Killaloe Railway

The Killaloe Railway, as it was called even though it was located in Ballina, opened in April 1864. This was a 5km line from Birdhill to Ballina, which connected to the Limerick Railway line. In 1894 the branch was extended to a wharf below The Lakeside Hotel to serve trade boats & steamers. The Goods Shed was located on the site of Flanagan’s on the Lake and the red brick house next to it was the Railway House.

There were two, and sometimes, three trains every weekday from Ballina to Limerick and the journey took about 50 minutes.

Regular passenger services on the Killaloe branch were ceased in 1931 by the Great Southern Railway, but occasional excursion/ goods trains ran until the line was finally closed in 1948 by CIE. According to locals, these excursion trains brought thousands of people from Limerick for the infamous Killaloe Regatta’s.