|
Ros
Davies' Co.
Down, Northern Ireland Family History Research Site
© Rosalind Davies 2001 Permission granted to reprint research for non-profit use only |
Railways in Co. Down
See John Little's Facebook page about the Belfast & Co.Down Railway- https://www.facebook.com/RemnantsOfTheBCDR
Click
here to see a map
of the railway lines for Belfast & County Down Railway
Click
here to see a map of the railway lines for the Great North
Railway Company.
Co. Down embraced the idea of railway
travel whole-heartedly. Funds were raised, different routes proposed, squabbles
over where the lines should be. Several bankruptcies and amalgamations were
all part of the overall trend to establish a vast and profitable network.
Special railway excursions were organised to lure the tourist to resorts like
Newcastle & Warrenpoint and special itineraries published for cycling
enthusiasts. Thrre is an article about Downpatrick & Newry Railway in
Lecale Miscellany 1992 p70-73
The railways were finally abandoned around 1950 and replaced with a bus service. Most lines were pulled up and recycled, some ending up in Sri Lanka. Some railway stations still survive and have been restored like the one in Downpatrick; other forgotten like the one in Ballyroney. (Photo available under Presbyterian church, Ballyroney in photo index)
Click
here to read an account of the railway
coming to Newcastle.
Click here
to see photos of Ardglass, Ballyward, Banbridge , Castlewellan,
Comber ,Katesbridge, Newcastle & Saintfield railway stations
Click
here to view various railway timetables & excursion brochures
| I have not listed all of the half yearly meetings of the various railway companies but if you are interested in reading these just email me for more details. | This is a chronology of articles
in the Down Recorder newspaper that report the coming of the railways
to Co. Down . These articles can be obtained rom the Library Information Service in Ballynahinch. seelb.localstudies@ni-libraries.net. |
| 12 Oct 1844 | Railway meeting in Newry |
| 26 Oct 1844 | Prospectus of the Newry & Enniskillen Railway |
| 23 Nov 1844 | Dublin & Belfast Junction Railway with a branch from Drogheda to Kells application to parliament |
| 15 Feb 1845 | Proposed railway from Belfast to Newry* |
| 15 Feb 1845 | Proposals for establishing the lines; letters from John Fraser to Marquis of Downshire; their advantages & effects* |
| 8 Mar 1845 | Preliminary meeting held in Downpatrick courthouse to discuss Co. Down railways |
| 5 Apr 1845 | Illustrated advertisement calling meeting in Downpatrick re Co. Down railways |
| 3 May 1845 | Prospectus of the Belfast and Co. Down Railway |
| 21 Jun 1845 | Prospectus for Great Co. Down, Belfast, Newry & Warrenpoint railway |
| 28 Jun 1845 | Newry, Banbridge & Belfast Junction Railway; meeting at Banbridge |
| 28 Jun 1845 | Great Co. Down railway; attack by "Northern Whig": newspaper |
| 5 Jul 1845 | Prospectuses & provisional committees; Great Co. Down, Belfast, Newry & Warrenpoint Railway; also Newry, Banbridge and Belfast Junction Railway |
| 12 Jul 1845 | Letters re Co. Down Railway; Irish Railway Gazette; Scottish Railway Gazette & London Mining Journal |
| 19 Jul 1845 | article form London Iron Times re Great Co Down Railway |
| 23 Aug 1845 | Railway meeting in Dromore to promote the line through Loughbrickland, Banbridge, Dromore and Hillsborough & joining the Ulster Railway near Lisburn |
| 6 Sep 1845 | Great Co. Down Railway committee meeting in Castlewellan to review 'disgraceful resolutions' passed by shareholders of Belfast & Co. Down, Newry, Banbridge & Belfast Junction companies |
| 13 Sep 1845 | Extract of article from Scottish Railway Gazette re Great Co. Down Railway |
| 13 Sep 1845 | Belfast & Co. Down Railway- correspondence |
| 20 Sep 1845 | Atmospheric railway between Belfast & Holywood |
