs, with a lovely grove abounding with pheasants.  A nice strand to the rear of the house – where horse racing is often held – and a well-attended garden that can be seen at any time, tops the climax. 

There is a celebrated rocking stone at a place called Largynagreana, which I am to visit tomorrow.  To finish up for the present I will repeat that a more satisfactory place for bathing, a more beautiful seat for scenery, for civility unrivalled, and for hotel accommodation unequalled, it has never been my lot to experience before”.

Photo courtesy of the National Library

Photo courtesy of the National Library.

Photo courtesy of Paddy Byrne.

Today’s tourists can enjoy much more than Slieve League cliffs by taking a dip while on one of Paddy Byrne’s boat trips.  The rock in the background is Tor Poll na nImeall.

Stories of Killybegs Railway, Part 5.

A locomotive being topped up from the water tank at Killybegs station, with Frankie McMenamin looking on. The other figure is not known. Frankie was a son of Frank McMenamin, who is listed below.

It would be difficult to name all the railway people who ran the Donegal to Killybegs line, or even those who worked the trains from Killybegs. Below is a necessarily incomplete list of those who dedicated their lives to the working of the line.

KILLYBEGS RAILWAY STATIONMASTERS

1893: Paddy Martin

1899: J. Hanlon

1902: James Patton

1910: Paddy Martin

1916: Joseph Murray

1921: Bernard McGinty

1922: Henry J. Jones

1924: Mick Kelly

1959: Frank Kennedy.

1965: Cahir Kennedy

Cahir Kennedy drove the last train out of Killybegs, and also drove the first road bus into the town.

Harry O’Donnell was stationmaster in Dunkineely; he died in 1924 at the age of 48;

His wife, Ellen (Nee Kennedy) died the previous year. Harry had strong Killybegs connections.

GENERAL PERSONNEL (Incomplete)

Boyd, Paddy, Railway construction. Tullaghacullion

Boyle, Farrigle, Railway construction. Curraghafeeghan

Callaghan, Patrick, plate layer, The Commons

Cunnea, George, Plate layer, Drumaghy

Gannon, Basil, Railway clerk. Killybegs town

Gillespie, James, Station master, Aghayeevoge

Gillespie, Seamus, Railway operations, Aghayeevoge

Hamilton, William J., Railway porter, Tullaghacullion

Hamilton, Thomas Edward, Railway porter, Tullaghacullion

Kennedy, Cahir, Railcar driver, Conlin Road.

Kennedy, Frank, Station master, Church Road.

Kenny, Tommy, Railway guard, New Row

Lafferty, Mickey, Railcar driver

McClafferty, Peter, Railway porter, Killybegs.

McGinley, Patrick, plate layer, Straleeny

McGinley, Mary, Gate-keeper, Straleeny

McGroarty, Patrick, (Killybegs), Stationmaster, Dunkineely.

McGroarty, Patrick, Signalman, The Commons

McGroary, Daniel, Railway porter, Ballyshannon

McHugh, James, plate layer, Aghayeevoge

McHugh, Margaret, Railway gatekeeper, Aghayeevoge

McIntyre, Michael, Engine cleaner, Bridge St.

McMenamin, Frank, Railway fireman, The Green

McMenamin, Mickey, Station master, Church Road

McNulty, Tommy, Engine driver, St Catherine’s Road

Murrin, James, Ticket collector, New Row

Murrin, Patrick, Railway porter, New Row

O’Boyle, Magnus, Railway Porter, Killybegs

O’Boyle, Michael, Railway construction, Killybegs

O’Donnell, Charles F., Railway Clerk, Elmwood Tec.

O’Donnell, Charles, Engine driver, New Row

Patton, Willie, Railway clerk

Quinn, James, Engine driver, The Green

Sweeney, Charles, plate layer, Straleeny

Sweeney, John, Railway guard, Straleeny & Killybegs

Sweeney, Thomas, New Row, Engine driver

Walker, James, Station master, Ardara Road Station

TWO SWEENEYS, FATHER AND SON

Of the people listed above, one stands out for mention.  He is John Sweeney, the Railway Guard.  John was the father of Jack Sweeney, the trainer of Ronnie Delaney and many others in athletics in Ireland.  It was said of Jack in 1935 that ‘he is capable of taking his place with the greatest athletic coaches in the world today’.

John Sweeney first appears in Killybegs in the townland of Straleeny, where he boarded with his brother Charles in the last crossing-house before coming to Killybegs Railway Station.  (Charles was the father of Tommy Sweeney of New Row, Killybegs).  John is next found at ‘Bradys’ Corner’, where he lived with his wife, Annie, nee Strain.  

John came to notice during the ‘troubles’ of the Anglo-Irish war, when the infamous Black and Tans first appeared in Donegal.  The RIC and the locals were at one another’s throats, which led to widespread searches of peoples’ homes.  On 13^th September, 1920 four armed policemen entered the midday Killybegs train at Donegal railway station.  The driver, James Quinn, fireman James Grant, and guard John Sweeney refused to proceed with the train.  Sweeney was dismissed by his employers, and a replacement guard sent for, arriving in Killybegs the next day.  He was refused lodgings and had to return as a passenger on the next train.

John and Annie Sweeney had at least three children, Eithne, and Rita, and Jack, the latter born in 1916.  Jack attended the Niall Mor School, and later St Eunan’s College, Letterkenny. His sister Eithne, who also studied at the Niall Mor, won a scholarship worth £20 for each of two years, to the Loreto Convent, Letterkenny, in 1932.  From St Eunan’s Jack went to U.C.D. where he obtained his B. A. and H. Dip. E., degrees in 1938.  He took his first teaching post as maths teacher at the C.B.S. school in James’s Street, Dublin in 1939.  He afterwards taught at the Catholic University School in Leeson Street.  In 1945 he was appointed athletics coach to Dublin University.  He was also appointed chief coach to the summer school of athletics in Newman House, Dublin.  In his early days in Killybegs he played soccer for the local team, and was a member of the local Sports and Regatta Committee.  He scored two goals in the defeat of Sligo Distillery at Emerald Park on Sunday 26^th December 1937.  He was a member of the Killybegs team that defeated Derry 2 -1 at Emerald Park on 30^th June 1939.  In Dublin he was a ‘western roll’ high jumper, a long jumper, shot putter, and had a flattering record in the field. In his coaching roles he had a gift of imparting knowledge.

During his coaching career in Dublin he played a major part in the development of Ronnie Delaney, Eamonn Kinsella, and Brendan O’Reilly.

He also turned out half-miler Kelly of Phoenix Harriers, Gerry O’Gorman, and Val McGann, all of whom have topped every record in Irish sports books. Others, too numerous to mention, were trained by him. “The greatest personality in Irish athletics”; “Ireland’s most successful coach”; “Mr Athletics”; These are a few of the praises showered on Jack Sweeney. Later he was appointed athletic coach to Trinity College and the St James’s Gate club.  He gave lectures, and showed special athletic films, frequently dipping into his own pocket to purchase films, equipment and other aids in the interests of Irish sport.   He did this not because he was primarily interested in individual performances, but he believed it would improve the all-round standard of athletics in Ireland.  His greatest contribution in this direction was the N.A.C.A. Summer School of Athetics, which he founded in 1953. That year as sole instructor, he ran a course in the grounds of Newman House for men interested primarily in coaching.  Jack married Rita Clery from Kidare, and they had three boys and a girl. It was said of him that ‘he is the finest coach we have ever had in this country’.  He was also a great friend of the famous Teelin athlete, Paddy Haughey. Jack died in Dublin in 1993.