"Rails Through Connemara" Book Launch, Saturday 18th September

[jhb171achill]

Folks

As above; all here are invited.  We are hoping to have someone interesting to do the launch but it depends if he's free. Viewing of the Maam Cross preserved railway site will be also possible.

Hope to see a few of you folks there....

The venue is Peacocke's Hotel, Maam Cross. Times and further details to follow.

Edited July 26, 2021 by jhb171achill

[Midland Man]

sounds interesting looking forward  

[jhb171achill]

I was talking to Jim Deegan today (Railtours Ireland) and it is possible (not confirmed yet) that he will do a combined train to Galway & coach to Maam X deal. Outwards on the 09:35 ex-Heuston, and back on the 19:20 ex-Galway.

His railway will be open to inspect - it is right next door to the venue. Looks like the launch thing itself will be mid-afternoon, allowing time to explore the Maam Cross railway first, and get a bite to eat before going back to Galway.

I will keep things updated here as it develops.

[ttc0169]

Looking forward to the day Jonathan.....and the after launch party....

[jhb171achill]

1 minute ago, ttc0169 said:

Looking forward to the day Jonathan.....and the after launch party....

THAT will be good, Noel! Pints long overdue! See you there, looking forward to it.

[Edo]

Best of luck Jon - i'll definitely be getting the book.  The brother , inconsiderate git that he is, is getting married on the 17th in Kildare.....i'll see if i can sneak off early doors on the 18th and take the scenic route home via Maam cross!

[jhb171achill]

17 minutes ago, Edo said:

Best of luck Jon - i'll definitely be getting the book.  The brother , inconsiderate git that he is, is getting married on the 17th in Kildare.....i'll see if i can sneak off early doors on the 18th and take the scenic route home via Maam cross!

Superb!!!!

[Irishswissernie]

Book arrived yesterday and looks pretty impressive especially as Oakwood Press have gone back to using decent glossy paper rather then the semi matt stuff seen lately. 192 pages plenty of photos, maps, track plans and a number of rolling stock drawings.

[airfixfan]

Stenlake have now taken over Oakwood Press and must get a copy myself soon possibly at the launch!

[Irishswissernie]

They took over a few years ago Jim and started using the awful paper that they used on their own publications. Hopefully this practice is now history.

[leslie10646]

If you can't wait until Jonathan's launch -

you can buy a copy from The Syndicate (supporting Irish railway preservation)

for £15.95 plus a token £1 towards post and packing - UK only - sorry, postage to "Europe" is rather expensive from Brexitland!

Either e-mail at lesliemcallister@aol.com;

or drop me a PM.

Great book, all congratulations to JB and his publishers for very good reproduction of a great book, which completes the story of a fascinating line - oh, for a Time Machine. Where did you get all those illustrations from, JB?

Leslie

 

[Midland Man]

Love the front cover. It looks amazing it keeps the style of the original book [Rails to Achill] which I like quite a lot.

[leslie10646]

Midland Man said - Love the front cover. It looks amazing it keeps the style of the original book [Rails to Achill] which I like quite a lot.

Wait until you see the back cover!

For UK only (sorry) £16.95 from The Syndicate, post paid.

If Jim D will tell me how to send money to The Maam Cross Project - profits to them!

Leslie

 

 

Edited August 17, 2021 by leslie10646

[Robert Shrives]

Obtained a copy yesterday and enjoyed the read so far and the pictures of the line interesting look at a time long ago.

Robert  

[jhb171achill]

Firstly, many thanks for your comments, folks - very much appreciated.

To answer the questions above in no particular order, funds for the Connemara railway project can be donated as Jim has set up a "gofundme" link on the Connemara railway website.

Regarding books, great to see Leslie's long-standing "The Syndicate" raising funds for this project by donating a part of the proceeds of his sales. During a quarter century of being both RPSI & DCDR Treasurer at different times, both societies (plus others) benefitted from donations made by "The Syndicate", whose sales at IRRS London Area meetings and at other events produced profits to fund these donations. I can say as treasurer at those times that the respective societies appreciated this greatly, and The Syndicate's donations were used to assist with a wide and diverse range of things - everything from locomotive or carriage restoration and maintenance to the bricks and mortar of carriage sheds.

The pictures front and rear; the front one was reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder - though it has to be said, it's been widely copied here and there, probably not always with such permission. The rear cover came from a photo of an original poster which jhb171Senior had many years ago, and was sold when he was in a nursing home.

Interior pictures - the modern ones were taken mostly by me, with a few others contributed. One of ttc's (of this parish) taken from a drone (or by an exceptionally tall person) and by Jim Deegan, illustrate the Connemara railway project. Of the operational railway, some came from the IRRS years ago (indeed, when I was sourcing illustrations there for "Rails to Achill"!); but most were from Henry Casserley's collection, obtained via his late son Richard. There are a few Lawrence images too, plus a number of others for which after years of trying to find a copyright holder, though seeing the pictures all over the place in the public domain, I simply used them after finding out that information on the copyright owner may no longer be evident. This is as a result of a fire in Galway where some old material was stored, in the 1980s. The late Galway historian Maurice Semple, whose widow was of great assistance to me, published about seven books about Galway history in the 1970s, all copiously illustrated, and without a solitary acknowledgement for any images! I used some of his - and I believe that while he, in his day, COULD have attributed them, the information necessary to do so today went up in smoke forty years ago.

