The Cavan/Leitrim Narrow-gauge Day Trip to Arigna May 26th 1958

This Cavan/Leitrim Narrow-gauge railway video was filmed on a Day Trip to Arigna from Ballinamore on May 26th, 1958. I would like to thank Noel McPartland from Drumshanbo County Leitrim and his Museum Glimpses of The Past for giving me permission to use this video.
Stills courtesy of Michael Davies
This link will take you to an audio documentary on the Cavan/Leitrim Narrow-gauge railway.
• The Cavan Leitrim Narr...
This link will take you to further interviews, videos,s, and pictures of the Narrow-gauge.
• Narrow-gauge Interviews
You can follow me on Twitter: mikespowerplay
You can join my Facebook group here: / mikemulvihillrecordings
You can also follow me on Facebook: LeitrimMedia
/ mikemulvihill
I do not claim ownership of any music used

[@valentineshanley2959]

Mike, as a boy of about 5 years, I just remember these trains at Dromod station in 1958. My father Jack and his brother Michael Frank worked at the station during WW2, transfering coal from the narrow gauge to the main line wagons. Great testament to them and their colleagues in difficult times. Best Regards Valentine Shanley

[@johnprice7303]

Wonderful stuff! I was amongst a large party of School Children who were on board the last (return) trip between Drumshanbo and Arigna. I was aged 8 at the time and I still fondly remember it.

[@MrStephenDando]

Wow. I had no idea there was any colour film of the Cavan & Leitrim in operation. Many thanks for posting.

[@morrisminors9750]

A wonderful video. Thank you for putting it on. I have spent quite a few holidays on the Shannon and the other Irish waterways. It is a shame so little is still to be seen beyond a few relics in Dromod. What a grey, uniform world we inhabit today. The Health & Safety police would have a fit at the sight of an unfenced railway line next to the road!

[@MrDerbee]

Priceless historic footage; If only a few miles of track were preserved... Ireland's wonderful narrow gauge railways; lost forever by blind bureaucracy and official vandalism.

[@DjMikeMulvihill]

Lovely to be able to watch videos like this, I wonder how much more material is in a drawers or attics around the country or lost forever.

[@ernestmcallister5538]

What a lovely movie of a time that is gone forever. I'm always intrigued when I watch these movies and see Drumshanbo on the station sign spelled Drumshambo, as it is pronounced locally. Lovely to see. Thanks for a great movie.

[@DjMikeMulvihill]

Thanks Ernest, and yes DrumshaMbo with an 'M' is a great one, I have other photos on www.Facebook.com/LeitrimMedia of 'The Narrow-gauge' and in one or two of them, people are standing on the platform, with the name in the background.

[@johndodd2537]

Thank you Mike, for uploading this beautiful footage. I found it all rather emotional! Good choice of music as well.

[@DjMikeMulvihill]

Thank you John the video includes great footage which I think brings back a lot of memories at times for many - I have also many other great photo videos and stories on the page which I hope you might also enjoy. All the best for now, Mike

[@brendankeane4076]

Excellent, really enjoyed this my grandfather worked on the line

[@joehiggs100]

Many thanks, such wonderful place names, like poetry..

[@DjMikeMulvihill]

Thanks Bob, so glad you enjoyed it.

[@user-wm4uu4gv6h]

Great memory Mike Sean plunkett

[@docastrov9013]

Fantastic. People seemed more resourceful back then.

[@jarlathbyrne3146]

Great video. Thanks for sharing this with us all. Keep well Jarlath

[@RYNT1157]

Beautiful piece of history , I don't think the trains would have been that fast though ! Such timeless scenes never to been seen again.

[@DjMikeMulvihill]

Thanks Tom for your comment, I remember talking to a local man Freddie Easterbrook, who recalled the speed of the train at the time, some of the interviews I did for the podcast / documentary on The Cavan-Leitrim Narrow-gauge railway is available at my following playlist : kzbin.info/aero/PLUFme6NUBCydwR-PRe9j3I-t13uBXXDuK

[@p.macdermott2490]

Wonderful video. My father came from Kiltybarden. The train passed along the side of the road past St. John's Lough. If only we could turn back the clock to that era. Unfortunately, I never got to travel on it.

