My ancestors - Cashel - Contents

Mallow Banteer Newbridge Parsonstown (Birr) Thurles

Limerick Cork

Blennerhassett Cashel - Stations

Blennerhassett Cashel was based at many railway stations in his career in the Great Southern and Western Railway (GSWR).
At some of these he lived in the railway station building itself.
At others he lived in a separate building nearby.

• References:
  • The Great Southern and Western Railway by K.A. Murray and D.B. McNeill, Irish Railway Record Society (1976). [IRRS] RR. [NLI] Ir 385 m 10.
  • Cork City Railway Stations 1849-1985, Colm Creedon, 1985. [IRRS] RR.
  • Lost Railways of County Cork, Stephen Johnson, 2005.

An 1875-built GSWR Class 90 engine.
Here running at the Downpatrick and County Down Railway in 2007.
This is Ireland's oldest operational steam engine.
Search for other GSWR videos here and here.

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Mallow

Blennerhassett Cashel was a "railway clerk" at Mallow, NC Co.Cork, 1869 to 1872.
Mallow was a GSWR station at this time.
He lived in Mallow town, on Main St and later on New St (both some distance from the station).

Mallow station on 1887 to 1913 map.
See modern map and street view.

Mallow station.
Photo 1979 by James Yardley. From Geograph. Creative Commons.

Mallow railway station.
Photo 2007. From here. Used with permission.

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Banteer

Blennerhassett Cashel was station master at Banteer, NC Co.Cork, in 1873 to 1874.
Banteer was a GSWR station at this time.
He probably lived in the station.

Banteer station (red cross) on 1887 to 1913 map.
See modern map and street view.

Banteer train station, Co.Cork.
Photo 1985. From Geograph. Creative Commons.

Banteer train station, Co.Cork.
Photo 2006. See full size and original.
From Eiretrains. Used with permission.

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Newbridge

Blennerhassett Cashel was station master at Newbridge, Co.Kildare, 1875 to 1877.
Newbridge was a GSWR station at this time.
He lived in the station.
His children were born at Newbridge railway station in 1875 and 1877.

Newbridge station on 1887 to 1913 map.
See modern map and street view.

Newbridge Railway Station, c.1910.
See full size. From NLI.
It looks much the same today.

Newbridge train station, Co.Kildare.
Photo 2010 (NOT 2009). See full size and original.
From Eiretrains. Used with permission.

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Parsonstown (Birr)

Blennerhassett Cashel was station master at Parsonstown (now Birr), Co.Offaly, 1877 to 1878.
Parsonstown station (now closed) was a GSWR station at this time.
He may have lived at the station.
4 of his children died in 1878 when he was in Parsonstown.

Parsonstown station (red cross) on 1887 to 1913 map.
See modern map and street view.

Note also on the map above a house called "Railview Cottage", on Military Rd.
Wonder if this is the station master's house.
Blennerhassett Cashel is listed as living in "Seefin", the townland to the SE of Parsonstown town (see pre-railway map).
This would fit Railview Cottage better than the station.
Railview Cottage is clearly inside Seefin townland. While Parsonstown station seems to be just outside it, in Drumbane townland.

Parsonstown (Birr) railway station (now closed and converted into houses).
The old platform still exists. The tracks are now a garden.
Photo 2013. See full size and other shot.

Parsonstown (Birr) railway station.
See larger and full size.
Photo 2011. From Stephen Callaghan. Used with permission.

Parsonstown (Birr) railway station (now closed and converted into houses).
Photo 2013. See full size and other shot.

Railview Cottage, Birr, is now called "Sunnyside".
Wonder if this was the station master's house.
Photo 2013. See full size.
See street view.

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Thurles

Blennerhassett Cashel was station master at Thurles, Co.Tipperary, 1879 to 1880.
Thurles was a GSWR station at this time.
He lived at the station.
His children were born at Thurles railway station in 1879 and 1880.

Thurles station (red cross) on 1887 to 1913 map.
See modern map and street view.

Thurles train station, Co.Tipperary.
Photo 2013. See full size and other shot.

Thurles train station, Co.Tipperary.
Photo 2007 by Brian Shaw. From Geograph. Creative Commons.
See wider shot from here.
See more shots here and here.

Thurles train station, Co.Tipperary.
Photo 2011 by Fred Dean. Used with permission. See full size.
See also 2009 shot from Eiretrains. Used with permission.
See also 2011 shot from here. Used with permission.

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Limerick

Blennerhassett Cashel was station master (for GSWR only) at Limerick station from Feb 1881 to 1893.
Limerick station served multiple railway companies at this time.
Cork and Limerick Direct Railway was part of GSWR, and this was its Limerick end.
He was GSWR head at Limerick, but not the head of the whole station.
GSWR had lost the initial race to Limerick, and got in later.

Limerick station and Carey's Rd on 1887 to 1913 map.
Blennerhassett Cashel lived Railway Cottage, South Henry St, Limerick. Listed there in 1882.
South Henry St is the old name for the W part of Carey's Rd.
He is listed in [Ashe's Directory, 1891-92] as living Railway Cottage, Carey's Rd, Limerick (same place as previous).
[PAT/30] remembers it as "Railway House". "There was a long front garden and a long back garden with three ponds at the end of it."
This stretch of Carey's Rd has since been almost entirely cleared (see street view).

Limerick railway station in 1907.
From here.
See colorised and 3D animated version by Rob Cross.
See 1920s photo. From here.
See modern street view.

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Cork station

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• Rail transport in Ireland
  • History of rail transport in Ireland
  • Train stations in Ireland

• Eiretrains by Ciaran Cooney
  • Irish train stations

• Irish Railway Bibliography