Ballyglunin Railway Station
East Galway heritage railway station
Ballyglunin Railway Station is a heritage rail attraction near the village of Ballyglunin in east Galway. It was first built in 1860 and served as the town’s main means of transport for more than a century and is now a wonderful visitor attraction and one the best heritage sites to visit in Galway. The station gained notoriety when it featured prominently in the 1952 movie “The Quiet Man,” starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara.
During the late 1970’s the last services came to a halt and the site fell into disrepair and dereliction. In 2004 a group of local volunteers interested in restoring the station formed the Ballyglunin Community Development Company and commenced the revival of the station back to it’s former glory. The station has now reopened as a heritage site, visitor center, biodiversity park, community center, and unusual location for special ocassions and events.
As featured in The Quiet Man Movie
“Well now, I’ll begin at the beginning. A fine soft day in the spring it was, when the train pulled into Castletown, three hours late as usual, and himself got off.” These are the words of the narrator as John Wayne steps off the train in the opening sequence of John Ford’s classic 1952 movie The Quiet Man, which was shot at the Ballyglunin train station in County Galway.
History of Ballyglunin Railway Station 馃殏
The Athenry and Tuam Railway was established six years after a committee was established in May 1854. The station opened for passenger traffic with just one platform on the east side of the track after a grueling 18 months of labor by 750 men.
Fast-forward almost half a century when Great Southern and Western Railway acquired the station and upgraded it with necessary renovations and some of it’s most timeless features. With the construction of the west platform, waiting area, office, restrooms, and lamp room, as well as a footbridge over the tracks.
Some notable occurrences took place in Ballyglunin during the Civil War period, including the raid on a Limerick-Sligo goods train and an attempt to send a crewless train into Tuam with the regulator open. Two barrels of Guinness, 56 pounds of butter, 5000 cigarettes, four bags of wheat, two sides of bacon, and 48 Christmas cakes were among the items seized.
A cinematic history 馃幀
In order to polish the opening shot of the legendary movie The Quiet Man, days were spent in 1952 escaping the unfortunate showers of late June. The three weeks of filming were condensed into a few minutes to highlight both John Wayne’s entrance at the beginning and Maureen O’Hara’s impending departure as a newlywed. Though they may not have realized it at the time, the movie has since gone on to garner numerous honors and win the hearts of millions.
On July 16, 1967, fifteen years later, the station experienced its busiest Sunday ever as six specials headed for Knock and five specials headed for Galway arrived in the morning and left in the evening. The station was shut down to goods traffic eight days later.
After services were terminated in 1976 as part of C贸ras Iompair 脡ireann’s rationalization of the rail network, the station progressively fell into disrepair and was abandoned until 2004, when citizens started crowdfunding initiatives to reopen the train station. The site, which is still owned by CI脡, was leased for 10 years by the Ballyglunin Railway Restoration Project.
The building was saved from the risk of falling into disrepair and is now one of rural Ireland’s most significant attractions because of the group’s efforts. You will recognize the building’s historical and cultural significance whether or not you have seen the movie when you visit.
More information
Visit: https://ballyglunin.com/
Directions map to Ballyglunin Railway Station
Ballyglunin Station FAQs
What is Ballyglunin Railway Station best known for?
The film “The Quiet Man,” which features famous scenes starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara, captures the significance of the Ballyglunin railway station in Irish emigrant history. These scenes were shot on the platform at Ballyglunin in June 1951.
Why did Ballyglunin Station close down?
When C贸ras Iompair 脡ireann (CIE) closed the train line in 1976 between Tuam and Athenry, Galway, the station began to deteriorate. Disregarded, it was left derelict until 2004, when a few residents banded together to launch the Ballyglunin Railway Restoration Project.
When was the Ballyglunin train line built?
In 1854, the establishment of the Athenry and Tuam Railway was finally completed. With just one platform on the east side of the rail, the station was ready for passenger traffic after over 700 workers toiled tirelessly for eighteen months.
What was the busiest day at Ballyglunin Station?
On July 16, 1967, the station experienced the most activity ever when five train services headed for Galway and six services for Knock passed through in the morning and returned in the evening. Unfortunately, the station was closed to goods traffic eight days later.
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