Sligo Mac Diarmada railway station

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Sligo railway station, also known as MacDiarmada station (Irish: Stáisiún Mhic Dhiarmada), is a mainline railway station which serves the town of Sligo in County Sligo, Ireland. It is a terminal station which now has two platforms and an intermediate carriage siding. The railway at the station is elevated above the surrounding streets and the station building dominates its surrounds. There is a passing loop at the approach to the station. It is named after Irish patriot Seán Mac Diarmada. Iarnród Éireann, Ireland's national railway operator, runs inter-city rail services between Sligo and Dublin on the Dublin-Sligo railway line.

Sligo Mac Diarmada

Stáisiún Mhic Dhiarmada, Sligeach
Iarnród Éireann
Sligo station, 1948
General information
LocationKnappagh Road, Sligo, County Sligo, F91 K752
Ireland
Coordinates54°16′19″N 8°28′52″W / 54.272°N 8.481°W / 54.272; -8.481
Owned byIarnród Éireann
Operated byIarnród Éireann
Platforms2
Bus routes17
Bus operators
Connections
  • 23
  • 64
  • 458
  • 462
  • 469
  • 470
  • 471
  • 479
  • 480
  • 483
  • 563
  • 566
  • 572
  • 977
  • 981
  • 982
  • S2
Construction
Structure typeAt-grade
Other information
Station codeSLIGO
Fare zoneR
Key dates
1862Station opened
1966Renamed as Mac Diarmada Station
Location
Map

History

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The station opened on 3 December 1862, when the Midland Great Western Railway extended their Longford branch to Sligo, adding rail links to the town from Dublin. The Sligo, Leitrim and Northern Counties Railway linked to Enniskillen to the north in 1881 and the Waterford and Limerick Railway (later the Great Southern and Western Railway) followed with a link to Limerick and the south in 1895. The line to Enniskillen closed in 1957 and passenger services to Limerick closed in 1963.

The station building was burned down and destroyed on 11 January 1923 during the Irish Civil War. Seven engines were sent down the line to the quay and one crashed through a concrete wall into the harbour.[1]

The station formerly had two intermediate carriage sidings rather than one. The southern platform was previously shorter and included a small bay platform. There was a depot previously to the south of the line to the east of the station, the building is now demolished. The turntable was used for turning steam locomotives and later proved useful for turning 121 Class single cabbed diesel locomotives.[citation needed]

Naming

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In 1966, Sligo railway station was renamed Mac Diarmada Station after Irish rebel Seán Mac Diarmada from County Leitrim.[2]

Freight terminal

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There is a line to the mothballed freight terminal which curves off to the north and downward just before the station. The facility includes a large crane for handling containers.

Connections

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Sligo bus station is at street level adjacent to south side of the station.

Preceding station   Iarnród Éireann Following station
Collooney   InterCity
Dublin-Sligo
  Terminus
  Proposed  
Collooney   InterCity
Limerick-Sligo
  Terminus
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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Sligo station the scene of Civil War attack". The Sligo Champion. 27 November 2012. Archived from the original on 15 October 2017. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
  2. ^ Gilligan, James (19 December 2006). "Restore name to Sligo rail station". Sligo Weekender. Sligo Weekender Ltd. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 3 July 2007.
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