Skeaf

Skeaf is a small town land in west Co.Cork, through which the former Cork Bandon & South Coast Railway's branch line from Ballinascarthy to Timoleague and Courtmacsherry passed through. The original builders of the railway, Ballinascarthy & Timoleague Jct Railway, opened a small halt at Skeaf in December 1890. The halt consisted of just a single platform on the down side of the line, accessed from an adjacent overbridge. Regular passenger services on the branch ceased in 1947, but it remained in use for regular goods, sugar beet and excursion traffic until completely closure of the West Cork lines by CIE in March 1961. After closure the halt at Skeaf was covered over by the adjacent road, which was re-aligned away from the overbridge, the structure of which remains though filled in.
The site of Skeaf Halt, looking west north towards Ballinascarthy. Today no trace of the single platform remains, closed in March 1961. The former line ran alongside the Owenkeagh River, visible on the right. Skeaf Halt, looking south towards Timoleague and Courtmacsherry. The road here originally crossed the railway line via an overbridge, now disused and visible beyond the hedge. The filled in road overbridge at Skeaf, located at the south end of the station site. After closure in 1961, the cutting and station site was filled in to allow to adjacent road to be straightened. Today the only remains of Skeaf Halt are some redundant lineside fencing and wooden sleepers, seen here at the north end of the station site.
South of Skeaf the railway line to Timoleague and Courtmacsherry paralled the Argideen River, visible to the right at Inchy Bridge, site of a one time level crossing, the gate keepers house of which is located beyond the road. The corrugated iron gate keepers house at the former Inchy Bridge level crossing, located south of Skeaf. The house appears to be unoccupied. The trackbed on the southside of Inchy Bridge level crossing. The line to Timoleague was opened in December 1890, and was finally closed by CIE in March 1961.