Dunmanway

The large town of Dunmanway, Co.Cork, was located on the Cork Bandon & South Coast Railway's main line from Cork to Bantry. The first railway to be built to Dunmanway was the West Cork Railway from Bandon, opening in June 1866. Ten years later in July 1877, the Illen Valley Railway constructed the line from Dunmanway to Drimoleague, and eventually to Bantry. These were latterly operated by the CBSCR. The entire West Cork railway system was eventually closed by CIE in March 1961. Today the single storey station building at Dunmanway remains as a veterinary clinic, and retains its original wooden awnings. The station once had up & down platform, but today only the up remains, the down platform along with the adjacent goods shed and yard is now occupied by an ESB office. At the west end of the station is a water crane, which remains remarkably intact.
Dunmanway Station, looking east towards Cork from the up platform, showing the single storey station building, complete with original canopies. Close up of the original canopy and awnings attached to the station building at Dunmanway, which dates from the opening of the line to Bantry in June 1886. The station has not seen a passenger since March 1961. This is the eastern end of Dunmanway Station, looking west towards Cork. The building, now a veterinary clinic, has been extended at this end of the station. A fence and a line of trees mark the egde of the disused platform. Dunmaway station building, as viewed from what was the down platform, now long since demolished. A car park serving an ESB office now occupies much of the former station site.
The ESB branch office in Dunmanway, which was built on the site of the former goods shed and yard on the down side of the station. This is the overgrown cattle loading bank at Dunmanway, located on the down side of the station. A remarkable survivor to be found at Dunmanway Station is the water crane, which once serviced the steam locomotives. It is located at the west end of the former station. As can be seen, the water crane at Dunmanway Station remains very much intact, having been disused since 1961. Since closure of the railway, a group of trees have grown up on the trackbed at the west end of the station.
This is the hotel which was once located adjacent to the approach road leading to Dunmanway Station, which is just visible in the background behind some trees. Since closure of the line in March 1961, the hotel and its car park have been extended onto the former trackbed. This is the site of the level crossing at the west end of Dunmanway Station, where the railway line crossed the R599 road leading into the town. The large corrugated iron building seen here has been built across the former trackbed to Bantry. Adjacent to the level crossing at Dunmanway Station was Atkins Mill, the stone building of which is now occupied by a furniture store seen here. The mill had its own siding which was sited to the left on the Bantry side of the former level crossing. The siding remained in situ until complete closure in 1961.