Dismantled railway line to Clifden

Tawny

Hi all,

I have heard you can walk the whole way along it - Is this true?

You can see it clearly on Google Earth, and its on the Ordance Survey map, but I'm not sure if its accessible or if you are allowed to walk on the land.

Does anyone know for sure?

Zzippy

Large parts of it are now privately owned, so access may not be permitted. However, there is a project underway to create a tourist trail along some, of not most of it. Currently part of the line is being surveyed with a view to creating a walking and cycling trail. If it happens, I think the Clifden to Recess section will be first to be opened.

Tawny

Thanks for the info, it would be great to see something like that opened up for walkers and cyclists.

Slightly off topic - how can you tell from the OS Map which tracks are public and which aren't?

galwaybabe

Has anyone been in the old railway tunnel under Shannon Dry Cleaners on Prospect Hill? It's well worth a look, beautiful piece of engineering. It would make an amazing nightclub!

HarryD

Zzippy wrote: »

Large parts of it are now privately owned, so access may not be permitted. However, there is a project underway to create a tourist trail along some, of not most of it. Currently part of the line is being surveyed with a view to creating a walking and cycling trail. If it happens, I think the Clifden to Recess section will be first to be opened.

That'd would be class.. make a great weekend excursion..
Any links/info on progress/feasibility/ETA ?

TIA<
HD

PopeBuckfastXVI

galwaybabe wrote: »

Has anyone been in the old railway tunnel under Shannon Dry Cleaners on Prospect Hill? It's well worth a look, beautiful piece of engineering. It would make an amazing nightclub!

How do you get in?

Tawny

HarryD wrote: »

That'd would be class.. make a great weekend excursion..
Any links/info on progress/feasibility/ETA ?

TIA<
HD

do a search for west report.indd - The PDF doesn't work but you can open it as html.

Does anyone know any tracks around the city where you can walk out into the country and not on roads?

MaxFlower

galwaybabe wrote: »

Has anyone been in the old railway tunnel under Shannon Dry Cleaners on Prospect Hill? It's well worth a look, beautiful piece of engineering. It would make an amazing nightclub!

Where is this and how do you access it? I'd love to see it.

BTW, I used to know someone who walked to Clifden using the old line but its a few years ago now. Took him 2 days IIRC. Its still possible i'd imagine.

sparklepants

Tawny wrote: »

Hi all,

I have heard you can walk the whole way along it - Is this true?

You might have to swim this bit nowadays:

galwaybabe

PopeBuckfastXVI wrote: »

How do you get in?

You walk down the laneway to the right of Shannon cleaners. Go down to wooded bit at end and veer right into the field. Double back on yourself once in the field and head to back of the Shannon building. You'll see it then. Now is a good time before all the plants get overgrown

dinneenp

Pic of the tunnel entrance here

sgthighway

Parts of the Railway Line are over grown with trees and bushes.

mikemac

Go into the Park House Hotel and they have lots of old photos from the 1920's of this.
Lots of other old pics of Galway too,

There was a cattle mart in Eyre Sq as I remember, could be wrong

Mars Bar

galwaybabe wrote: »

You walk down the laneway to the right of Shannon cleaners. Go down to wooded bit at end and veer right into the field. Double back on yourself once in the field and head to back of the Shannon building. You'll see it then. Now is a good time before all the plants get overgrown

Cool, really tempted to go and have a look at this.

burren

There is a 1996 book "Kevin Cronin: Off the Beaten Track - Irish Railway Walks" that covers the section Oughterard to Clifden. There also was a RTE tv serie based on this book. The book was still available in Galway bookshops last year (and probably still is).

galwayfeen

galwaybabe wrote: »

You walk down the laneway to the right of Shannon cleaners. Go down to wooded bit at end and veer right into the field. Double back on yourself once in the field and head to back of the Shannon building. You'll see it then. Now is a good time before all the plants get overgrown

wow,i used to live on prospect hill and never knew about this,thanks definately gonna have a gawk at this:D

zing

galwaybabe wrote: »

Has anyone been in the old railway tunnel under Shannon Dry Cleaners on Prospect Hill? It's well worth a look, beautiful piece of engineering. It would make an amazing nightclub!

That tunnel presumably just went in under Prospect Hill but does anyone know where the other end of it was ? Straight across the road under the houses around St Bridgets Terrace or or slightly further down the hill.

zing

zing wrote: »

That tunnel presumably just went in under Prospect Hill but does anyone know where the other end of it was ? Straight across the road under the houses around St Bridgets Terrace or or slightly further down the hill.

I don't know but if you wanted you could climb to the top of the embankment and figure it out.

?Cee?view

I think the tunnel comes somewhere near Hidden Valley. It goes under a newish (10 years old) office building which is opposite the Laundry place, where Galway Metal Company used to be many years ago.

pointofnoreturn

I remember when they built the buildings Argos and LIDL in. there was a bit of frustration about the location of that building because it liyed in the path of the track. now giving no hope for it to be returned to service.
I wish they opened the line again, even a walk way over the corrib, huge amount of students could walk that everyday! This GLUAS proposed the use of it. don't know if it was possible
Another cool part to see is at the station when you go to walk across the bridge just as you walk their is a part where you can see the rail go towards the corrib. also if you walk to the end of the platform too.

bigeasyeah

I cant wait to go see this stuff!

Mike...

Anyone going down there please post some pics sounds good

Mr Maroon

galwaybabe wrote: »

Has anyone been in the old railway tunnel under Shannon Dry Cleaners on Prospect Hill? It's well worth a look, beautiful piece of engineering. It would make an amazing nightclub!

Definitely going to go and have a look

civis_liberalis

Did a little reading up on the Galway-Clifden railway... apparently it ultimately failed due to it's inland location and the fact that it did not serve the more populous areas along the coast.

Dyin to see that tunnel.

galwayfeen

Had a look today and its amazing to say the least,these phone pics obviously don't do it justice,
you need to see this in person,thanks for the info:D

bigeasyeah

Cool.Was it hard to get there?

wet-paint

Ah, sweet as a nut, thanks. Do you know if that water's deep? I might go in with a pair of boots and a head torch.

galwayfeen

bigeasyeah wrote: »

Cool.Was it hard to get there?

not at all,ya just have to battle with a few tree branches at the entrance

galwayfeen

bigeasyeah wrote: »

Cool.Was it hard to get there?

ha ya was thinkin of that aswell,its about knee height but you'll have to
get through all the crates,golf bags,toasters...well thats what i came across:pac:,go for it

bigeasyeah

Cool think Ill check it out:)

MaxFlower

galwayfeen wrote: »

not at all,ya just have to battle with a few tree branches at the entrance

Can you give directions. I tried yesterday with no luck. I went down a little alley that opens into a carpark (SIPTU have an office there). Don't know if I'm on the right 'track'