[@DjMikeMulvihill]

It would be lovely to hear the whistle and see it traveling along P, I will share a link with you here which will take you to a podcast I did on this line, you may have heard it already kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJOqf5Wwrpdkp9U

[@p.macdermott2490]

@@DjMikeMulvihill When I was young, I remember visiting relatives in a place called Adoon, Gorvagh. Something tells me there was a station there. Do you know if there was, or was I just dreaming

[@trainsinireland5063]

Lovely Historic Footage Mike!😃. The music really suits the Video!.

[@kilcar]

The Coal cars reminded me of when a friend, a resident of southern Lough Allen stated that he could hand dig his own coal " Anthracite" he called it, for £20 a tonne in the vicinity.

[@DjMikeMulvihill]

Take a listen to documentary podcast I did on the Cavan/Leitrim Narrow-gauge railway by clicking on the following link : leitrimmedia.com/the-narrow-gauge

[@user-wm4uu4gv6h]

Great stuff mike

[@thomasearly7744]

Great stuff,

[@LuizCarlos-rv4gf]

Imagens fantásticas (Brasil)

[@martinwalsh3228]

Reopening all closed railway lines of Ireland would reduce 1) Traffic Jams, 2) Pollution & 3) Car Accidents & Road deaths of course.

[@DjMikeMulvihill]

Not only that Martin, but it would also be a great tourism boost in the future, I know some of the old stations are still in areas, and only yesterday I visited two of them, Dromod and Mohill, in Co Leitrim.

[@martinwalsh3228]

@@DjMikeMulvihill The new government in 2020 should deliver it of course.

[@ralphbalfoort2909]

Sent a link to an Irish ex-pat who lives across the street.

[@DjMikeMulvihill]

Thanks, Ralph I hope your neighbour enjoys watching this

[@giggles7104]

5:44 that engine looks very similar to lady edith. But I believe that is Kathleen lady Edith's sister. Kathleen is still around today an Is in a museum I believe on display being preserved.

[@DjMikeMulvihill]

That's correct in New Jersey I have read, its great to have images like this from then.

[@robertlamb6601]

Mike, that was a truly wonderful video that you posted. I had no idea that the C&L lives on albeit in video. Thank you, you made my day! Could you tell me what the two pieces of accompanying music are? Thank you. Bob Lamb

[@DjMikeMulvihill]

Robert Lamb Hello Robert thanks for your message, I got this video from Noel McPartland, the first piece is Gabriel Oboe from the Mission, the second I will ask Noel about as I am not sure.

[@DjMikeMulvihill]

Hello Peter, I spoke to Noel McPartland today about this, he told me the turn table was a couple of hundred yards between McCranns and Arigna. I hope this is helpful to you? I believe the station was in Arigna and it often reversed into the station from the turn table.

[@peterconroy2696]

Hi Mike, many thanks for that information. It should be helpful. Depending on the weather etc, I might try and get down that way over the coming couple of weeks.

[@peterconroy2696]

Excellent video Mike, very enjoyable. I was particularly interested in the Arigna Station section of the video. I have been popping around that area of late, but were was the station and turn-around ?

[@c2757]

Not sure if this might be helpful as a part answer to the question; like you I have been popping around the area but only on Google Maps as I don't live in Ireland. If you copy and paste 54.065500, -8.086972 into Google maps satellite view and then look at the same place on Streetview you should find you are looking at the slightly derelict Arigna station building. The image is dated 2011 so it might have been demolished by now. It took me a long time to find it as it is quite a way from where Google thinks Arigna is. Google describes it as Station House, Bodorragha!

[@peterconroy2696]

Hi c2757. That is great. I now know where it is, but I didn't realise it was on the Keadew Road R285. I live about 45/50 minutes from where it is so I might get down to check it out (if its still there???) in the next few weeks. Many thanks.

[@c2757]

@@peterconroy2696- If you do go I would be interested to hear what you find please.

[@peterconroy2696]

Yes, I will let you know......

[@DjMikeMulvihill]

Thanks your comments I only see this now, next time you are both in the area you should try and visit Glimpses of the past Museum in Drumshanbo, you can find more on the Facebook page with same name, Noel McPartland has a lot of great photos and more importantly stories, I will copy a link to a documentary podcast I did on the subject, which I hope you will enjoy.

[@edwardryan2476]

What is the name of the music at 2:11 ?