BSGSV

As JHB says, what a CIE man described as "dark bottle green" with eau-de-nil lining and lettering (as in the quiet man pics above) was used until about 1953/4. The problem with green is that, from then on, shades differed. The same CIE man told the IRRS in the mid-1960's that several (one wonders exactly how many) experimental mid-green shades were tried (presumably on small numbers of coaches each). The Park Royal and other coaches appeared in "brilliant" green, apparently different again. A period of leaving coaches unpainted was tried. Looking at the Tom Ferris colour books, the progression to the mid-1950's is marked on the railcars. Early ones started with the dark green and eau-de-nil. However, there is a photo in one of them of one of the last AEC's 2657 (one of the W&T ones) is a very bright green indeed (especially when compared to the Claytons parked next door). And the roof of that was green too! Looking through those books doesn't neceesarily leave you with a consistent view of green on other coaches. There is a further photo of a steam train at Ballaghadereen, and the two coaches of that appear to be slightly different. Of course, if challenged, the modeller can always say "his/her" green is one of the experimental shades!

I tend to describe the 1962 onwards colour as "golden brown" to differentiate it from the orange(s). I suspect the change from one to the other came when Inchicore stopped brush painting and went onto spraying, but I'm not sure when that was.

Rather more than a year or two. Repaints in the mid- to late 1980's, and I suspect that some may have gone straight from "GM Brown" to the ir livery. CIE/IR/IE "orange/tan" is probably going to be as contentious an issue as CIE Green. The latter day orange appears (to me at least) brighter than the previous orange and I would ascribe the change to Inchicore Paint Shop going over to two-pack paint in the early-2000's. The previous sprayed orange was between latter-day orange and CIE "golden brown". CIE did change suppliers over the years, and this could have led to slight variations in batches supplied too.

Given the number of industrial/private entries in "Irish Industrial and Contractors' Locomotives" (Union Publications, 1962, with amendments in a following IRRS Journal) there have been about 30 lines of 2-foot gauge in the 32 counties, and that's not counting Bord na Mona's contribution.

Is the first one the island in Cork Harbour with Camden Fort on it? Or was that even more narrow gauge?

There is a photo in an IRRS Journal showing A11 on a GAA special in Monaghan in July 1959, which I suspect is the origin for JHB's original question. The coach nearest the loco is clearly stencilled "CIE" which suggests it is of GNRI origin.