jamespo’dea

"Excellently preserved" with pics at eiretrains

Streetview does not get close.

Spelled Ballywillin on the 25". Not on the Sligo line, it is on the 1856 Inny Junction to Cavan line. Eiretrains linked above says The line lost its passenger service in 1947 but regular goods services survived until 1960, which is when O'Dea visited. The line was single track for the most part, but the 25" shows multiple tracks at the station platforms/goods shed.

Flickr is sometimes amazing! In 2013 via 2c.., who includes this: "Local Lore holds that Micheal Collins the famous Irish patriot stole through this station countless times to meet his nearby love, while conducting the “little war” with his invisible army. Collins was reputed to be a regular visitor, albeit in secret to Ballwillan to visit his love in nearby Granard. ..." Confirmation required !

Logainm says the name is from Béal Átha an Mhuilinn, Mill ford. There is a Corn Mill at the NE of the townland on the 6" and 25" map, gone today.

A fishery patrol vessel at the time of this photo: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Malcolm_(F88)

8 September 1960 was a Thursday ...

Flickr is sometimes amazing! In Norway via Steve Knight Hello sailors! Via Sean O'Hagan (on the left)

All changed, changed utterly in Streetview

"... The British Navy fishery protection vessel Malcolm (1,500 tons) fla[g]ship of the R.N. Protection Squadron commanded by Captain H.H. Bracken arrived for a five day visit in Dublin Linc[o]ln and Nolan of Dublin supplied two Austin cars for the use of the officers during their stay and handed over the keys to the navy men on arrival. ..." See - irishphotoarchive.photoshelter.com/image/I0000CCQz1qIjM5g

By 1981 the roof was in disrepair


(Sligo Champion - Friday 30 October 1981)

Is this what's left of it? Streetview PS I think the old station house is a bit further than the building on the left, better seen in this streetview from a viewpoint slightly to the right, with a vestige of the platform still visible.

That is some change over the years.

MIND THE GAP! Miss J B Dodwell, a nurse, had a nasty accident at the station in 1904

When leaving it [the train] at Balysodare she found (it is alleged) that the platform was lower than the floor of the carriage, and that there was a large space between carriage and platform. While trying to reach the latter she slipped and fell between it and the carriage. She had a narrow escape. "Fortunately the train was not in motion," said her counsel, but she was very much injured, and had to be taken on to Enniskillen.

Miss Dodwell was off work for a month and was awarded £150* damages at Derry City Assizes. (Irish Independent - Thursday 23 March 1905) *£14,000 - £24,000 depending on which inflation calculator you use.

From eiretrains: Ballysadare, Co.Sligo, is located on the Midland Great Western Railway's Dublin to Sligo line, and is the last station before Sligo itself. The station opened with the line in 1862, but closed to passengers in 1963 and to goods in 1975. The station had two platforms, but the up platform and signal cabin have been demolished since the track upgrading. The derelict station buildings and goods shed are on the down side. Until the late 1950s, Ballysadare Station was shared between CIE and the Sligo Leitrim and Northern Counties Railway, who operated trains to and from Sligo and Enniskillen. The line from Ballysadare to Sligo was worked as double track until 1959 when the SLNCR line closed, and was lifted soon after. At the north end of the station there as a long siding which diverged through a short rocky cutting into Ballysadare Flour Mill, but was lifted in the late 1960s.