(First posted January 4) A four part nostalgic documentary series for TG4, chronicling the history of Ulster’s railways and featuring some fascinating personal stories about events that took place before these lines disappeared forever, will be broadcast tonight.
The series tells the story of four railway lines which were once part of Ulster’s network including: The Derry and Lough Swilly Railway, The Clogher Valley Railway The Belfast and County Down Railway and The Ballycastle Railway.
Using a mixture of expert interviews, personal stories, narration and beautiful archive we learn about the history of each of these railway lines and how they changed the lives of the communities they served.
The series starts in Counties Derry and Donegal where the story of the Derry and Lough Swilly Railway is illustrated through poignant personal stories and archive.
We learn about the impact the railway had on everyday life, the effect the introduction of customs had on a line that crossed the newly formed border, the tragedy of the railway disaster at the Owencarrow Viaduct in 1925.
Other stories featured throughout the series include the tale of a clever goat that strayed on to the Clogher Valley railway line, The 1945 Ballymacarrett railway accident in Belfast and the impact of the severe snow on the Ballycastle railway in 1947.
The series is shot on location throughout Ulster including Co. Derry, Co. Donegal, Co. Fermanagh, Co. Tyrone and Co. Antrim.
The series will be broadcast on TG4 on Thursdays at 8.00pm starting tonight and repeated on Sundays at 7.30pm.
Iarnród Uladh is narrated by Póilín Ní Chiaráin.
We’ve included some footage of a railway journey to Burtonport in the 1940s.
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