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The Railway and the Fishing Industry With the growth of the fishing industry in Ardglass and with the newly arrived train service from Downpatrick to Belfast, the market for quickly delivered fish to Dublin, England and further afield opened up. Regularly over 60 carts made the two hour journey from Ardglass to Downpatrick for the 4 o'clock train. Boats arriving later in the day would have to wait the following day to get fish to Downpatrick, so a rail link to Ardglass made economic sense In 1890, a Public Inquiry was held on constructing a line of railway under the LightRailway (Ireland) Act 1889, connecting the town of Ardglass to Downpatrick. Later it was decided to build a railway from Downpatrick to Ardglass which was agreed at 7 miles and half a furlong to where Ardglass station was to be built. |
Fish being collected at Ardglass Station |
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A train at the pier
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In 1892 the Belfast and County Down Railway had arrived in Ardglass and soon a branch line was built to the Ardglass pier. The train was slow and a man carrying a red flag had to walk in front of the train to warn of its approach. The train to the harbour only lasted two years and proved to be uneconomical after it was found that the young men in their horse driven carts could transport the fish from the pier quicker that the slow cumbersome train. The Ardglass railway became a great catalyst for the economic revival of the village, not only did Ardglass Herring end up on peoples plates all over the world, people from all over Ireland came to visit Ardglass, to walk along the Downs (now Ardglass Golf course) and also to sample the healing properties of the local baths, (Bath Street) |
The Ardglass railway went through Killough, Bright, Ballynoe and then into Downpatrick. Local people used the service to get to work in Downpatick and further afield to Belfast. The railway was a big part of the village and in its heyday the Green Heights Pub was originally called the Railway Tavern and had lodgings for visitors passing through. As roads became upgraded and transport by lorry and car became more affordable, the writing was on the wall for the Ardglass Railway Station. Soon the Station Master and the porters jobs would come to an end. The last train to come out of Ardglass was in January 1950, a day of saddness for many in the village | Joe Clarke, porter, with a goose
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