Planning to visit Ireland to kiss the ground on which the Guiness brewery stands. Any recommendations as to railroad sightseeing on the Emerald Isle?

Dave

irondave@bellsouth.net

By all means, check out the Dingle Peninsula in the West of Eire. You can see remnants of the narrow gauge Tralee & Dingle Railway and even ride a section of the line out of Tralee to Blennerville behind 2-6-2T locomotive No. 5--which was returned to Ireland from the U.S. The scenery is spectacular on the Peninsula.
There are some steam operations up in Northern Ireland which I suggest you research on the Web before going. I don't much about them in detail. Some mainline excursions are also run.
By all means, ride a regular CIE passenger train to Cork, Tralee, or Killarney. They have some fast diesel runs (with EMD power, I recall)with nice touches such as semaphores along the way. The line due south of Dublin along the coast is very scenic.
The depot in Cork has an ancient "tea kettle" of a locomotive on display inside.

> Planning to visit Ireland to kiss the ground
> on which the Guiness brewery stands. Any
> recommendations as to railroad sightseeing
> on the Emerald Isle?

> Dave


denmeg_hogan@msn.com

If you are going to make it to Belfast go to the Ulster Folk & Transportation Museum in Holywood (about 15 mins from downtown Belfast). They have a large collection of steam locomotives from a great little 1'-11" (or so) 0-4-0T used in the Guinness Brewery to a broad gauge 4-6-0 with lots in between.

Further north, the Giants Causeway narrow gauge railway has opened recently and is run by steam.
Don't bother with the Donegal museum, not much to see and their locomotive is outside badly rotted hiding under a blue tarp.

As mentioned above the do run mainline steam excursions, information at the link below.

The Guinness Brewery has one of their little 0-4-0T's on display so you can combine two of mans greatest inventions, steam locomotives and Guinness.

Have fun,
Roger

Railway Preservation Society of Ireland
Belpaire@aol.com