The Cork and Muskerry Light Railway Turning up the First Sod 1887 The following article was first published in The Cork Examiner of 16th February 1887, one hundred and thirty-five years ago and gives an in-depth account of the proceedings at St. Ann’s Hydro on the previous day, the 15th February 1887. Yesterday the first sod on the Cork and Muskerry Light Railway was cut at St. Ann’s gate, near Blarney, in the presence of several ladies and gentlemen, resident in the district and interested in the projected railway, and a large number of people of the immediate district. Dr. Tanner, M.P., who was expected to have performed the ceremony, signified his intention of not attending, and the mayor, who in the doctor’s absence was supposed to take his place, was also absent. A substitute, however, was found in the person of Mrs. R. Barter. The place where the ceremony took place is adjacent to the public road, near the entrance gate to St. Ann’s Hydropathic Establishment. The instrument employed turning the sod was an ebony shovel mounted in silver. After the ceremony had been performed, the crowd gave three cheers for the success of the Cork and Muskerry Railway. The railway, which is to have its Cork terminus on the Bishop’s Marsh, to the west of the city, goes by Carrigrohane, Cloghroe, and Dripsey to Coachford, running portion of the distance on the public road, and skirting the fields by the roadway for the greater portion of the distance. At Brooklodge, near Healy’s Bridge, a branch line trends off it to St. Ann’s, terminating in Blarney, near Mssrs. Mahony’s factory. The total length of the main line and branch is about 181/4 miles, and the estimated cost is about £59,000. The advantages and capabilities of the line will be found dealt with at length in the speeches of the various speakers. After the ceremony of cutting the sod, the company adjourned to St. Ann’s Hydropathic Establishment, where a luncheon was provided by the contractor, Mr. R. Worthington. The chair was occupied by the host and amongst those present were:- Mr. R. Barter, Chairman of the Cork and Muskerry Railway Company; Rev. T.D. Murray, P.P. Inniscarra; Messrs. S.G. Fraser, N. Mahony, T Carroll, T. Thompson, C.E. agent and manager to the contractor; W. Fletcher, C.E. assistant engineer; — Seymour, Assistant engineer; J. Moon, cashier to the contractor; J. Everett, C.E., G.S.W.R.; R.W.F. Townsend, R. Pratt, A. Beamish, Dr. Sullivan, President of Queen’s College, John S. Collins, R. Orpen, J. Dwyer, Jnr, M.D. Daly, Richard Burke, Coachford, J. Corcoran (Blarney), J.W. Burke, solicitor of the company, T. O’Connor, Etc. Amongst the ladies present were Mrs. R. Barter, Miss Wray and Miss Lewis. After luncheon, Mr. Worthington gave the toast of prosperity to the Cork and Muskerry Railway undertaking (hear, hear), and coupled with it the name of the chairman of the company, Mr. Richard Barter, and the names of the directors. Mr. Barter had taken very great interest in the promotion of the scheme, (hear, hear), which he, (Mr. Worthington) was surprised had not been promoted long ago (hear, hear). The toast having been duly honoured, Mr. Barter, in rising to respond to the toast on behalf of the directors, was received with applause. He said the directors had always worked very harmoniously together (hear, hear) and they never had a division on any question (hear, hear). They had a very good and able contractor (hear, hear) in Mr. Worthington, and had taken care that the rolling stock of the line would be of the best possible and of the most permanent description. He trusted their railway would be the means of largely developing the resources of the country (hear, hear). He felt very proud to see Blarney the progressing hive of industry that it was (hear, hear) and he hoped that the establishment of their railway would be the means of once again awakening the buzz of industry in these mills in the neighbourhood of their line of railway, which were now idle and desolate. It was only by such a means as they were engaged in forwarding, that with all their efforts, they could withstand foreign competition (hear, hear). These light railways would be a great means of developing the resources of the country. (A Voice-No doubt of it). Their first object would be to make the line of the greatest possible convenience and utility (hear, hear) as a means of improving the country. The next thing was the ratepayers’ interests. The directors hoped that by efficiency and economy in a short time the ratepayers would not be required to pay anything (hear, hear). He (Mr. Barter) had great hopes that in a short time, the Blarney section of the line alone would pay the interest on the money (hear, hear). At the most it would be only £2,000 on the ratepayers and £1,500 a year on the Government. Looking at the Ilen Valley Railway – harbouring under the disadvantages of the old system, which they hoped in a great measure to avoid – they found that after a few years the directors of the line he referred to were hardly calling on the barony at all (hear, hear). The entire interest had been paid by the earning of the line (hear, hear). They hoped to arrive at the same pleasing result (applause). Mr. Worthington next proposed the toast of ‘Irish Industries and the Development of the Country,’ and associated the names of Professor Sullivan and Mr. James Dwyer with the toast. The toast having drunk, Professor Sullivan said, not his name but that of his friend (Mr. Mahony) which should have been coupled with that toast (hear, hear); but as he, Dr. Sullivan, happened to be a few years younger, the part of Mr. Mahony had been put upon him, and he would, there-fore, represent Mr. Mahony rather than himself in his reply. He, (Prof. Sullivan) was born in this locality and took a very great interest in it. In his boyhood, in the valley from Blarney Chapel down to Cork, there was a series of mills, most of them however, unfortunately idle. In the middle of the last century up to 1815 or 1816, Blarney district was one of the most remarkable spots in Ireland, as regards industry. In it were mills in which were manufactured flax, woollens, paper (calico printing which had died out completely was carried on extensively), rope-making and in fact, every kind of manufacture was carried on, and an immense sum of money paid in wages. Mr. Mahony – A thousand a week! (£1,000 in 1887 equates to €165,533.51 at 2022 current conversion rates). The line closed in 1934 after 47 years in operation. All stations, structures and buildings were auctioned off by Joseph Woodward and Sons in 1938. The description in the prospectus is as follows for St. Anne’s Station. “At St. Anne’s Station…All that and those the Lands forming and being part of the former St. Anne’s Railway Station, extending from the end of the Goods Store Platform (on the Tower Halt side of the Station) to the end of the Passenger Platforms (on the Blarney side) together with the 1,400 Gallon Water Tank, Stone and Corrugated Iron roofed Store and Passage-way to the Public Road, all held in Fee Simple, subject to a right-of-way for an adjoining Owner to a Well on this Lot as shown on the O.S. WITH VACANT POSSESSION.”
(1) Blarney and District Historical Society Presents an Illustrated Lecture Titled: ‘The Amazing Story of Dr. James Barry – The Woman who Fooled the British Empire.’ on Thursday 20th October 2022 at 8.00 p.m in Scoil Mhuire Gan Smál (Blarney Secondary School). Speaker is local historian Anne Twomey. Everybody welcome. Please note date.
(2) Blarney and District Historical Society Presents an Illustrated Lecture Titled: ‘The Cork Hunger Strike Aug 11th to Nov 12th 1920’ on Thursday 3rd November 2022 at 8.00 p.m in Scoil Mhuire Gan Smál (Blarney Secondary School). Speaker is local historian John Mulcahy. Everybody welcome.