Galway (Ceannt) railway station (''Ceannt Station'' / ''Stáisiún Cheannt'') serves the city of

Galway Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a City status in Ireland, city in the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lo ...

County Galway "Righteousness and Justice" , anthem = () , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Galway.svg , map_caption = Location in Ireland , area_footnotes = , area_total_km2 = ...

. The station itself is located in the centre of the city in

Eyre Square Eyre Square (; ga, An Fhaiche Mhór, also known as John F. Kennedy Memorial Park) is a city public park in Galway, Ireland. The park is within the city centre, adjoining the nearby shopping area of William Street and Shop Street. Galway rail ...

. It is the terminus station for the

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

to Galway intercity service and the

Limerick Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...

to Galway and

Athenry Athenry (; ) is a town in County Galway, Ireland, which lies east of Galway city. Some of the attractions of the medieval town are its town wall, Athenry Castle, its priory and its 13th century street-plan. The town is also well known by virt ...

to Galway commuter services.

Description

There are two platforms at Galway Ceannt; Platform 1 and Platform 2. Platform 2 can only be reached via Platform 1. Platform 1 is used for terminating/departing trains to Dublin Heuston while Platform 2 (a much shorter platform) is used for departing Limerick services. The services which are provided at the station include ticket machines, a booking office, heated waiting rooms, toilets, a café (

Starbucks Starbucks Corporation is an American multinational chain of coffeehouses and roastery reserves headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It is the world's largest coffeehouse chain. As of November 2021, the company had 33,833 stores in 80 c ...

), vending machines, and a telephone box. The station also serves as the

Bus Éireann Bus Éireann (; "Irish Bus") is a state-owned bus and coach operator providing services throughout Ireland, with the exception of Dublin and the Greater Dublin Area, where bus services are provided by sister company Dublin Bus. It is a subsidia ...

depot for Galway City.

History

The station opened on 1 August 1851. This made Galway the western terminus of the

Midland Great Western Railway The Midland Great Western Railway (MGWR) was the third largest Irish gauge () railway company in Ireland. It was incorporated in 1845 and absorbed into the Great Southern Railways in 1924. At its peak the MGWR had a network of , making it Irela ...

giving the city a direct main line to its

Broadstone Station Broadstone railway station ( ga, Stáisiún An Clocháin Leathan) was the Dublin terminus of the Midland Great Western Railway (MGWR), located in the Dublin suburb of Broadstone. The site also contained the MGWR railway works and a steam ...

terminus Terminus may refer to: * Bus terminus, a bus station serving as an end destination * Terminal train station or terminus, a railway station serving as an end destination Geography *Terminus, the unofficial original name of Atlanta, Georgia, United ...

in Dublin. As the 19th century progressed the rail network in

Connacht Connacht ( ; ga, Connachta or ), is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, Conmhaícne, and Delbhn ...

was expanded, making Galway an important

railhead In the UK, railheading refers to the practice of travelling further than necessary to reach a rail service, typically by car. The phenomenon is common among commuters seeking a more convenient journey. Reasons for railheading include, but are ...

. The nearby town of

became a railway junction, giving Galway links to

Ennis Ennis () is the county town of County Clare, in the mid-west of Ireland. The town lies on the River Fergus, north of where the river widens and enters the Shannon Estuary. Ennis is the largest town in County Clare, with a population of 25,27 ...

and the south in 1869 and

Sligo Sligo ( ; ga, Sligeach , meaning 'abounding in shells') is a coastal seaport and the county town of County Sligo, Ireland, within the western province of Connacht. With a population of approximately 20,000 in 2016, it is the List of urban areas ...

and the north in 1894. In 1895 the MGW opened an extension between

and

Clifden Clifden (, meaning "stepping stones") is a coastal town in County Galway, Ireland, in the region of Connemara, located on the Owenglin River where it flows into Clifden Bay. As the largest town in the region, it is often referred to as "the Cap ...

. The 20th century brought increasing road competition, and this led the

Great Southern Railways The Great Southern Railways Company (often Great Southern Railways, or GSR) was an Irish company that from 1925 until 1945 owned and operated all railways that lay wholly within the Irish Free State (the present-day Republic of Ireland). The p ...

to close the

extension in 1935. In the 1970s the state railway authority Córas Iompair Éireann closed the

-Athenry-Ennis line to passenger services. It later closed to freight as well. It was given the name Ceannt on 10 April 1966 in commemoration of

Éamonn Ceannt Éamonn Ceannt (21 September 1881 – 8 May 1916), born Edward Thomas Kent, was an Irish republican, mostly known for his role in the Easter Rising of 1916. Background Ceannt was born in the little village of Ballymoe, overlooking the River S ...

, one of the executed leaders of the Easter Rising of 1916.

Developments

In 2007, CIÉ proposed a series of updates to the station as part of a projected new urban quarter development in the area. This proposed development, referred to as the "Ceannt Station Quarter", was projected to cost €1 billion and include the development of offices and a hotel as well as "four rail platforms, 24 bus bays, 500 car spaces, dedicated taxi drop off and collect facilities, and 300 cycle spaces" at the station. This CIÉ project had been "abandoned" by 2012. In 2013, 1 million euros was reportedly allocated on a "bus/rail/taxi interchange at the station, with widened footpaths, 'properly designed' bus bays, and revised taxi arrangements". In addition, approximately €100,000 was allocated for design work on an "interchange area for bus and rail passengers .a seated waiting area, retail units, vending area and a new office for bus inspectors". By 2014, an additional €600,000 was allocated for further work on the interchange area, and a related planning application was submitted to

Galway City Council Galway City Council ( ga, Comhairle Cathrach na Gaillimhe) is the authority responsible for local government in the city of Galway, Ireland. As a city council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for hou ...

. In early 2020, it was reported that a planning application, overlapping somewhat with the earlier "Ceannt Station Quarter" proposal, was due to be lodged with the city council by development company Edward Holdings. This proposed development project, titled "Augustine Hill", would cover an eight-acre site around Ceannt Station "if planning permission is granted". While planning was conditionally approved, in 2021 the developer appealed the removal of several buildings (and the reduction in height of others) from a "scaled-back version" of the Augustine Hill proposal.

References

External links

Irish Rail Galway (Ceannt) Station Website
(archived 2013)
Galway Transport Information Portal. Includes information on buses serving Ceannt Station
{{Galway Buildings and structures in Galway (city) Iarnród Éireann stations in County Galway Railway stations in County Galway Railway stations opened in 1851 Transport in Galway (city) 1851 establishments in Ireland Railway stations in Ireland opened in 1851

Description

History

Developments

See also

References

External links