DD Motoring: On The Road gets back ‘on track’

Our motoring columnist Brian McDaid finally runs out of steam and gets back on track – by taking the train!
“Mind The Gap”

Or motor column starts on a high stool in Madigan’s pub at Connolly Railway Station. I have just bought an over priced one-way economy class railway ticket at €38 that will take me only half the way home as far as Sligo Railway Station.

The guard gives three long blasts on his whistle and as our train pulls out of Connolly Station the Belfast train is pulling in. The Belfast train could have got me to with in 20 miles of home, eventually landing in Derry.

As we brush past the side of Croke Park, the home of all Ireland football. my mind flips back to 1992. That great year when Donegal put the county on the map by winning its first ever All Ireland Football Final, and to beat the Dubs too, it was something else. I was a young photojournalist covering the historic homecoming and was sent to Sligo, of all places to cover their arrival home. Nearly a quarter of a century down the line from that famous win and homecoming and here is me making the same journey by train and the burning question I am asking myself, what were the 1992 All Ireland Champions, Donegal doing on a train heading home?

Was it the case in them days if you were the winner of the All Ireland Final that the national transport service provider looked after your train lift home.! Maybe all the counties that won sam had a train service home, Did our team decide to “say nothing”, act natural and never to let on that they knew that big powerful diesel locomotive leaving Connolly Station in Dublin was going to run out of track long before it got Sam Maguire home to the Hills of Donegal in 1992? By the way it was Marley’s Coaches in 1992 and it was the bus company that Jim Mc Guinness’s father, also call Jim that started in Glenties that were the service providers in 2012.

“Round the South”

There is a reason for making this journey and it’s to look at the transport system to Donegal. As the train heads over the M50 motorway at Blancherstown we are soon out into the countryside. The catering trolley makes is way up the train, a Bewleys “Fair Trade Coffee” and an “Arrive Happy” sandwich comes to €7.

As we hear a call for Maynooth station I think of the times that Donegal folk had to make this journey “round the south” by road. Donegal is cut off from the rest of the Republic of Ireland and especially with the troubles in the north, when it wasn’t that safe to travel. If the borders come back into existence, the 300 miles return journey to Dublin. (depending on where you live) could end up 450 miles heading “Round the South”.

I have to say the train seem to me as the most comfortable way to travel, most of the passengers are enjoying a little afternoon nap, as the train progresses through the middle of Ireland.

We cross over the River Shannon through Dromod on the way into Carrick on Shannon. Of all the counties we have past through, Leitrim is by far the most picturesque. Leitrim has the smallest population for a county in Ireland. with 25,000 inhabitants, Longford is next with 31,000 and even if you add the population of Sligo at 58,000 them being the three counties put together that we passed through , They are still 23,000 inhabitants short of the population of Co. Donegal at 137,000.

Second Class Citizens

I know its the geography of Ireland that makes it impossible and far to expensive to continue this railway line into Donegal, but over the next few years Britain’s exit from Europe is indirectly putting Co. Donegal on the map. Donegal will have the biggest land border with Britain. Donegal should be looking past Dublin and Ireland that both of whom looked Donegal for years and look to Europe. for help in developing a decent transport system. Donegal peoples are used making do with what the have for a transport system over the years. Decisions are made in Dublin based on bums on seats. it the beancounters ever decided to used the service to Donegal for instance they would soon see the difference in what they think work in theory and what happens in practice.

In the meantime, Donegal should look to promote what it has developed out of necessity as an all inclusive group. Everyone in Donegal knows if you want to go to Galway, Feda O Donnell is your man, going to Dublin, John Mc Ginley is the way to go and heading to Belfast , Patrick Gallagher will sort that, All head from the west of Donegal seven days a week ,twelve months of the year. Our problem is well all know how to get out of the county , but its trying to get this information out to possible tourists heading in to Donegal.
In Letterkenny recently chatting to a taxi driver, he made the suggestion that the old Oatfield Sweet factory site would serve as a great private bus company bus station. Its location is ideal to get in and out of Letterkenny, Northwest Busways who look after Inishowen with in Donegal could also use it. These four companies stop at what is called “A Bus Set down Only” on the Ramelton Rd. Even it it was only done to test as a possible hub for transport in Donegal.

Meanwhile on the train. I am not sure if it’s always the case but there is a wait of just under a hour before the link up from the Dublin to Sligo train with the Galway to Derry Bus Eireann Express which is a nice break to get something to eat before the final leg of the journey.

Maybe this was not the day for me to be writing about the bus that we travelled on from Sligo to Letterkenny, as it was so rattily. It sounded as if something happened to the busses automatic gearbox system which seemed to hane some sort of a fault in it, and it seemed to be in a limp home mode. The Interior of this bus was showing signs of years of service. Considering that the return journey from Derry to Galway is around 350 miles, I don’t think that is is expectable to have a bus of this condition on a long hall route like this.
Donegal was bad enough cut off in the years of the troubles in the north, But now a new kind of trouble could be around the corner if borders are put back in place. people in the south of Donegal like Ballyshannon and Bundoran can go through Sligo to Dublin handy enough. If you take someone from Carndonagh or Malin who would be forced to go round the south would have the guts of 100 miles done before they even left Co. Donegal. It’s sad when you think of it, One of Donegal best features is our beached, most of them Blue Flag status haven’t a single bus service going to them, this is a nightmare for the Tourism sector, I have included some of the websites for bus services in Donegal anyone who travels on them and is happy with them should always promote them. especially online.

http://www.gallagherscoaches.com. http://busfeda.ie http://www.johnmcginley.com. http://www.foylecoaches.com/inishowen-letterkenny.htm . http://www.buseireann.ie http://www.irishrail.ie

No Circuit of Ireland next year!

It’s sad to hear that the Circuit of Ireland Rally will not run in 2017, Once a four day event running over the easter weekend, starting in the North on a Good Friday and heading in an anti-clockwise direction around Ireland over four days and nights. ending up back in the North on the bank holiday Monday. The reason for the cancellation was mostly due to lack of financial support. It is hoped that at some stage in the future that famous Circuit of Ireland rally will return to the rallying calendar

And finally, worst roads to test best cars

Many thanks for the folks at the Happy Camper which we featured recently in our column for sharing a picture of the latest in German technology. A soon to be released 5 series BMW was pictured at the Happy camper testing in the hilly roads of Donegal covered in camouflage to hide any new design lines of the soon to be released car. Originally someone thought this highly camouflaged car was Angela Merkel out in Donegal having a look at what is soon to become the most northwest point and the remotest part of the European Community.

Happy Motoring Folks

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