List of Irish railway accidents
This sortable table is intended to list railway accidents in the Republic of Ireland, and before its formation accidents in the provinces of Leinster, Munster and Connacht, plus the counties of Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan. It is currently limited to accidents where at least one train occupant was killed. It does not include acts of terror, nor accidents in Northern Ireland.
Irish railway accidents with one or more train occupant fatalities[edit]
The 'TRA link' column gives a link to the accident's page on The Railways Archive web site, though some may not yet be fully detailed.
| Date | Fatalities | Passenger fatalities |
Injuries | Location | Description | TRA link |
Company |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 December 1852 | 1 | 0 | ? | Bansha, County Tipperary | Passenger train derailed on poor track[1] | [1] | W&L |
| 5 October 1853 | 16 | 15 | 8 | Straffan, County Kildare | 1853 Straffan rail accident: Freight train hit rear of broken-down passenger train | [2] | GS&W |
| 31 December 1853 | 2 | 0 | 6 | Between Clonmel and Kilsheelan, County Tipperary | Derailment of passenger train[2] | [3] | W&L |
| 20 October 1855 | 1 | 1 | 0 | Near Mallow, County Cork | Freight train broke into three portions; two collided, killing pig drover travelling as a passenger[3] | [4] | GS&W |
| 19 November 1856 | 5 | 0 | ? | Dunkitt, County Kilkenny | Passenger train misrouted into sidings & hit ballast train[4] | [5] | W&K |
| 9 October 1857 | 1 | 0 | ? | Carrigans, County Donegal | Mail train hit cow and derailed[5] | [6] | L&E |
| 29 October 1864 | 2 | 2 | 34 | Ballinasloe, County Galway | Passenger train derailed due to excess speed on poor track[6] | [7] | MGW |
| 9 August 1867 | 2 | 2 | 25 | Bray Head, County Wicklow | Sudden subsidence resulted in collapse at the Brandy Hole Viaduct; passenger train derailed | [8] | DWW |
| 26 September 1874 | 1 | 1 | 28 | Dundalk, County Louth | Collision on flat crossing[5] | [9] | DBJ, INW |
| 21 August 1875 | 1 | 0 | 1 | Longpavement, County Limerick | Tyre of locomotive wheel broke, causing derailment of mixed train[7] | [10] | W&L |
| 30 October 1875 | 1 | 1 | 7 | Castlebar, County Mayo | Empty cattle train struck rear of mixed train[8] | [11] | MGW |
| 4 July 1877 | 1 | 1 | 7 | Dalkey, County Dublin | Passenger train derailed on unlocked facing points[9] | [12] | DWW |
| 27 February 1878 | 1 | 1 | 16 | Glenageary, County Dublin | Wagons broke away from freight train and struck passenger train[10] | [13] | DWW |
| 8 September 1878 | 5 | 3 | 70 | Curraheen, near Ballincollig, County Cork | Derailment of passenger train on poor track[11] | [14] | C&MD |
| 12 November 1879 | 1 | 0 | ? | Ballyhaise (then called Belturbet Junction), County Cavan | Mixed and cattle trains collided[5] | [15] | GN |
| 7 July 1887 | 1 | 0 | 3 | Bantry, County Cork | Runaway train struck buffers[12] | [16] | CBSC |
| 22 May 1893 | 3 | 0 | 13 | Curraduff, County Kerry | Runaway train crashed over bridge into river | [17] | T&D |
| 6 August 1895 | 1 | 0 | 1 | Between Avoca and Rathdrum, County Wicklow | Head-on collision of freight train and empty passenger train[13] | [18] | DWW |
| 24 November 1898 | 1 | 1 | ? | Lispole, County Kerry | Part of passenger train overturned by wind[14] | [19] | T&D |
| 24 April 1901 | 3 | 0 | 0 | Tralee, County Kerry | Runaway freight train crashed through buffers[15] | [20] | GS&W |
| 11 April 1903 | 1 | 1 | 15 | Between Ballymoe, County Galway, and Castlerea, County Roscommon | Passenger train struck axle from platelayer's trolley and derailed[16] | [21] | MGW |
