Innishannon

Innishannon, Co.Cork, was a former station on the Cork Bandon & South Coast Railway's main line from Cork to Bantry. Originally opened by the Cork and Bandon Railway in August 1849, it was also known as 'Innishannon Road', due to its location on the main road west of Innishannon village (now the N71). The station had one platform and a single storey station building. The station, located just east of the Innishannon Viaduct which crossed the Bandon River, was an early casualty, closing in March 1893 by the CBSCR. The West Cork line's themselves were closed by CIE in March 1961. Little remains of Innishannon Station today, the trackbed having been converted into a walkway between here and Bandon. The bridge abutments of the nearby viaduct remain, and just further east is Kilpatrick Tunnel, 133 yards long and the first railway tunnel constructed in Ireland.
This is the site of the former station at Innishannon, located just south of the River Bandon on the Cork and Bandon Railway. The trackbed along here is now a public walkway. This view is looking east towards Cork. A view looking west towards Bantry from roughly the site of Innishannon Station. The former railway line along here is carried on a stone and earth embankment above the N71 road visible below. The River Bandon is out of view behind the trees. There are few traces of the station at Innishannon, which was opened first by the Cork & Bandon Railway in August 1849. The staton was closed in March 1891, long before the railway itself was closed in March 1961. In this view are the remains of a stone built retaining wall and possibly a platform, located on the down side of the line. At the northern end of Innishannon Station the railway line crossed the N71 road running between Innishannon village and Bandon. Today only the stone abutment on the southern side of the bridge site remain, seen here on the left.
The stone abutment belonging to the one time rail overbridge near the site of Innishannon Station. The N71 road originally zig-zagged beneath the railway, but after closure in 1961 the road was widened and the curve eased. This is where the railway crossed the N71 road at Innishannon. Following closure the bridge and the railway embankment on the northern side was removed to allow the road to be widened and the zig-zag bend to be abolished. Just east of the station site of Innishannon is the former Innishannon Viaduct. The viaduct and the nearby 113 yard long Kilpatrick tunnel was completed in 1849. The huge stone abutments of the viaduct remain, partially overgrown as seen from the western side of the river bank. A little more elevated view of the stone built abutment located on the eastern side of the Bandon River at the former Innishannon Viaduct. The metal bridge section spanning the river has long since been removed.
This is the bridge abutment located on the western side of the River Bandon at Innishannon. The Cork to Bandon Railway was characterised by heavy engineering such as this, and featured the first railway tunnel in Ireland at Kilpatrick.