Special presentations on Railways of the North

A SPECIAL presentation on the impact of the Railways of the North West to be given by Caroline O’Hara and Martin Parke this week in Sion Mills.

Taking place at The Stables on Wednesday March 29 at 7.30pm the presentation will shine a light on the coming of the railway system to north west in the mid- 19th century and how it made a huge impact on business and the economy, but also in terms of social change.

It will also be heard how a major industrial operation like Herdman’s flax spinning mill at Sion Mills depended at first upon transport of produce by horse and cart to Derry and Belfast. Then, from 1855 with the opening of the railway, goods had simply to be wheeled a few yards to the railway line and taken in a matter of hours to various destinations as required.

Much sterling work has been done in recent decades by historians, railway preservation societies and museums in documenting the massive impact of railways on communities. It is also a subject which should be close to the hearts of many people in the Strabane and Foyle Valley region, not least because Strabane was once a major hub of the railway system.