Sligo-Ballisodare (station now closed)-Collooney ( SLNCR line begins) Ballygawley -Ballintogher-Dromahair-Lisgorman halt-Manorhamilton (Works)-Kilmakerril halt-Glenfarne-Belcoo & Blacklion-Abohill halt-Florencecourt-Mullaghy halt-Enniskillen (GNR & company offices)
Now ..and then
OS Maps 16,17,25,26,27
You may wish to visit Sligo station, as you will probably be in the town at some point. The main line to Dublin carried the SLNCR trains as far as Collooney, and that stretch is still in use - although it has been under threat too and Ballisodare station has recently been closed. MacDiarmada station is a grand structure, situated on a height above the town. There are only 3 or 4 departures a day but it is possible to traverse the line to Collooney by train. It's a stretch of line that's full of interest; the mountains Knocknarea and Benbulben, the sea inlet at Ballisadare bay, the many crossings of the Dublin Road, and the abandoned station at Ballisadare.
The SLNCR left the main line just before Collooney at Carrignagat junction. The village of Collooney, population of less than a thousand, had for the first half of this century three railway stations, with a third on the Claremorris line.
Carrignagat was the scene of a skirmish in 1798 and a victory for General Humbert's Irish-French army.
(notes ..)up the Bonnet valley from Dromahair, (along avenue of beeches?) closely following the river and the road, through the mountains between Manorhamilton and Blacklion, along the north shore of lower Lough Macnean looking across to Cuilcagh mountain, across flatlands north of Florencecourt over the iron bridge over the Erne, past woods on the edge of the Castlecoole estate bridge over the Tempo road and into Enniskillen station.
