A NEW Bandon Railway Heritage Trail was launched this week to coincide with the 65th anniversary of the closure of the West Cork railway on March 31st 1961.

The Bandon Tidy Towns launch took place outside the offices of Cork County Council where one of the panels is located and former railway work Ray Good, who worked on the railway in its final years also attended the unveiling.

The 6km  12km out and back – trail largely follows the route of the old railway and consists of six interpretive panels which connect the Clare O’Leary Walk, Bandon Town Centre and Bernard’s Bridge Walk.

Speaking to The Southern Star, Dave Pasley, secretary of Bandon Tidy Towns said that the panels were researched and written by volunteers from the group.

‘They provide a brief history of different aspects of the railway, from the five train stations which once existed in our town to the dedicated distillery and brewery lines,’ he said.

‘Combined, the panels feature 24 carefully selected historic photographs of the railway kindly sponsored by the Irish Railway Record Society and other archives, and animated some of our town’s historic buildings and features.’

He added that each panel is written to stand alone, meaning people who can’t manage the full route in one go, can still enjoy each one individually.

‘The project adds a layer of interest onto the significant Bandon TPREP (Transport Public Realm Enhancement Project) and greenway investments our town has received over the past few years. The project was funded through Cork County Council’s Community Fund and had assistance from local County Council staff for installation.’

The signage outlining a brief history of the route.

He said that it represents the extraordinary value for money that can be achieved through small investments in Tidy Town groups and local communities.

‘This walking route also takes in some of our previous projects including the four Bandon Cloak sculptures on the Glasslyn Road, the Bandon Tank Locomotive and Coach sculpture on the Bernard’s Bridge Walk as well as the many flower beds which we have developed and maintained over the years and natured-based projects delivered by our partners in Bandon Environmental Action Group (BEAG).’

The sculpture captures the form of the Bandon Tank (a locomotive originally designed to work on the Bandon Railway) and a passenger coach. The tree was sculpted by Artist Nathan Solomon and funded under Cork County Council’s Community Fund.

The new walking trail is one of a series of walking routes that the group is developing to promote active travel, health and well-being and tourism in Bandon. They also have other projects on the way including biodiversity enhancements, picnic areas and public art works.

‘The delivery of these projects is dependent on continued volunteering and involvement from our whole community. We welcome new volunteers. The Tidy Towns initiative has evolved far beyond litter picking and planting and we have a constant pipeline of projects.’

For more details email [email protected] or see Facebook or Instagram.

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