In the Tracks of the West Clare Railway

by Eddie Lenihan

Although trains are unlikely to ever again run between the Irish towns of Ennis and Kilkee, the legend of this little branch line of the southern railway system will live on as long as there are people who look back fondly on the past. Anyone with even a superficial acquaintance with Clare will know what a wealth of varied scenery it contains, together with abundant archaeological sites and historical remains spanning over 5,000 years of human habitation. Not least of these are the earthworks of the West and South Clare Railways. Eddie Lenihan believes that a time will come when parts of these lines will be preserved as national monuments, but until that happens their destruction will continue. For what was a railway is now a disjointed succession of pieces linking not just places but in a way two one unhurried and traditional, the other brash, frenzied and modern. In the Tracks of the West Clare Railway paints an evocative picture of a time when the railway breathed life into West Clare.

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Probably the best known Seanachai (storyteller) in Ireland. He inspired the character of Ferry Dan/The Great Seanachai in award winning animation Song Of Sea.

Reviews

[Stuart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lenihan is a great writer, he makes a long walk along an abandoned railway line come alive with anecdotes from the history of the line and the towns it passes through. He moves from stories of the railway's industrial history, Irish folklore and linguistics, and west Clare's place in the history of Irish resistance and independence and effortless. I fear that the focus on the railway will put off potential readers who think this is merely a staid book for railway enthusiasts, when this book offers much, much more on the history of this region.