Rails Around Cork & Kerry: An Irish Railway Pictorial

The large adjacent counties of Cork and Kerry in the south west of Ireland arguably contain some of the most picturesque landscapes in the whole country. They share a rugged Atlantic coastline tempered by the warmth of the Gulf Stream and attract thousands of visitors every year. They also share a colourful railway history, which is examined in detail in the latest title in the successful "Irish Railway Pictorial" series. The first railway in the area was the Great Southern and Western's main line from Dublin, which opened to a station on the outskirts of Cork city in 1849. This was soon followed by Kerry's first railway, a branch off this line running from Mallow to Killarney, which opened in 1853 and was extended to Tralee in 1859. Throughout the 19th century the railway network in the two counties rapidly expanded and included some of the most scenic and the most interesting lines in Ireland. By the 1890s standard gauge lines served the north of County Kerry making a connection from Limerick to Tralee. Branches off the Mallow to Tralee line served Castle Island and Kenmare and in 1893 a line was completed to Valentia terminating at the most westerly station in the whole of Europe. In Cork, a network of lines were built to serve the west of the county which later amalgamated to form the Cork, Bandon and South Coast Railway whilst the short but doggedly independent Cork and Macroom Direct Railway continued on its own sweet way. In addition to the standard gauge lines, there were no fewer than five narrow gauge lines operating in these counties at one time ranging from the Cork, Blackrock and Passage, which ran suburban services into Cork city on the 3ft gauge, to the famous Tralee and Dingle line serving the Dingle Peninsula in Kerry and the almost indescribably bizarre Listowel and Ballybunion monorail, which has recently been partly revived to astonish twenty first century visitors just as completely as the original must have baffled the tourists of one hundred years ago. Author Michael Baker knows this part of Ireland intimately and he has brought together a remarkable collection of photos recounting the fascinating railway heritage of Cork and Kerry. Whilst the emphasis is on the post World War 2 era, this book does explore that which went before and includes coverage of the lines that fell by the wayside in the first half of the 20th century. "Rails around Cork and Kerry" is the latest in a best-selling series. It covers one of the most visited parts of Ireland and will sell well both to tourists and those who live in or know the area. From an enthusiast standpoint, the area included some of the most fascinating lines in the country, making this book of interest to railway enthusiasts across the British Isles.

About the Author :
Now retired after a career in teaching, Michael Baker lives in Wareham, Dorset. A prolific writer, particularly on London where he grew up, he is the author of a number of titles for Ian Allan Publishing and other companies. His most recent books for Ian Allan Publishing include London Transport in the 1950s and London Transport in the 1960s.