Cork, Bandon and South Coast Railway

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The Cork, Bandon and South Coast Railway (CBSCR) was one of the major Irish railways. It operated from Cork, serving towns along the southern coastal strip to the west of that city. It had a route length of 93.75 miles (150km), all single line. The Railway was largely concerned with tourist traffic, and there were many road car routes connected with the line, including one from Bantry to Killarney which operated at the beginning of the 20th century called The Prince of Wales Route.

1 History
2 References
3 Statistics
4 See also

[edit] History

The first part of the CBSCR was incorporated under the Cork and Bandon Railway Act, 1845 and opened for traffic in December 1851, between Bandon and Ballinhassig; the construction of a half-mile (0.8km) tunnel giving entry to Cork held up completion. A service of coaches was in the meantime maintained into the city. The company suffered financial problems for the first 25 years. The subsequent extensions to the Railway were as follows;

Cork and Kinsale Junction Railway (CKJR) 10.75 miles (17km): a branch line to the coast, serving the fishing town of Kinsale. Purchased by the CBSCR in 1879
West Cork Railway (WCR) (Bandon to Dunmanway 17.5 miles (28km) opened June 1866 (operated as a separate concern)
Ilen Valley Railway (IVR) (Dunmanway - Skibbereen 16 miles (26km)

On 1 January 1880 the CBSCR took over both the CKJR and WCR; also the lease of the IVR and its proposed extension to Bantry: the main line of the CBSCR was now complete.

Bantry Extension opened for traffic 1 July 1881 11.25 miles (18km). In order to give the railway access to deep water, a further extension was opened December 1892. An elderly man from Scart, Bantry recalled seeing the line laid as a child and removed as an old man.

Further branches were now opened:

Clonakilty Extension Railway (CER) 9 miles (14km)
Timoleague and Courtmacsherry Light Railway, a branch from the (CER)
Baltimore Railway extension from Skibbereen: 8 miles (13km) opened May 1893
Shannonvale Horse Railway The Bennett family operated a flour milling industry at Shannnvale 2 miles north of Clonakilty. In the early 1890s the railway company agreed to provide a siding half a mile in length to link the railway with the mill. Horse traction was used , but were not necessary on the return journey due to the slope.

The line closed on the 1st. April 1961.

[edit] References

The Southern Star Centenary Supplement,Tom Lyons, 1989.
See The Cork, Bandon and South Coast Railway Vol 1/2/3 by Colm Creedon deceased, privately published 1986 on this and other Cork Railways.
On removal of Bantry line source Daniel O'Donovan, Durrus, Bantry, oral history.
Steam and Steel, Sean Kelly, Bantry Historical and Archaeolgical Society vol 2 ISSN 0791-6612