Work on the building of the
railway line from Athy to Wolfhill colliery started in April 1917. It was first proposed in June 1912 when the
colliery owner, Mr. Parkinson, came before the members of Kildare County Council
seeking sanction for the project insofar as it related to the southern part of
County Kildare. At a subsequent meeting
of Athy Urban District Council, chaired by James Deegan, Mr. Thomas Reddy
Manager of the Gracefield colliery explained that it was intended to run the
line beside the road from Wolfhill to Athy.
The mining company he said was prepared to run the trains early in the
morning or late at night and so avoid any possible danger to the public. The company was also willing to drop off
passengers outside the town of Athy on market and fair days. The money to build the railway was to come
from the promoters of the scheme. In
return the Urban Council were asked to provide housing accommodation in the
town for between 300 and 500 miners.
Both the proposal and the request met with the unanimous approval of the
Council members with John Duncan J.P. proposing acceptance, seconded by Thomas
Plewman J.P. who claimed that 95% of the people of Athy favoured the project.
The Kildare Observer in a subsequent editorial
praised the Urban District Council stating “the time has come for the making of
a steady and determined endeavour towards our industrial regeneration.” The editor expressed the hope “that this new
enterprise will bring to Athy and the surrounding country all the advantages of
an extensive industrial development.”
The meeting of Kildare County Council saw legal
representatives of the colliery owner, the County Council and the Great
Southern and Western Railway Company make detailed submissions in connection
with the railway project. The
Councillors were informed that the proposed light railway between Athy and the
collieries at Gracefield and Modubeagh would extend for 10 miles, 1 furlong and
1.4 chains with 3 miles, 4 furlongs and 6 chains in County Kildare. It was proposed to have the rail lines laid
on a raised track placed on the left hand side of the road going from Athy to
Ballylinan, the level of the rails to be 6 inches over the level of the centre
of the road. The county surveyor, Edward
Glover, pointed out where work on railways had been commenced but not completed
and while not expecting anything of that kind to occur in relation to the
Wolfhill line, nevertheless he advised that in the case of abandonment the
County Council should seek reinstatement of all roads and public services
affected by the work.
The colliery owner, James Parkinson, advised the
Council that he had purchased the mining rights of 10,500 acres for £20,000 and
hoped in the near future to increase coal productivity each day to 1,000 tonnes
in Modubeagh and 500 tonnes in Gracefield.
He pointed out that Modubeagh coalfield had coal supplies for about 60
years and confirmed that the estimated cost of laying the railway line was
£70,725. When asked if he anticipated
any difficulty employing labourers when work was started, Mr. Parkinson replied
“None whatever, we can easily get Connemara labourers.”
Despite the unanimous support of Kildare County
Council and Athy Urban District Council an application had to be submitted to,
and approved by, the Lord Lieutenant under the Tramways Acts to allow the
construction work to proceed. By the
time war was declared in August 1914 no progress had been made in relation to
the Athy Wolfhill railway line.
During the winter of 1916/17 the Chief Secretary
travelled from Dublin Castle to Wolfhill to investigate the railway proposal
and John O’Connor M.P. made a submission outlining how and why the railway line
could be provided as a war measure. Coal
became scarce and very expensive during the war and he claimed that an
increased quantity could be secured in Wolfhill and shipped to England if the
railway line was put in place. Mr.
O’Connor went so far as the suggest that 1,000 soldiers out of the 4,000 based
in the Curragh camp could be employed in building the railway line in three to
four weeks.
The Board of Works eventually approved the scheme
and J.J. Bergin by then Manager of the Wolfhill colliery, indicated to the
local press on the 31s of March 1917 that “fourteen engineers are marking out
the course.” The same newspaper reported
“work in connection with the new railway commenced this week when a good deal
of local labour was engaged under the engineers attached to the Great Southern
and Western Railway Company”. To
discourage farm labourers from applying to work on the railway project where a
weekly wage of twenty seven shillings was paid, only men engaged in national
service and registered for such work were employed.
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