Ballyhaunis Railway Station celebrates its 150th anniversary

Ballyhaunis railway station continues to serve the people of Mayo, and parts of Roscommon and Galway, with a vital rail link to Dublin and towns and cities along the line such as Roscommon, Athlone and Tullamore.

The Westport/Ballina train serves Ballyhaunis three times daily on its Dublin service, which is of huge importance to the local community and the commercial life of not just Ballyhaunis, but nearby towns.

Good times and bad have all been played out on the platform at Ballyhaunis train station like the sad farewells that were a daily occurence at many other rail links throughout Ireland as loved ones left for far off shores in search of work.

The devastation of emigration throughout the 20th century made the railway station a sad place in the lives of many - and the economic boom of  more recent years gave Ballyhaunis station a new lease of life as it brought visitors and business to the town.

One of the low points in its history of Ballyhaunis Railway Station came on November 3 1975 when the last goods train left the train station.

As we move towards alternative and sustainable travel, Ballyhaunis Railway Station can look forward to a bright future and hppefully another 150 years - and an even more important role in the lives of the travelling public of East Mayo.