Drimoleague had role in West Cork railway

The map which illustrates the article (County, Feb 28) on the West Cork Railway is marred by failing to indicate Drimoleague whose station had a pre-eminent position in that section of the railway.

Drimoleague was a major junction where the Cork line split, with trains going onward to either Bantry or Skibbereen.

Drimoleague itself possessed the largest signal cabin — with 31 levers — in the West Cork system. The largest capacity water tank in the West Cork system was also in Drimoleague.

There were three passenger platforms in Drimoleague. In comparison, Skibbereen and Bantry only had one each, while Dunmanway had two.

As for staffing, Drimoleague had three porters, a guard, two signalmen, and a stationmaster. There was a locomotive department comprising a driver, a fireman, a steam riser, and a coalman. The headquarters of the Permanent Way (from Ballineen to Baltimore and Bantry) was controlled by Inspector J. O’Donovan who had a staff of three teams, a ganger and two men in each team.

A hastily drawn map cannot erase the place of Drimoleague in the history of the West Cork Railway.

Jim Collins

East End

Drimoleague

Co Cork