Without Casserley, operational images of the line would be few and far between.

There were a number of other images which I wanted to include, but were so very poor that no matter what magic Oakwood Press tried to employ, they couldn't possibly be made to make the grade. Several others, including the only two of a track-lifting gang, were so bad that they could only be included as small images. They came from Clifden architect Shane Joyce.

Maps are old OS maps, long out of copyright, for which (I think) it was Shane who gave me those. Modelling drawings were from a number of sources. 

To confuse matters, at one stage I posted a list of acknowledgements for illustrations to the publisher and it never arrived - and I didn't have a copy!

As in all books, the disclaimer is always that if I have omitted to thank anyone for anything, please be assured that it's my senility that is to blame and accept my apologies!

This day, I have taken delivery of 320 of the things to fulfil a few mail orders and have a stock for the launch. The Irish price will probably be €19.95, though I have yet to have confirmation of this.

Should be a good day. Jim has now advertised a special Railtours train leaving Dublin via the 07:35 down day mail to Galway, with a Railtours coach awaiting. A Railtours guide will accompany you via several sites of railway interest en route, arriving at Maam Cross about 1pm. You can get lunch in Peacocke's Hotel, or if you only want a sandwich there's a garage there too. The Maam Cross station site is adjacent to the hotel, and due to social distancing issues the launch will take place there. We're hoping for no rain, no midges, no mosquitoes and no horse flies; on account of me being there, they probably wouldn't bother YOU anyway, as when these airborne terrorists see me they get the best napkins and silver service out, and publicise the feast on social media. At a recent Maam Cross work party, I got 103 bites. Some of the rest of the group got one or two, or none.

The launch is at 3pm, and at about 6 (I think) the bus leaves again for Galway station for the 1920 up night mail to Broadstone, sorry, Kingsbridge. It gets back to Dublin at 21:50. I'll be staying over to assist in testing the bar equipment after the lockdown.....

Looking forward to seeing many of you in Maam Cross!

[jhb171achill]

[Mike 84C]

Got my copy Jonathon! maybe next time in in Ireland I'll get you to sign it. You and Oakwood have done a fantastic job of the information and presentation, only wish I could be at Maam Cross but I have no desire to be on the menu as sweet course!

How did those "flyaway" cabs keep the crew dry?  If it looks right it is right and they don't!

[jhb171achill]

1 hour ago, Mike 84C said:

Got my copy Jonathon! maybe next time in in Ireland I'll get you to sign it. You and Oakwood have done a fantastic job of the information and presentation, only wish I could be at Maam Cross but I have no desire to be on the menu as sweet course!

How did those "flyaway" cabs keep the crew dry?  If it looks right it is right and they don't!

Thank you for your comments, Mike. The flyaway cabs must have been an absolute punishment for crews - absolutely, totally and utterly useless as crew protection - especially in horizontal Connemara winter wind and rain!

[PJR]

Good luck with the launch on Saturday, hope all goes well and you all enjoy the day.

[jhb171achill]

Very many thanks, PJR, much appreciated.

[Edo]

Best of luck to all going today - hope the day goes great....won't be there as i've been drafted on bbq duties for the day after wedding party.....so send on pics and reports!

[NorthWallDocker]

Just bought a copy from the Castle Bookstore in Castlebar, along with J.I.C. Boyd's Saga by Rail: Ireland and Bernard Share's In Time of Civil War.  Very grateful for you researching and writing this book, Jonathon.  Now re-reading Rails to Achill....

[jhb171achill]

23 hours ago, NorthWallDocker said:

Just bought a copy from the Castle Bookstore in Castlebar, along with J.I.C. Boyd's Saga by Rail: Ireland and Bernard Share's In Time of Civil War.  Very grateful for you researching and writing this book, Jonathon.  Now re-reading Rails to Achill....

Many thanks, NWD, much appreciated….

[WRENNEIRE]

[jhb171achill]

On 20/9/2021 at 1:23 AM, WRENNEIRE said:

Interesting! Where did that come from? What is it?

[WRENNEIRE]

Berridge was a tea planter and he bought the estate at Hazelwood when he retired, early 30's
He sold it some years later to the Land Commission
It came with some bits when my Dad passed, never found out what it was for.

[jhb171achill]

That's the same Berridge family I referred to the other day, and in the book!

Interesting.

There's a distant relative still about, in Wexford.

[Galteemore]

6 hours ago, WRENNEIRE said:

Berridge was a tea planter and he bought the estate at Hazelwood when he retired, early 30's
He sold it some years later to the Land Commission
It came with some bits when my Dad passed, never found out what it was for.

Looks like the tag off a mail satchel or similar. ‘Big houses’ often had such things at local railway stations or post offices, to convey their post privately. One can still be seen at Florencecourt House, Co Fermanagh, which was used to convey the Earl of Enniskillen’s mail to and from the SLNC station there.