Irish Railway Archives

[annieoburns]

I managed to make a visit to the archive this past week.  There is a huge public carpark at the back of the station ( along the river side) and the archive is located in an old redbrick building right opposite the entrance to this carpark so very easy to find!  I arrived c 7 30 and people were about and the archivist was summonsed to come to help me.  A few large index books were consulted where names were in alphabetical order with reference numbers which I suppose led to other records.

I was interested in three people but was unlucky as nothing could be found.  The records are poor for prior to 1927 and also poor for the two lines I asked out, one being the Midlands and the other the South East.  Also two of my subjects were engineer/fitters etc rather than train drivers etc and records for these personnel were not kept.

[kooky]

Do these archives cover all of Ireland, or just the republic?
Also, my gt gr father was a clerk, would he be there in the records?
He left Ireland for Glasgow in 1874. Are there any records for Co. Armagh in the 1870s?
Kooky

[agho]

That sounds very disappointing annieoburns.
My greatgrandfather was a station master in East Cork from 1901 - 1924 so sounds like there might be no record for him. I can't find him on the 1901 census & was putting my hopes in the archives to show where he was 
I still think I might make the trip though just to be sure. The problem is trying to fit in a trip to Dublin for a Tuesday evening between 7 & 10.
My only other hope is that he shows up on the census when it comes online

[mindfulroz]

Hi
I've followed this thread with interest, but not much hope! I have found it hard to find out what kinds of records they have & what time span is covered.
My gx2 grandfather Pockridge Dancy/ Dancey was apparently a "railway official" with the GS &W railway (I think in Dublin) some time after he retired as a head constable around 1860 & his death in 1880.

Two of his sons  - Richard Arthur Dancy/Dancey & John Dancy/Dancey also worked for the same railway co in 1870's onwards (again in Dublin) & both Richard & John lived in Inchicore Kilmainham. I believe Richard may have been involved in catering. Also a grandson of Pockridge's, Robert Pockridge Dancy/Dancey worked for the company in the earlyish 20th century.

How would I find out if there were records relating to these ancestor's employment? If any records might exist, is there anyone who maight be able to do a look up (I'm UK based & don't have other reasons to visit Dublin!)
many thanks
Roz

[ourgang]

Agho,
I just came across this post. I suppose by now you have found your Grandfather. Throughout the C.I.E system there are some records remaining in old files. Stationmaster were often housed in station houses and some records exist for various houses.
Contact The Secretary, C.I.E., Heuston Station, Dublin 8 (there would be a fee)
Mindfulroz,
The Irish Railway Record Society is run by a group of railway enthusiasts whose prime aim is to record the happenings on Irish Railways. They do have some old staff records but they do not have anything like a data base or computerised records etc - just some very helpful members who meet from September onwards.

[ourgang]

Mindfulroz,

Since I posted the last reply I found details of the Dancy family on Irish Genealogy and your other post on the Dublin Forum about Elizabeth Dancey. Two of those address, South Square and Georges Villas were probably railway houses built for workers in the Inchicore works. The Greoges Villas houses were larger and for "bosses". Again there may be details on the house files or old tenancy agreements and the Secretary at C.I.E, Heuston Station, Dublin8 should be able to advise or C.I.E Property, Oriel Street, Dublin 1(there may be a fee).

[mindfulroz]

Hi
thanks for the suggestion about houses & property. I'll chase them up
Roz

[annieoburns]

I had no luck writing to the record society, even a stamped envelope

For Dubliners there is

Tuesday 14th August - The Records of the Irish Railway Records Society by Norman E.

Venu : Dun Laoire and Genealogical society of Ireland monthly open meeting

[Elwyn Soutter]

I had no luck writing to the record society, even a stamped envelope

I got a reply to an e-mail enquiry. The contact details are on this link:

http://www.irrs.ie/Common%20Files/archive.htm