| 8 September 1907 | 1 | 0 | 7 | Kilrane, near Rosslare Harbour, County Wexford | Locomotive collided with passenger train | [22] | GS&W |
| 13 March 1908 | 1 | 0 | 2 | Maynooth, County Kildare | Mail train struck wagon standing foul of line | [23] | MGW |
| 19 January 1910 | 1 | 0 | 1 | Felthouse Junction, County Wexford | Derailment of freight train | [24] | GS&W |
| 6 August 1910 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Dundalk, County Louth | Passenger train collided with wagons[5] | [25] | GN |
| 5 August 1912 | 1 | 1 | 96 | Lombardstown, County Cork | Passenger train derailed; excess speed on poor track[17] | [26] | GS&W |
| 8 January 1914 | 1 | 0 | 2 | Birdhill, County Tipperary | Locomotive of mixed train derailed and overturned[18] | [27] | GS&W |
| 28 January 1915 | 2 | 2 | 6 | Kinsale, County Cork | Runaway freight train collided with stationary mixed train[12] | [28] | CBSC |
| 19 December 1916 | 6 | 0 | 10 | Kiltimagh, County Mayo | Head-on collision after ballast train passed signal at danger[19] | [29] | GS&W |
| 5 August 1921 | 1 | 0 | 5 | Enniscorthy Tunnel, County Wexford | Collision between locomotive and permanent way trolley[13] | D&SE | |
| 30 January 1925 | 4 | 4 | 9 | Owencarrow, County Donegal | Owencarrow Viaduct Disaster—part of passenger train overturned by wind while crossing viaduct | [30] | L&LS |
| 11 November 1941 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Farranfore, County Kerry | Bridge washed away by flood; freight train derailed[20] | GS | |
| 20 December 1944 | 1 | 0 | ? | Straboe, near Portlaoise, County Laois | Mail train passed signal at danger and hit failed cattle train[21] | [31] | GS |
| 29 August 1949 | 3 | 2 | ? | Donegal, County Donegal | Passenger train left station without train staff and collided head-on with freight train[22] | CDRJC | |
| 21 December 1955 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Cahir, County Tipperary | Runaway freight train derailed and fell through bridge[23] | CIÉ | |
| 23 December 1957 | 1 | 0 | 4 | Dundrum, County Dublin | Passenger train, delayed by cow on line, was struck from behind by second passenger train mistakenly signalled into section[24] | [32] | CIÉ |
| 21 October 1974 | 2 | 2 | 29 | Gormanston, County Meath | Runaway empty passenger train collided with second empty train, which struck passenger train | [33] | CIÉ |
| 31 December 1975 | 5 | 4 | 30 | nr Gorey, County Wexford | Train derailed from bridge damaged by road vehicle[25] | [34] | CIÉ |
| 1 August 1980 | 18 | 16 | 75 | Buttevant, County Cork | Buttevant Rail Disaster: Express sent into sidings as points not interlocked | [35] | CIÉ |
| 21 August 1983 | 7 | 7 | 55 | Cherryville Junction, County Kildare | Collision into rear of broken-down train[25] | [36] | CIÉ |
| 24 September 1989 | ? | ? | 70 | Claremorris, County Mayo | Collided with cattle on the line | CIÉ | |
| 30 September 1991 | 1 | 1 | ? | Ballycumber, County Offaly | Derailment of passenger train[26] | IÉ |
See also[edit]
- Railway Accident Investigation Unit
- Armagh rail disaster
- Owencarrow Viaduct Disaster
- Lists of rail accidents
- List of rail accidents by country
Notes[edit]
- ^ Report to the Lords of the Committee of Privy Council For Trade and Foreign Relations of the Proceedings of the Department Relating to Railways for the Year 1852. In The Sessional Papers Printed by Order of the House of Lords or Presented by Royal Command in the Session 1852−3: Volume LXVI. p. 246. Google Book Search. Retrieved on 20 June 2010.
