Hill of Down

The small village of Hill of Down, Co.Meath, had a station on the Midland Great Western Railways Dublin to Sligo line, located between Maynooth and Mullingar. The station, adjacent to the small village and the Royal Canal was closed by CIE in 1947, but it remained a block post until the late 1970s following the transfer of the Galway & Mayo line services to the Cork main line. Both platforms and tall signal cabin were still extant in the early 1990s, but these, along with the station buildings have all be demolished. Only the up platform with its raised section, and goods platform to the east of the station remains. The station had originally opened with the line to Mullingar in December 1847.
Ex Great Southern & Western Railway's J15 Class 0-6-0 No.186 approaches the former station at Hill of Down on a Railway Preservation Society of Ireland special from Mullingar. The former station at Hill of Down, opened in 1847 and closed to passengers in November 1947. On the right is the former up platform with a raised section typical of the Midland Great Western Railway. A view of Hill of Down, looking east towards Dublin. The down platform was once sited on the right but was demolished in the 1990s. In the background can be seen the Royal Canal. The former goods yard at Hill of Down, located at the east end of the station. A stump of a semaphore signal post is a reminder that the station remained a blockpost until the early 1980s.
An old style CIE warning sign with 'broken wheel' logo at Hill of Down Station. This was a number of produced signs to feature a mispelling in the Irish word 'Iarnrod'.