Irish Rail worker hailed for driving stranded trio home to Killarney

Signalling issues in Limerick led to some Christmas kindness

Cara explained to Newstalk: "We were in Limerick Colbert [station] and we were sitting on the train waiting, waiting, waiting, File picture: Larry Cummins

A Kerry student has thanked Irish Rail after one of their staff members saved her and her friends from being stranded at Limerick's Colbert station.

Cara Ní Chofaigh and her two friends were heading home for Christmas after she finished up in NUIG for the festive break.

The trio were going from Galway to Killarney, where Cara's mother was waiting for her to get off the last train of the evening to bring her home.

They were just outside Limerick station when there was an announcement about delays due to signalling - meaning they had missed their connecting train.

It was the last train of the evening on Tuesday.

Cara explained to Newstalk: "We were in Limerick Colbert [station] and we were sitting on the train waiting, waiting, waiting,

"We kept getting announcements: 'Just five more minutes, just the odd signalling issue'.

"Eventually a conductor came up the train and we said we were Killarney-bound.

"He said there was no way we were making our connecting trains in Limerick Junction and Mallow to make it down to Kerry on time because there were signalling issues in Limerick."

They were offered the option of a bus to Tralee and then a taxi to Killarney, which would've been both lengthy and expensive as Cara pointed out that the trio wouldn't have landed into Killarney until 1am under that plan.

Which is where a kind Irish Rail worker stepped in to help.

Cara continued: "There was four employees standing there, and one of them was like 'Right, I'll drive them down to Killarney so in the company car'.

The trio were going from Galway to Killarney (pictured), where Cara's mother was waiting for her to get off the last train of the evening to bring her home. File picture: Larry Cummins

"We were kind of like 'Wait, seriously?' and then one of the girls was like 'Yeah that'd be great' and took him up on it immediately, we were delighted."

The group were in the car for an hour-and-a-half or so before the employee, named Tony, dropped them into Killarney station shortly after 11pm before turning around and heading back to Limerick.

Cara added: "He was so good, and even all the way down he was chatting away to us.

"He didn't even pay any heed to the fact that he was doing a three/four-hour round trip - he was just like 'Ah yeah, it's part of the job'. Only delighted to do us a favour and help us out."