Off The Beaten Track - Stranorlar to Glenties in Donegal

[@miriamduffy6140]

my grandad is the last living train driver in Donegal ❤❤

[@irishrailtrains]

Fantastic video Danny, its nice to see the people living along the line rebuilding the railway.

[@TheIrishMainline]

Wish there were more people like those in the vid! Sadly the line is closed again now, it'll take a similar big effort to get it back up & running I'd say :(

[@williammacdonald3327]

Excellent Video!

[@philipmcdonagh1094]

My Mother was born in No 1 Finn View Terrace in 1922,now a chip shop. Herself and her brothers spent their childhood playing along that railway which ran along between the river Finn and the back of their garden, now a GAA pitch. Sadly along came Mr Henry Ford and the end of a way of life.Thanks footage hard to come by.

[@143mal1]

Great stuff! At age 10 my family took the Railbus Derry to Killybegs and back, for the Glasgow ferry. I look forward to a few railway museum visits in the future.

[@jonathankelly7430]

I have a holiday home not far from the railway and I have been on it myself a few years ago. In fact, it gave me some inspiration for my model railway!

[@LizardKingJimLA69]

Not the JK of "Twice Around The Houses" fame, originally from Drogheda? Glenties Branch clased in 1952 and the whole of the County Donegal Railway by 31/12/59.

[@frankharrington8528]

Never had the grand experience of travelling on this railway. My late maternal grandparents were from near Cloghan. I've spent many happy summer days in the 60's and up to the late 70's in and around Glenfin, Brocagh, Cloghan Commeen etc. Many many happy memories of my relatives and the people there. They were great people that managed to survive on small holdings and bad land. May they all R.I.P

[@shamrock767]

Fabulous part of the country and well worth a trip on this. My inlaws live in Ardara, not too far from Glenties and I found a brochure for this in The Highland Hotel in Glenties. That brochure is now on the wall in the mess room in Cahir! Thanks for sharing Danny.

[@TheIrishMainline]

***** It's the one part of our island I've yet to visit Mick, defo on the to do list. Sadly the Foyle railway is no longer running.

[@charlesd3a]

Donegal had over 200 miles of railway which became the largest narrow gage network in the British isles. You had two main companies DCR and LLRC, the DCR was mainly South Donegal and the LLRC from L Derry to Letterkenny, which also included Tooban junction to Buncrana and malin..Letterkenny to Burtonport Extension Railway. The DCR were the first in the world to use Desiel railcars. Now there is a joint cross-border commission set up to reestablish the railway here in Donegal and the wider north west.

[@rogermdanielakajollyroger5910]

I am currently researching this are for my next novel, which is set around Fintown.

[@irelandbloke]

Great stuff

[@Celticcross688]

My Great Grandad Daniel Laverty helped build the Railway at Stranolar Donegal..1883.

[@adamlaverty5605]

I’m Laverty from Stranorlar.

[@johndeeney1972]

Fantastic bit of film ,brilliant ,great to watch, get this foyle valley railway train up and running again,and maybe others as well ,

[@IrishModelRail]

Fantastic again. I was up in Donegal two years ago and unfortunately the reopened section of line in Derry isn't used anymore:(

[@TheIrishMainline]

What section are you referring to Seán?

[@IrishModelRail]

The preserved line from Foyle Road Station along the river.

[@TheIrishMainline]

Ah sorry Seán I haven't watched this in a while, forget he started from Derry! That's a shame alright, no doubt lack of funding was it's demise :(

[@IrishModelRail]

Indeed. The section in Donegal town is still open though:)

[@BorderRegiment1940]

***** is the group that ran the line at Foyle still going, or has it gone complety?

[@mikekavanagh8952]

Excellent From The Golden County.

[@TheIrishMainline]

irelandbloke Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Sammy1234568910]

Its such a pity that the Foyle Valley Railway has been closed, I remember riding on the old CDR Railbus as a child, and would have loved to have volunteered as an adult. But I still visit the museum when its open. The cycle path killed that railway and the council knew it would, but didn't care, if it remained open the opportunity would have been brilliant, especially during this year as UK city of culture.

[@TheIrishMainline]

Such a shame, the 2 should never have been allowed to co-exist. Is the Railbus in storage now?

[@Sammy1234568910]

The Irish Mainline yeah everything is still there but its static museum that opens in the Summer, rather than a functioning railway. As far as I am aware its still in running order, although I wouldn't be too sure.

[@lairdoharray]

Totally agree. What a tourist attraction. The closure of the standard gauge line that the CDR railcar ran on was a huge mistake and to lose the narrow gauge facility was all the more culpable. Someone in Derry is needing a good 'staver' .

[@TheIrishMainline]

***** Lucky you! They're lovely memories to have I'm sure :)

[@joyharron2046]

I live just across the road from the old railway station in Donegal Town. Our house was once a draper shop and next door was the barbers. Tirchonaill Street was once like the main street due to the business from people coming off the trains. It became residential after the station closed.

[@carolan_agriculture3376]

i seen the old burtonport station it’s a shame 😔❤️❤️

[@martinwalsh3228]

Like all the railway line it should be reopened and restored to trains sooner rather then later before this winter comes.

[@TheIrishMainline]

Whilst the Foyle Valley museum has been reopened Martin it's unlikely the line ever will. I've heard a greenway forms part of the route now which has brought up health and safety issues with the running of trains.

[@martinwalsh3228]

Routes of railway lines that not converted to greenway should be safe to rerun trains on them.

[@themadfarmer5207]

What a pity we Irish had a habit of demolishing so much. I suppose the country was impoverished. My mind wanders to the Galway to Clifden line. The line to Achill . View the viaduct and tunnel at Newport.. lots of railways ripped up, never to be replaced. Electrification would have saved some of those little lines like trains in the Isle of Man, I have travelled on a gorgeous elrectric train in Italy travelling on the Amalfi coast, stopping a all of the villages on the way. We have better way. Get rid of it. Pity

[@donreed]

Eliminated in "1952," probably during Mars transit in Scorpio.

[@laurenceskinnerton73]

Extend the Fintown railway to Letterkenny!

[@AwesomeAngryBiker]

Please don't follow suit of the other channel's with poxy ads

[@TheIrishMainline]

I’ve no intention of monetising my vids don’t worry.

[@Eleison23]

☘☘☘

[@marvwatkins7029]

Too bad General Stiles 1st home is abandoned.