June 2024 | Donegal Railway Museum

Donegal Railway Museum is delighted to announce two guest railway historians speakers, Charles Friel and Joe Begley, will each give illustrated talks at our Museum as part of National Heritage Week programme for August.

On Saturday 17^th August, 2:30pm, Charles Friel will give an illustrated talk title “The Wee Donegal in pictures”. Using many previously unseen photographs, well-known railway historian, photographer, and preservationist Charles P Friel will recreate a journey over all 124 miles of the County Donegal Railway – from Victoria Road in Derry to Letterkenny, Glenties and Killybegs. The first part of the talk finishes with a trip from Ballyshannon to Donegal Town. After the break, Charles will recount the last day of public trains, some subsequent events and the lifting trains before, much more happily, reviewing the many CDRJC vehicles which survive in preservation – including some of the work on Drumboe in Whitehead.

Then on Tuesday 20^th August, 7pm, Railway Historian Joe Begley will give an illustrated talk titled “Building the Burtonport Extension Railway”. The Letterkenny & Burtonport Extension Railway has been variously described both as the greatest journey on the Irish Narrow Gauge, running as it did just short of 50 miles through some of the wildest of the Donegal countryside, and a Folly, given the nature of its chosen course and construction. Its development and history is well described elsewhere. This talk will feature a trip along the extension, accompanied on the way by a “special train” and will have a focus on aspects of its construction and some of the challenges faced, illustrated with some rare photographs from Engineers involved.

Both events will be ticketed and take place at the Donegal Railway Museum in Donegal Town and will also be Broadcast live online; further details on the Event Page of this site

Venue: Donegal Railway Museum

Donegal Railway Museum is delighted to announce the official book launch “Seeking the Swilly” by Hugh Dougherty and talk on Saturday 29^th June, 3pm. This follows on from the success of Hugh’s previous book, the “County Donegal Railways Bus Services” which was launched at our Museum last year.

The new 50-page paperback publication is a collection of terrific colour and black & white photos, many of which have not been published in book form before. This publication tells the unique story of the Londonderry & Lough Swilly Railway and it’s Bus Services which once operated across north Donegal and into Derry, offering new material celebrating this important part of Donegal’s heritage, with all profits going towards continuing to tell the story of the railways and buses that once operated across County Donegal.

Transport journalist Hugh Dougherty, got to know the Swilly railway and buses, while on holidays in Donegal as a teenager in the 1960s. A proud member of the Glasgow-Donegal diaspora, Hugh contributes to transport magazines and local and national media, including the Irish papers in Scotland. As a father of four grown-up children and a grandfather for five, he lives with his wife, Patricia, who has suffered, patiently, for the last 48 years, from his life-long fascination with all things Donegal train/bus related, including building a working, 4mm scale model of the railway, and its buses in their Glasgow home. Hugh is also an Honorary Life Member of the Donegal Railway Museum.

Seeking the Swilly is available through this website, under “Shop” and at our museum directly. This is another welcome addition to the Donegal Railway archive and is a must-have for anyone interested in our local heritage and in the Londonderry & Lough Swilly Railways and buses.

The official launch of the new book and talk will take place at the Donegal Railway Museum on Saturday 29th June at 3pm. This will be a ticketed event. This lecture will also be streamed live on our Facebook and YouTube Channel.

If you would like to attend the event in person, as space is limited, please book your ticket at https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/seeking-the-swilly-book-launch-lecture-tickets-932313373397 . Tickets are free, but we would encourage donations at the door on the day itself.