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IN TIME OF CIVIL WAR - The conflict on the Irish railways 1922 - 23

Bernard Share

The Collins Press, West Link Park, Doughcloyne, Wilton, Cork.

ISBN 1 905172 11 7; €25.00

In time of Civil War is a chronological record of significant events that beset the railways of Ireland during the Civil War that followed the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. The period covered by the book is April 1922 to May 1923.

The range of photographs in the book is impressive, covering both rolling stock and infrastructure (a significant amount of damage was done to the railway network in this period) and most have never been published before.

A significant number of the incidents refer to kidnappings of railway managers who were then coerced into reinstating previously sacked employees. Other incidents involved the hijacking of trains and running these away along the railway into stations.

Details are also given of the Railway Protection, Repair & Maintenance Corps setup to protect and repair the damaged railway.

A few errors/omissions I came across are:

Proofreading error on Page 8 ("Fermoy" had been inserted into the word "industries" thus: "iFermoyndustries").

P27 "The railway bridge between Ballymena and Ballymoney is blown up". Which one?

P67 "evidence of its (Southern Railway) physical existence now almost entirely obliterated" this is not so, much of the features remain, including the station at Horse & Jockey beside the N7.

P76 Drumcondra was opened by the GS&WR, not the MGWR, the MGWR & GS&WR converged at Glasnevin Junction, not Liffey Junction.

Having said this, the overall publication is very good and gives an insight into a period of Ireland's railway history not previously detailed in print.