The Schull and Skibbereen Light Railway was born out of the Tramways and Public Companies (Ireland) Act 1883, which allowed for 3 foot narrow gauge railways to be built along public roadways, with a guaranteed return to investors. Initially the plan was to build two tramways that would terminate in Skibbereen, one to Union Hall and Glandore and the second to Ballydehob and Schull. However the narrowness of the road and local objections, meant that the Union Hall/Glandore scheme never happened, so only the Schull tramway was built.
A separate company, the West Carbery Tramways & Light Railways Company Ltd., was set up to run the new railway. The 15 mile (24 km) line included new stations at Church Cross, Hollyhill, Kilcoe, Ballydehob and Schull, with halts at New Court and Woodlands. The contract also stipulated the provision of three engines and other rolling stock. The cost of the new railway was financed by private investors (including local businessmen and landlords) and government grants.
Construction of the line commenced in 1885 and the new service was opened to the public in September 1886. The new railway was not without its engineering achievements. The twelve-arch viaduct at Ballydehob was a pioneer in the use of mass-concrete as a construction material in Ireland and it has stood the test of time to become an icon of the Mizen Peninsula. Despite this, overall the line was an engineering disaster. The construction company, Messrs. McKeon, Robinson and d’Avigdor of London, took numerous shortcuts. The contract specified that the track should be gauged at 60 lbs per yard weight, but to cut costs they used 45 lb track, some of which was second-hand. The construction of the railway had been supervised for the Tramway Company by two young inexperienced engineers. The line of the railway included a number of steep inclines and sharp turns. On top of all this, the original engines purchased were designed for use on city streets and were not capable of pulling carriages on the new tramway. After a number of failures and amid accusations and recriminations, the line closed in April 1887.
Some of the issues facing the new line were solvable, new more powerful steam engines were required and some of the worst engineering problems could be tackled. After the purchase of a new engine, named Erin, and the completion of some remedial work the tramway reopened in January 1888. However, throughout its lifetime the underlying engineering issues remained and these would impact the operation of the railway. Financially the tramway was never successful, it always required support from local government (ratepayer) funds to operate and to pay the original private investors their guaranteed return. The journey time from Schull to Skibbereen was scheduled to take 1 hour and 20 minutes and often took longer. As a result the tramway performance was regularly lampooned, as seen in the postcard below. While this postcard was used to poke fun at a number of railways, in the case of the Schull to Skibbereen tramway it was justified. In time the folklore about the tramway reflected its poor performance, with stories recalling incidents of 3rd class passengers being asked to alight the train on steep inclines. Whether true or not, such tales have become part of the history of this line.
Despite its poor performance, the tramway did have a positive local impact. It provided much needed employment locally. It allowed people and goods access to and from the Mizen Peninsula, and it gave that region access, via Skibbereen, to the wider Irish rail network. In 1893 the track was extended to the pier at Schull, which was a boon for the local fishing industry. The tramway also helped the development of the tourism industry in the area. Among the visitors to the region were the artist Jack B. Yeats and the American author Stepen Crane. Such visitors helped to popularise the area as a tourist destination. It also promoted local events. The annual Agricultural Show in Skibbereen and the Regatta in Schull, were highlights for local people, with special trains being laid on to cope with demand.
In the decades after its opening the tramway’s operation limped on, with little changing. The War of Independence and the Civil War, caused major disruption of the service. In 1921, after a number of incidences of damage to both stations and the track, operations were suspended. In 1922, during the Civil War, an engine was maliciously derailed on the Schull pier extension. After independence, in 1925 the West Carbery Tramways & Light Railways Company became part of the new national company the Great Southern Railways.
The onset of World War 2 had a major impact on the operation of the tramway. The shortage of coal, meant timetables were curtailed and alternatives, such as wood and turf, were experimented with to fuel the steam engines. These were not successful and eventually in 1944 the operation of the tramway was suspended. After the war operations recommenced, but with a limited timetable. The weather in early 1947 was particularly severe and, with fuel still in short supply, in January the decision was made to suspend operations once more. At the time everyone expected the line to reopen. It briefly did to operate trains for Schull regatta on 15 August 1947. It appears that the running of trains on that day was done at the request of a local priest. This was the last time that the line was used. Improvements to the road network and the increased availability of motorised vehicles, coupled with falling rural populations, doomed this and many other rail lines. The stock was sold off and the tracks were lifted in 1954, even though the formal order to close the Schull to Skibbereen Tramway did not come until 1956. In time much of the old line was incorporated into the N71/R592 roadway from Skibbereen to Schull and the Kilcoe station fell victim to a road widening scheme. The station houses at Church Cross, Hollyhill, Ballydehob and Schull, along with the viaduct at Ballydehob remain. These stand as a reminder to a light railway that once transversed some of the most beautiful scenery of West Cork and still holds a special place in the memories of its people.
For more information on the Schull to Skibbereen Light Railway read:
A.T. Newham, The Schull and Skibbereen Tramway (1964).
James I.C. Boyd, The Schull & Skibbereen Railway (1999).