The Green and Red of Mayo (and a shocking true story!)
I was going to use this decaying railroad bridge in Wesport, Co. Mayo as a counterpoint to the popular song referenced in the title...until I did more research on the rail line, opened in 1894....
Taken from the website "Westontrack.com" about the spur line from Westport to Achill Island:
How useful it would be for the droves of seasonal labourers who made the annual trek from Achill to Scotland or England to have the train to bring them directly to Westport instead of having to go by boat in order to board the ship for Glasgow. Little notice was given to the dire predictions of the old people that the first train to Achill would bring a cargo of bodies, as would the last.
The year the railroad was due to be completed, the seasonal labourers prepared as usual for their trip to Scotland. There was disappointment that the first train would not be running for another week but they could not afford to wait. They would have to go, as always, by boat to Westport.
More than one hundred men and women left the island by boat en route to Westport. All went well until they approached Westport Quay. The Glasgow ship was waiting offshore for a tide to bring her in and as one of the Achill boats passed, most of those aboard rushed to that side to get a look at the big ship. Unfortunately, a sudden gust of wind blew up and sent the sail flying to the same side as where the crowd was standing. The combined weight of the sail and the people quickly turned the boat on its side.
Thirty-four people perished but all the bodies were recovered. They were taken ashore at Westport and placed in coffins prior to being brought back to Achill.
It was then decided that the best way to bring home the remains would be to complete the remaining short piece of the railway and to take them by train. This was done and the train brought them home, the first cargo brought by train to Achill, and proof enough to the islanders that there was more to the prophecy than superstition.
The years passed and the trains came and went from Achill to Westport with the rail company doing great business for many years. But times changed and in 1937 it was decided that the railway would have to close.
Calamitous news reached Achill in September of that year. Ten young islanders had been burnt to ashes in Scotland, when they were trapped in a fire in the house where they had been staying. Their remains were brought home and a special train brought them from Dublin to Achill, the last special train ever to serve the island. Not surprisingly, many local people now remarked that the prophecy should have been heeded, as it had been clearly shown to be true, and not the word of some witless old hag.
The Green and Red of Mayo (and a shocking true story!)
I was going to use this decaying railroad bridge in Wesport, Co. Mayo as a counterpoint to the popular song referenced in the title...until I did more research on the rail line, opened in 1894....
Taken from the website "Westontrack.com" about the spur line from Westport to Achill Island:
How useful it would be for the droves of seasonal labourers who made the annual trek from Achill to Scotland or England to have the train to bring them directly to Westport instead of having to go by boat in order to board the ship for Glasgow. Little notice was given to the dire predictions of the old people that the first train to Achill would bring a cargo of bodies, as would the last.
The year the railroad was due to be completed, the seasonal labourers prepared as usual for their trip to Scotland. There was disappointment that the first train would not be running for another week but they could not afford to wait. They would have to go, as always, by boat to Westport.
More than one hundred men and women left the island by boat en route to Westport. All went well until they approached Westport Quay. The Glasgow ship was waiting offshore for a tide to bring her in and as one of the Achill boats passed, most of those aboard rushed to that side to get a look at the big ship. Unfortunately, a sudden gust of wind blew up and sent the sail flying to the same side as where the crowd was standing. The combined weight of the sail and the people quickly turned the boat on its side.
Thirty-four people perished but all the bodies were recovered. They were taken ashore at Westport and placed in coffins prior to being brought back to Achill.
It was then decided that the best way to bring home the remains would be to complete the remaining short piece of the railway and to take them by train. This was done and the train brought them home, the first cargo brought by train to Achill, and proof enough to the islanders that there was more to the prophecy than superstition.
The years passed and the trains came and went from Achill to Westport with the rail company doing great business for many years. But times changed and in 1937 it was decided that the railway would have to close.
Calamitous news reached Achill in September of that year. Ten young islanders had been burnt to ashes in Scotland, when they were trapped in a fire in the house where they had been staying. Their remains were brought home and a special train brought them from Dublin to Achill, the last special train ever to serve the island. Not surprisingly, many local people now remarked that the prophecy should have been heeded, as it had been clearly shown to be true, and not the word of some witless old hag.