Deerpark

Deepark, Co.Kilkenny, was the site of one of the few large collieries located in Ireland. The coal mines at Deepark began operating in 1924 and it was rail served by a spur built beyond the terminus of the Castlecomer branch (opened in 1921), which joined Great Southern & Western Railway's Kilkenny to Portlaoise line. Passenger services ceased operating over the branch in 1931, but the line remained open for regular goods and coal traffic from the Deepark Colliery. The branch to Castlecomer and Deepark was eventually closed by CIE in 1963, with the demise of the Kilkenny-Portlaoise line. The coal mine itself at Deepark ceased functioning in 1969 and today only the concrete ruins of a few of the mining buildings survive, but former railway trackbed is still discernible on the site. More information and photographs can be found on AskAboutIreland.com.
The railway approach to the former colliery at Deerpark. The gravel path follows the route of the tracks serving the coal chutes. The concrete foundations of the mines buildings and pillars of the former elevated coal conveyor are also evident. These concrete foundations are all that remains of the buildings where several coal chutes were located above the railway tracks, where the coal was dropped into railway wagons for onward transit. The somewhat megalithic like ruins of the former coal conveyor at Deepark Colliery. The tunnell entrance to the mines would have been located behind the trees, but no trace remains today. A view looking south towards Castlecomer and Kilkenny from the former Deepark Colliery. The line passed through the gate visible on the right and contined its descent towards the town of Castlecomer.
This is the site of the railway entrance to the Deerpark Colliery. The line continued straight ahead and beyond the gate was a run around loop. This was also the site of the weight bridge for the railway wagons. The former weight bridge building beside the former Deerpark Colliery. The tracks would have been in the foreground, where the mine's coal output was recorded. The wash baths building at the former Deerpark Colliery. The concrete road in the foreground is the former road entrance to the mines, which were located behind this building. The approach to Deepark Colliery from the railway trackbed, with the roof of the wash baths visible to the right. Originally there was a run around loop located here. The remains of the trackbed here has been ploughed back into the field in recent years.
The old St.Mary shrine survies at the entrance to the former Deepark Colliery, although the statue has long since been removed. Woodview House belonged to the local landowner on which the mines at Deepark were funded and constructed. It is located beside the former colliery. A heritage sign located at the former entrance to the Deepark Colliery, giving a brief history of the mine's operation until closure in 1964. The railway part of the mine ceased functioning completely on the 1st January 1963, with closure of the Castlecomer branch. The locomotive clearing the remaining wagons from the branch was Sulzer No.B101.