Overland travel ca. 1900

[tucson mike]

My grandmother Mary Anne Stones emigrated to the U.S. in December 1899 at the age of 19, sailing from Cobh. The passenger list says her last residence in Ireland was "Ballinderry." The Ballinderry (Baile an Doire) in question is a townland in Co. Westmeath, where her mother's relatives the Maguires are to be found in the 1901 census. It's just northeast of Moate.

How might she have traveled from Moate to Cobh, in 1899? There was no rail route I can find, not even via Dublin. The distance from Moate to Cobh is roughly 240km (150 miles). Google estimates it would take 43 hours of walking; presumably she didn't walk. But she was a farmer's daughter of limited means. What options were available to her?

Charles Bianconi http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Bianconi  had established horse-drawn carriage services by this time. There might have been routes from say Athlone to Limerick, and Limerick to Cobh. But I don't know what the routes were, or whether a farm girl could pay the fare. She traveled alone as far as I know. 

I'd appreciate hearing of any sources shedding light on overland travel around 1900. Thanks. 

[athacliath62]

I wouldn't discount rail as an option. there would have been stations in Co. Westmeath in Athone and Mulligar at least and probably several other smaller stations. Any of these could have got her to Dublin, and from there on to Cork and Queenstown.

[aghadowey]

There were rail routes available in 1900 from Athlone to Cork- and getting to Athlone wouldn't have been that difficult by cart:

One possiblity- Athlone > Galway > Limerick > Limerick Junction > Cork
Or- Athlone > Portarlington > Ballybrophy > Limerick Junction > Cork

There might have been other choices and trains would have been more frequent.

See here for a 1902 map but there are lots of other old rail maps online.

[athacliath62]

according to that map posted in the previous reply there was a railway station in Moate, so does not sound like much of a walk

[tucson mike]

Aghadowey and Athacliath62: Thanks for your prompt replies. I seem to have overlooked the GS & WR. Thanks for putting me on the right track! 

[Elwyn Soutter]

I have relatives who went from Fermanagh to Cobh to join a liner to the USA in 1910 and they went by rail, with about 3 changes of train. They were still talking about it 50 years later, which is why I know about it.

I would say that it was almost certain that your ancestors went by train too. According to the 1922 Bradshaws timetable, you could leave Moate at 0955 and be at Dublin’s Broadstone station at 12.00. You would then transfer to Kingsbridge station (now renamed Heuston) and catch a train at 16.45 which would have you at Cork at 21.15, where you would change again and arrive at Cobh at 22.20. It was probably much the same in 1899.

[athacliath62]

@Elwyn do you know if there's a Bradshaws online somewhere ?

always wanted to get a look at one of those.

[Elwyn Soutter]

No I have never seen it on line. I think it might be a bit esoteric. My copy was published in 1985 by David & Charles (1200 pages). I doubt it’s still in print. You might possibly be able to order it into your local library.

If you want any information from it, by all means send me a pm.

[athacliath62]

thanks for replying, will check if they have any at Pearse St or the National Libray

I saw some of the BBC program that politician guy did using a copy of one of these, never thought to check if Ireland was included in these

edit - a little earlier than the dates on this topic, but if anybody is interested there a Bradshaws for 1855 with timetables etc on google

http://books.google.ie/books?id=6R8pAAAAYAAJ&dq=Bradshaw's%20Railway%20Guide%2C%20and%20Official%20Directory&pg=PA130#v=onepage&q=dublin&f=false