| 20 Sep 1845 | leading article from Banner of Ulster newspaper re railways |
| 27 Sep 1845 | amalgamation of Great Co. Down Railway with Dublin & Belfast Junction Railway |
| 25 Oct 1845 | Great Co. Down Railway co. reply to an article in Times newspaper by their 8 Nov enemies |
| 8 Nov 1845 | Letter of refutation to editor of Times from John Keown of Great Co. Down Railway Co. |
| 15 Nov 1845 | Notice of application to parliament from Great Co. Down Railway, Belfast, Newry & Warrenpoint Railway also Dublin & Belfast Junction & Navan Branch line & Newry, Warrenpoint & Rostrevor Railways |
| 15 Nov 1845 | Belfast & Holywood Atmospheric railway- parliamentary notice |
| 20 Dec 1845 | Great Co. Down Railway- claims for Killough harbour |
| 21 Feb 1846 | Amalgamation of all competing companies; I have this small article |
| 21 Feb 1846 | Downpatrick & Portadown railway- newly projected |
| 1 Aug 1846 | first ordinary general meeting of the Belfast & Co. Down Railway |
| 8 Aug 1846 | meeting held in Downpatrick to decide whether to dissolve Great Co. Down Railway Co. |
| 20 Mar 1847 | Newry & Enniskillen Railway Act amendment |
| 11 Aug 1849 | Ulster Railway timetable |
| 1 Sep 1849 | Belfast & Co. Down Railway ( BCDR)- 7th ordinary general meeting |
| 15 Sep 1849 | Closed up road on the Ardglass line now open |
| 2 Mar 1850 | Newry, Warrenpoint & Rostrevor Railway-8th ordinary meeting |
| 11 May 1850 | Opening of Co. Down Railway Co. to Comber & Newtownards |
| 25 Jan 1851 | Belfast & Co. Down Railway Act |
| 26 Jul 1851 | Ulster railways article |
| 31 Jan 1852 | extension of railway from Comber to Downpatrick |
| 31 Jan 1852 & 6 Mar 1852 | Ulster & Midland Junction Railway article |
| 6 Mar 1852 | extension from Comber to Downpatrick abandoned |
| 13 Nov 1852 | railway from Banbridge to Scarva |
| 13 Nov 1852 | notice- Newry to Enniskillen railway |
| 2 Jul 1853 | railway from Downpatrick to Belfast |
| 16 Jul 1853 | Downpatrick, Belfast and Dublin Railway; notice |
| 20 Aug 1853 | Co. Down Railway Co.; report of directors |
| 27 Aug 1853 | notice of commencement; Downpatrick, Belfast to Dublin line |
| 17 Sep 1853 | Banbridge Junction Railway Company- article |
| 24 Sep 1853 | Prospectus for Downpatrick, Belfast & Dublin Railway |
| 26 Nov 1853 | railway extensions to Donaghadee |
| 29 Jul 1854 | BCDR Bill thrown out of House of Lords |
| 7 Oct 1854 | meeting of BCDR share holders |
| 3 Feb 1855 | BCDR; Bill of extension to Downpatrick and Ballynahinch & from Newtownards to Bangor & Donaghadee passed |
| 3 Mar 1855 28 Feb 1857 |
BCDR; half yearly meeting |
| 27 Oct 1855 | BCDR; extension from Comber to Downpatrick in progress |
| 14 & 21 Jun 1856 | BCDR; work on Downpatrick terminus to proceed |
| 5 Jul 1856 | BCDR: Cutting at Hog Island |
| 2 Aug 1856 | Strike on BCDR: commenced at Comber, assembled at Tonaghnieve House; leader arrested |
| 2 Aug 1856 | Ulster Railway Company article |
| 16 Aug 1856 | Co. Down Railway; notice to purchase wood for sleepers |
| 23 Aug 1856 | advantaged of a railway from Belfast to Downpatrick |
| 14 Feb 1857 | railway to Downpatrick proceeding |
| 8 Aug 1857 | a meeting to promote Donaghadee to Port Patrick railway & sea voyage |
| 5 Sep 1857 | BCDR report |
| 14 Nov 1857 | Banbridge, Lisburn & Belfast Railway; notice of intending application to parliament |
| 12 Dec 1857 | BCDR; letter from original shareholder |
| 20 Feb 1858 | Bangor & Ballynahinch lines; letter from "A Shareholder" |
| 8 & 15 May 1858 | Banbridge, Lisburn & Belfast Junction Railway in House of Commons |
| 5 Jun 1858 | BCDR: extension from Comber to Saintfield and Ballynahinch |
| 26 Jun 1858 & 3 Jul 1858 | BCDR; experimental trip from Belfast to Ballynahinch |
| 24 Jul 1858 | BCDR; Comber to Ballynahinch extension |
| 11 Sep 1858 | BCDR; opening line to Ballynahinch |
| 18 Sep 1858 | Co Down Railway; irate letter from an inhabitant of Saintfield re fares & civility etc. |
