Irish railway accidents

Bray Head, 1867

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

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]		W&L
5 October 1853	16	15	8	Straffan, County Kildare	Freight train hit rear of broken-down passenger train		GS&W
31 December 1853	2	0	6	Between Clonmel and Kilsheelan, County Tipperary	Derailment of passenger train[2]		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]		GS&W
19 November 1856	5	0	?	Dunkitt, County Kilkenny	Passenger train misrouted into sidings & hit ballast train[4]		W&K
9 October 1857	1	0	?	Carrigans, County Donegal	Mail train hit cow and derailed[5]		L&E
29 October 1864	2	2	34	Ballinasloe, County Galway	Passenger train derailed due to excess speed on poor track[6]		MGW
9 August 1867	2	2	25	Bray Head, County Wicklow	Sudden subsidence resulted in collapse at the Brandy Hole Viaduct; passenger train derailed		DWW
26 September 1874	1	1	28	Dundalk, County Louth	Collision on flat crossing[5]		DBJ, INW
21 August 1875	1	0	1	Longpavement, County Limerick	Tyre of locomotive wheel broke, causing derailment of mixed train[7]		W&L
30 October 1875	1	1	7	Castlebar, County Mayo	Empty cattle train struck rear of mixed train[8]		MGW
4 July 1877	1	1	7	Dalkey, County Dublin	Passenger train derailed on unlocked facing points[9]		DWW
27 February 1878	1	1	16	Glenageary, County Dublin	Wagons broke away from freight train and struck passenger train[10]		DWW
8 September 1878	5	3	70	Curraheen, near Ballincollig, County Cork	Derailment of passenger train on poor track[11]		C&MD
12 November 1879	1	0	?	Ballyhaise (then called Belturbet Junction), County Cavan	Mixed and cattle trains collided[5]		GN
7 July 1887	1	0	3	Bantry, County Cork	Runaway train struck buffers[12]		CBSC
22 May 1893	3	0	13	Curraduff, County Kerry	Runaway train crashed over bridge into river		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]		DWW
24 November 1898	1	1	?	Lispole, County Kerry	Part of passenger train overturned by wind[14]		T&D
24 April 1901	3	0	0	Tralee, County Kerry	Runaway freight train crashed through buffers[15]		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]		MGW
8 September 1907	1	0	7	Kilrane, near Rosslare Harbour, County Wexford	Locomotive collided with passenger train		GS&W
13 March 1908	1	0	2	Maynooth, County Kildare	Mail train struck wagon standing foul of line		MGW
19 January 1910	1	0	1	Felthouse Junction, County Wexford	Derailment of freight train		GS&W
6 August 1910	2	0	0	Dundalk, County Louth	Passenger train collided with wagons[5]		GN
5 August 1912	1	1	96	Lombardstown, County Cork	Passenger train derailed; excess speed on poor track[17]		GS&W
8 January 1914	1	0	2	Birdhill, County Tipperary	Locomotive of mixed train derailed and overturned[18]		GS&W
28 January 1915	2	2	6	Kinsale, County Cork	Runaway freight train collided with stationary mixed train[12]		CBSC
19 December 1916	6	0	10	Kiltimagh, County Mayo	Head-on collision after ballast train passed signal at danger[19]		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		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]		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]		CIÉ
21 October 1974	2	2	29	Gormanston, County Meath	Runaway empty passenger train collided with second empty train, which struck passenger train		CIÉ
31 December 1975	5	4	30	nr Gorey, County Wexford	Train derailed from bridge damaged by road vehicle[25]		CIÉ
1 August 1980	18	16	75	Buttevant, County Cork	Express sent into sidings as points not interlocked		CIÉ
21 August 1983	7	7	55	Cherryville Junction, County Kildare	Collision into rear of broken-down train[25]		CIÉ
30 September 1991	1	1	?	Ballycumber, County Offaly	Derailment of passenger train[26]		IÉ

See also

• Railway Accident Investigation Unit
• Armagh rail disaster
• Buttevant Rail Disaster
• Owencarrow Viaduct Disaster
• Lists of rail accidents
• List of rail accidents by country

Notes

1. 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.
2. Mahon, G.R. (Autumn 1955). "Irish Railways in 1854". Journal of the Irish Railway Record Society. 4 (17): 54–67.
3. Mahon, G.R. (Autumn 1956). "Irish Railways in 1855". Journal of the Irish Railway Record Society. 4 (19): 156–87.
4. 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.
5. Patterson, Edward M. (2003). The Great Northern Railway (Ireland). Usk: Oakwood Press. pp. 228–9. ISBN 0-85361-602-7.
6. Mac Aongusa, p. 246.
7. Mahon, G.R. (February 1979). "Irish Railways in 1875". Journal of the Irish Railway Record Society. 13 (78): 335–46.
8. Shepherd, W.E. (1994). The Midland Great Western Railway of Ireland: An Illustrated History. Leicester: Midland Publishing. p. 80. ISBN 1-85780-008-7.
9. Mahon, G.R. (June 1982). "Irish Railways in 1877—2". Journal of the Irish Railway Record Society. 14 (88): 365–78.
10. Mahon, G.R. (October 1983). "Irish Railways in 1878—3". Journal of the Irish Railway Record Society. 15 (92): 133–9.
11. Dean, Fred Sr. "Cork & Macroom Direct Railway". Retrieved 17 August 2009.
12. Shepherd, Ernie (2005). Cork Bandon & South Coast Railway. Leicester: Midland Publishing. pp. 98–9. ISBN 1-85780-198-9.
13. Shepherd, Ernie; Beesley, Gerry (1998). The Dublin & South Eastern Railway: An Illustrated History. Leicester: Midland Publishing. p. 136. ISBN 1-85780-082-6.
14. Rowlands, David; McGrath, Walter; Francis, Tom (1996). The Dingle Train. Brighton: Plateway Press. p. 18. ISBN 1-871980-27-5.
15. Newham, A.T. (October 1991). "The Tralee Accident, April 24, 1901". Journal of the Irish Railway Record Society. 9 (51): 189–90.
16. Mac Aongusa, p. 70.
17. Currivan, P.J. (January 1980). "The Lombardstown Accident, 1912". Journal of the Irish Railway Record Society. 14 (82): 188–202.
18. O'Rourke, A.J. (June 2007). "The Wreck of the Darkie". Journal of the Irish Railway Record Society. 23 (163): 101–4.
19. Comer, Michael (2006). "The Kiltimagh Railway Disaster of 1916". Retrieved 23 May 2007.
20. O'Meara, J. (June 1995). "The War Years 1939–45: Part 1". Journal of the Irish Railway Record Society. 20 (138): 188–202.
21. Mac Aongusa, pp. 161–69.
22. "County Donegal Railways Joint Committee". Irish Railway Record Society. 15 March 2005. Retrieved 17 August 2009.
23. Mac Aongusa, pp.180–89.
24. Murray, D (October 1991). "Collision at Dundrum, 1957". Journal of the Irish Railway Record Society. 17 (116): 434–41.
25. "Córas Iompair Éireann". Irish Railway Record Society. 7 January 2004. Retrieved 23 May 2007.
26. "Derailment at Ballycumber". Journal of the Irish Railway Record Society. 18 (117): 478. February 1992.

References

• 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.