- ^ Mahon, G.R. (Autumn 1955). "Irish Railways in 1854". Journal of the Irish Railway Record Society. 4 (17): 54–67.
- ^ Mahon, G.R. (Autumn 1956). "Irish Railways in 1855". Journal of the Irish Railway Record Society. 4 (19): 156–87.
- ^ Report to the Lords of the Committee of Privy Council For Trade and Foreign Relations of the Proceedings of the Department Relating to Railways for the Year 1856. In Accounts and Papers Session 30 April–28 August 1857. p. 49. Google Book Search. Retrieved on 20 June 2010.
- ^ a b c d Patterson, Edward M. (2003). The Great Northern Railway (Ireland). Usk: Oakwood Press. pp. 228–9. ISBN 0-85361-602-7.
- ^ Mac Aongusa, p. 246.
- ^ Mahon, G.R. (February 1979). "Irish Railways in 1875". Journal of the Irish Railway Record Society. 13 (78): 335–46.
- ^ Shepherd, W.E. (1994). The Midland Great Western Railway of Ireland: An Illustrated History. Leicester: Midland Publishing. p. 80. ISBN 1-85780-008-7.
- ^ Mahon, G.R. (June 1982). "Irish Railways in 1877—2". Journal of the Irish Railway Record Society. 14 (88): 365–78.
- ^ Mahon, G.R. (October 1983). "Irish Railways in 1878—3". Journal of the Irish Railway Record Society. 15 (92): 133–9.
- ^ Dean, Fred Sr. "Cork & Macroom Direct Railway". Retrieved 17 August 2009.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b Shepherd, Ernie (2005). Cork Bandon & South Coast Railway. Leicester: Midland Publishing. pp. 98–9. ISBN 1-85780-198-9.
- ^ a b Shepherd, Ernie; Beesley, Gerry (1998). The Dublin & South Eastern Railway: An Illustrated History. Leicester: Midland Publishing. p. 136. ISBN 1-85780-082-6.
- ^ Rowlands, David; McGrath, Walter; Francis, Tom (1996). The Dingle Train. Brighton: Plateway Press. p. 18. ISBN 1-871980-27-5.
- ^ Newham, A.T. (October 1991). "The Tralee Accident, April 24, 1901". Journal of the Irish Railway Record Society. 9 (51): 189–90.
- ^ Mac Aongusa, p. 70.
- ^ Currivan, P.J. (January 1980). "The Lombardstown Accident, 1912". Journal of the Irish Railway Record Society. 14 (82): 188–202.
- ^ O'Rourke, A.J. (June 2007). "The Wreck of the Darkie". Journal of the Irish Railway Record Society. 23 (163): 101–4.
- ^ Comer, Michael (2006). "The Kiltimagh Railway Disaster of 1916". Retrieved 23 May 2007.
- ^ O'Meara, J. (June 1995). "The War Years 1939–45: Part 1". Journal of the Irish Railway Record Society. 20 (138): 188–202.
- ^ Mac Aongusa, pp. 161–69.
- ^ "County Donegal Railways Joint Committee". Irish Railway Record Society. 15 March 2005. Retrieved 17 August 2009.
- ^ Mac Aongusa, pp.180–89.
- ^ Murray, D (October 1991). "Collision at Dundrum, 1957". Journal of the Irish Railway Record Society. 17 (116): 434–41.
- ^ a b "Córas Iompair Éireann". Irish Railway Record Society. 7 January 2004. Retrieved 23 May 2007.
- ^ "Derailment at Ballycumber". Journal of the Irish Railway Record Society. 18 (117): 478. February 1992.
References[edit]
- Mac Aongusa, Brian (2005). Broken Rails – Crashes and Sabotage on Irish Railways. Blackrock: Currach Press. ISBN 1-85607-925-2.
- Vincent, Benjamin (1910). Haydn's Dictionary of Dates and Useful Information. Ward Lock. pp. 1146–1151.
- Whitaker, Sir Cuthbert, ed. (1931). Whitaker's Almanac. J Whitaker & Sons. p. lii.