| 2 Oct 1858 | Banbridge Junction Railway |
| 30 Oct 1858 | railway from Holywood to Bangor promoted |
| 20 Nov 1858 | Belfast & Bangor Railway prospectus |
| 1 Jan 1859 | extension of railway accommodation to Downpatrick |
| 22 Jan 1859 | BCDR; track, bridge and turntable being laid outside Downpatrick |
| 26 Feb 1859 | BCDR; also Newry, Warrenpoint & Rostrevor Ra Jun ilway Company; Banbridge, Lisburn & Belfast Railway |
| 26 Mar 1859 + | Downpatrick to Belfast Railway opened to the public |
| 18 Jun 1859 | outrage; stone placed on switch at Crossgar; men arrested |
| 6 Aug 1859 | Banbridge & Belfast Junction Railway article |
| 24 Sep 1859 | BCDR; alteration of trains, main & Holywood lines |
| 14 Oct 1859+ | Meeting for Downpatrick to Newry railway |
| 12 Nov 1859 | Banbridge Junction Railway lease |
| 26 Nov 1859 | serious accident on BCDR; several persons injured at Queen's Quay Belfast |
| 14 Jan 1860 | BCDR; Downpatrick terminus |
| 21 Jan 1860 & 31 Mar 1860 & 14 Apr 1860
& 5 May 1860 |
proposed railway from Downpatrick to Newry |
| 17 Mar 1860 & 7 Apr 1860 | proposed line from Castlewellan to Banbridge |
| 24 Mar 1860 | Banbridge, Lisburn & Belfast Railway Company |
| 26 May 1860 | BCDR; alteration to timetables |
| 2 Jun 1860+ | accident on BCDR; carriages thrown off rails |
| 30 Jun 1860 | BCDR: special trains & cheap fares |
| 11 Aug 1860 & 25 Aug 1860 & 1 & 8 Sep 1860 | proposed line between Downpatrick & Newry |
| 18 Aug 1860 | prospectus for Downpatrick to Newry line |
| 25 Aug 1860 | BCDR; engineer's reports & director's reports |
| 22 Sep 1860 | station master at Downpatrick wanted after resignation of John R. McConnell |
| 27 Oct 1860 | Peter Kellly selected as station master at Downpatrick |
| 10 Nov 1860 | notices for Banbridge extension & Downpatrick to Newry junction railway |
| 2 Feb 1861 | completed railway between Downpatrick & Newry |
| 9 Feb 1861 | projected line between Killyleagh & Crossgar; also Newtownards to Donaghadee line |
| 23 Feb 1861 | BCDR; engineer's report of extension from Newtownards to Donaghadee line |
| 30 Mar 1861 | Castlewellan and Banbridge extension line |
| 11 May 1861 | railway from Crossgar to Killyleagh |
| 18 May 1861 | Banbridge extension Bill; Downpatrick & Newry Junction Bill |
| 25 May 1861 & 29 Jun 1861 | prospectus for Killyleagh & Crossgar line |
| 8 Jun 1861 | opening of Donaghadee Railway for public affairs |
| 10 Aug 1861 | pressure on Ulster railways |
| 5 Oct 1861 | first meeting of directors Downpatrick to Newry railway |
| 17 May 1862 & 23 Aug 1862 | Belfast, Banbridge & Lisburn Railway Co. |
| 30 Aug 1862 | report of the directors of BCDR |
| 6 Sep 1862 | Belfast, Holywood & Bangor Railway prospectus |
| 4 Oct 1862 | Donaghadee to Port Patrick (Scotland) route meeting |
| 24 Jan 1863 | Newry to Greenore in Co. Armagh railway proposed |
| 28 Feb 1863 | Dromore railway station article |
| 26 Sep 1863 | BCDR officer's uniforms; Samuel McClenaghan of Downpatrick obtains contract |
| 3 Oct 1864 | Holywood & Bangor railway; ceremony of laying foundation stone of Crawfordsburn viaduct |
| 5 Dec 1863 | Discomforts of Crossgar railway station |
| 8 Oct 1864 | BCDR: refusal of 3rd class tickets to Downpatrick residents |
| 22 & 29 Oct 1864 | proposed railway from Comber to Greyabbey |
| 12 Nov 1864 & 29 Apr 1865 | Banbridge Extension railway; Dundrum to Newcastle notice |
| 25 Feb 1865 | BCDR directors report & Banbridge, Lisburn & Belfast Railway Co. 1/2 yearly report |
| 13 May 1865 | BCDR; special meeting to approve Bill for the sale of Holywood line |
| 18 Nov 1865 | prospectus for Downpatrick, Dundrum & Newcastle railway |
| 17 Mar 1866 | Downpatrick, Dundrum & Newcastle railway supplement with Newry to Co. Armagh line |
| 5 & 26 May 1866 | meeting for proposed Downpatrick, Dundrum & Newcastle railway |
