Buttevant

Buttevant, Co.Cork, is located on the main Dublin to Cork line. The station opened with the Great Southern & Western Railway's line to Mallow in 1849. The station consisted of up & down platforms, with station buildings and goods facilities on the down side. The signal cabin, which now acts as a gatebox is located at the Cork end of the station on the up side adjacent to the level crossing. The station, along with others on the same section of the line closed in 1977, but remained in use as a block post.

It was just three years later that Buttevant would be the scene of one of the worst railway accidents on Irish Rail, when on the 1st of August 1980, the 12:45am Dublin to Cork train careered into a facing siding. Buttevant Station ceased to be a block post in 1988/89 with the introduction of CTC, but the signal cabin remains controlling the crossing gates. All other station buildings, except the former goods shed have been demolished. A memorial to the Buttevant rail accident now stands at the entrance to the former station.
The remains of Buttevant Station, looking north towards Dublin. The up & down platforms survive, although quite low. Only a small part of the station building, goods shed, and shell of waiting room remain. The level crossing and signal cabin at Buttevant Station, which remains in use as a gatebox following CTC introduction in 1989. The steps leading to the signal cabin once formed part of the station footbridge. The crossing gates are power operated from the adjacent signal cabin. The signal cabin remained in use until 1989 when CTC was extended south to Cork, and now acts as a gatebox. The derelict GSWR goods shed at Buttevant Station. It had remained a stabling point for ballast trains until the late 1980s when the sidings were lifted.
Closer view of the goods shed reveals that it still retains its original large sliding doors. Part of the roadside canopy also remains though in very bad condition. The derelict goods platform and shed at Buttevant, located on the down side of the station. A view from the down platform at Buttevant Station, looking north towards Dublin showing the signal cabin and former platforms. This is the only part of the main station building at Buttevant to survive. The main building was demolished in the mid 1990s.
The shell of the former waiting room on the up platform at Buttevant Station. A small reminder to the August 1980 accident can be seen in the form of a wooden cross on the former goods bank. A newer much larger memorial now stands beside the station entrance. The view looking noth rom Buttevant Station level crossing. There are still some level crossings in this area that are hand operated.