Sligo Mac Diarmada railway station

Sligo Mac Diarmada station, also known as Sligo railway station, is a mainline railway station which serves the town of Sligo in County Sligo, Ireland. It is a terminal station which now has two platforms and an intermediate carriage siding. The railway at the station is elevated above the surrounding streets and the station building dominates its surrounds. There is a passing loop at the approach to the station. It is named after Irish patriot Seán Mac Diarmada. Iarnród Éireann, Ireland's national railway operator, runs inter-city rail services between Sligo and Dublin on the Dublin-Sligo railway line.

Sligo Mac Diarmada Stáisiún Sheáin Mhic Dhiarmada
Sligo station, 1948
Location	Knappagh Road, Sligo, County Sligo, F91 K752 Republic of Ireland
Coordinates	54.272°N 8.481°W / 54.272; -8.481
Owned by	Iarnród Éireann
Operated by	Iarnród Éireann
Platforms	2
Construction
Structure type	At-grade
Other information
Station code	SLIGO
Fare zone	R
Key dates
1862	Station opened
1966	Renamed as Mac Diarmada Station
Services Preceding station   Iarnród Éireann   Following station Collooney   InterCity Dublin-Sligo   Terminus   Proposed   Collooney   InterCity Limerick-Sligo   Terminus

Dublin-Sligo main line
Year closed Sligo Mac Diarmada Sligo Quay freight terminal 2000 Ballysodare 1963 Ballisodare River Sligo, Leitrim and Northern Counties Rly to Enniskillen 1957 proposed Western Railway Corridor to Limerick 1963 Collooney Ballymote Kilfree Junction 1963 to Ballaghaderreen 1963 Boyle Carrick-on-Shannon Drumsna 1963 River Shannon Cavan and Leitrim Railway Dromod Newtown Forbes 1963 Longford Edgeworthstown Street & Rathowen 1963 to Cavan 1959 Inny Junction 1931 Multyfarnham 1963 Clonhugh 1963 The Royal Canal to Athlone 1964 Mullingar Killucan 1963 Hill of Down 1963 River Boyne Moyvalley 1963 to Edenderry 1931 Enfield Ferns Lock 1963 Kilcock Maynooth Blakestown Leixlip Louisa Bridge Leixlip Confey Lucan North 1941 Barberstown Docklands branch to M3 Parkway Clonsilla Porterstown DM (future) Coolmine Coolmine Castleknock Blanchardstown 1937 Navan Road Parkway Ashtown Ashtown Pelletstown (future) Reilly's Bridge 1847 Broombridge Liffey Junction Passengers 1937 Goods 1977 Dublin Broadstone Passengers 1937 Goods 1961 Glasnevin 1910 The Royal Canal Phoenix Park Tunnel to Dublin Heuston Drumcondra Belfast–Dublin railway line Docklands ( Spencer Dock) The Royal Canal Dublin Connolly Luas Red Line to Saggart and Tallaght Dublin-Rosslare railway line to Rosslare Europort = Western Commuter

History

The station opened on 3 December 1862,[1] when Sligo acquired rail links to Dublin. The Sligo, Leitrim and Northern Counties Railway linked to Enniskillen to the north in 1881. A link to Limerick and the south followed in 1895. The line to Enniskillen closed in 1957 and passenger services to Limerick closed in 1963. For many years CIÉ kept the latter line open for freight traffic, and although it is now disused, it forms part of the Western Rail Corridor redevelopment project.

The station building was burned down and destroyed on 11 January 1923 during the Irish Civil War. Seven engines were sent down the line to the quay and one crashed through a concrete wall into the harbour.[2]

The station formerly had two intermediate carriage sidings rather than one. The southern platform was previously shorter and included a small bay platform. There was a depot previously to the south of the line to the east of the station, the building is now demolished. The turntable was used for turning steam locomotives and later proved useful for turning Class 121 single cabbed diesel locomotives.

Naming

In 1966, Sligo railway station was renamed Mac Diarmada Station after Irish rebel Seán Mac Diarmada from County Leitrim.[3]

Freight terminal

There is a line to the mothballed freight terminal which curves off to the north and downward just before the station. The facility includes a large crane for handling containers.

Connections

Sligo bus station is at street level adjacent to south side of the station.

Gallery

• 
  Sligo Station in 1993
• 
  Sligo station engine shed which has now been demolished
• 
  Station entrance 2016
• 
  Leaving Sligo in 1985. The locomotive shed is behind the distant locomotive, the line behind the signal box leads to the quay
• 
  Station entrance and car park in 2015

See also

• List of railway stations in Ireland

References

1. "Sligo station" (PDF). Railscot - Irish Railways. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2011-02-17. Retrieved 2007-09-07.
2. "Sligo station the scene of Civil War attack". The Sligo Champion. 27 November 2012. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
3. Gilligan, James (2006-12-19). "Restore name to Sligo rail station". Sligo Weekender. Sligo Weekender Ltd. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-07-03.

External links

• Irish Rail Sligo station website