| 27 Oct 1866 | Fatal accident on BCDR; Alexander Withers, station master killed at Ballynahinch Junction |
| 13 Apr 1867 | notice of Easter holidays excursion tickets |
| 11 Jan 1868 | Medical attendance of labourers of the Downpatrick, Dundrum & Newcastle railway |
| 39 May 1868 | Fatal accident. James Kenny killed on Downpatrick & Newcastle railway works, driving waggons |
| 20 Mar 1869 | Newry & Greenore Railway plant for auction; in liquidation |
| 9 Oct 1869 | new railways in Co. Down |
| 8 Jan 1870 | serious accident ; Edward Smith, son of Rathfriland clergyman, killed at Lisburn station |
| 12 Nov 1870 | Banbridge Extension railway; Castle Espie railway; parliamentary notices |
| 4 Mar 1871 | BCDR; 50th ordinary general meeting |
| 20 May 1871 | appalling accident on BCDR; collision near Knock; 2 killed; also collision on Belfast Jct railway at Goragh Wood |
| 12 Aug 1871 | Downpatrick, Dundrum & Newcastle railway; opening of Tullymurry station- notice |
| 9 Dec 1871 | accident ; Mary Ann McMurray run over at Cargagh near Crossgar |
| 13 Apr 1872 | young man threw himself onto rails at O'Neill's crossing in Magherascouse near Ballygowan station |
| 25 Jul 1874 | proposed abandonment of the Newry & Downpatrick railway |
| 1 Aug 1874 | working agreement between BCDR & Downpatrick, Dundrum & Newcastle Railway Co. |
| 29 Aug 1874 | Newry Warrenpoint & Rostrevor Railway Co. meeting |
| 12 Sep 1874 | BCDR- working agreement with Newcastle railway |
| 14 Nov 1874 | Banbridge extension railway; sale & dissolution of company |
| 14 Nov 1874 | improvements at Downpatrick railway terminus |
| 30 Nov 1874 | notice of abandonment of Newry to Downpatrick railway |
| 20 Nov 1875 | parliamentary notice on Belfast, Holywood & Bangor railway |
| 18 Dec 1875 | fatal accident on BCDR; farmer Robert Robinson of Tullymurry |
| 15 Apr 1876 | railway from Portaferry to Newtownards |
| 28 Jul 1877+ | serious accident on BCDR at Quoile Bridge |
| 25 Jan 1879 | railway accident at Newtownards. William Coulter of Carrowdore has arm torn off |
| 31 Jan 1880 | a novel narrow-gauge railway, Banbridge- Ballyroney- Castlewellan |
| 13 Mar 1880 | proposed new railway from Belfast to Strandtown and High Holywood |
| 6 Nov 1880 | Banbridge Extension Railway; new line Banbridge to Ballyroney almost completed |
| 20 Nov 1880 | Newry & Rathfriland railway;meeting of promoters |
| 10 Sep 1881 | wind up affairs of Downpatrick, Newcastle & Dundrum railway Co. |
| 24 Sep 1881+ | proposed narrow gauge railway from Belfast to Portaferry; would it be successful |
| 20 May 1882 | a novelty trip organised by BCDR & promoted as ' a trip around the Mourne Mountains' |
| 27 May 1882 | smart appearance of officers' uniforms supplied by John Fleming, Downshire Arcade, Irish St, Downpatrick |
| 15 Jul 1882 | accident on Downpatrick to Newcastle railway; William Shannon |
| 12 Aug 1882 | proposed tramway from Newtownards to Portafery instead of railway |
| 16 Sep 1882 | prospectus; Ards Railway Co.; narrow gauge line |
| 23 Sep 1882 | sad railway accident; Dr. Thompson of Lisburn killed |
| 7 Oct 1882 | Warrenpoint to Rostrevor tramway storm damage |
| 13 Jan 1883 | fatal accident on BCDR; death of John Quinliven, station master & postmaster at Bloomfield station |
| 15 Sep 1883 | Tramways Act; possibility to laying a line to Rathfriland & Castlewellan & from Downpatrick to Ardglass & Killough |
| 13 Oct 1883 & 22 Dec 1883 | possibility of a tramways line between Killyleagh and Comber |
| 24 Nov 1883 | accident on BCDR; Henry O'Hare killed at Tullymurry |
| 1 Dec 1883 | proposed tramway line between Killyleagh & Belfast |
| 11 Apr 1885 | meeting in Portaferry re Ards light rail |
| 15 Aug 1885 | new born infant left in railway carriage on BCDR |
| 31 Jul 1886 & 14 Aug 1886 | proposed tunnel between Donaghadee & Portpatrick in Scotland |
by Ros Davies