Railtour Recap: The Eyre Lee Bird Railtour

Táilte Tours' 2025 season kicked off on Saturday 5th April, with the operation of our "Eyre Lee Bird" railtour from Cork to Galway. Early was apt, as our team arrived at Cork station in the early light. Once the 07:30 service to Cobh had departed our tour set was shunted into the bay platform 3, consisting of 2600 diesel railcar set Nos.2610+2613+2601+2602. The latter two cars were of course the celebrity "Arrow" set, which had been painted back into their original black and orange colours to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the class last year. This was our second diesel railtour from Cork, with 2023's "Suir Lee Knot" outing to Waterford using a 2600 class set proving to be very popular with the locals (128 passengers travelled). There has been no waning in popularity since, with over 180s booking to travel on this excursion, which we had planning for a long time as a 'sequel' to our first railtour from Cork.

The Eyre Lee Bird rises, 2610 is captured in the early morning sun in Cork's platform 3.

Our railtour departs Cork

With the stock loaded and passengers seated, with departed on time at 08:45. Of course, the observant of you will know that platform 3 in Cork faces south, not north. This was all part of the plan, as with our previous Cork tour we gave our passengers a little bit of bonus miles by heading out past the running shed towards and Cobh and then heading north on what was the old avoiding line around the station. Yes, was. This line has now been repurposed as a passenger line serving the new platform 6, which we passed through. While the platform is open to passengers just yet, we believe our railtour was the first passenger train to run through it. Our Iarnród Éireann liason for the day was Willie Malone, who is no stranger to the Irish railtour scene, having also participated in IRRS and RPSI railtours in recent years.

Our station rambles completed, we then headed up the Cork tunnel and north towards Mallow and Limerick Junction where we picked up some passengers. A sizeable contingent of Dublin-based passengers joined us at the latter station, having coming on down on the 08:00 service which was worked by 201 class locomotive No.220, freshly painted in her original 1990s orange colour scheme.

Enthusiasts had a quick chance to grab some photos while at Limerick Junction.

Our railtour arrives at Limerick

The railtour at Limerick, with "Arrow" car 2602 now leading for the run to Athenry.

We then veered right onto the former Waterford, Limerick & Western Railway mainline towards Limerick, where a 20 minute break was taken, Incidentally, this was our first tour into Limerick Colbert station itself, with our previous tour having only run as far as the bridge outside it, due to platform constraints. The sun shone and passengers took the opportunity to grab photos of the "Arrow" set as it glistened outside the station roof.

Into County Clare

Fearghal Moore shoots the breeze with director Alex Richardson during the photostop at Sixmilebridge.

With everyone back onboard, we changed direction, 2602 now leading, and headed back out of the station and turning right onto towards Ennis and the "Western Rail Corridor" proper. Along the way we had a photostop at Sixmilebridge station, which tends to be otherwise neglected when it comes to photostops on railtours.

David chats to Willie at Sixmilebridge.

We then trundled on to Ennis, where another sunny photo opportunity was to be had as we waited for a 2800 class set to pass on a Galway-Limerick service.

Crowds gather to photograph the railtour at Ennis. Photo: Cathal Deasy.

Stone walls and the grass is green

From Ennis, we then had a non-stop run to Athenry via Gort, Ardrahan and Craughwell, taking in some wonderful views on unspoilt countryside as we did. Immediately after Ennis we crossed the River Fergus, before passing greenfields lined by stone walls as we made our way towards south Galway.

Gaillimh Abú

At Athenry we joined the Dublin-Galway mainline, marking the first Táilte Tours operation on former Midland Great Western Railway territory. There was another quick opportunity for photos as the driver changed ends, afterwhich we were soon speeding towards the city of the tribes, with a beatuiful sea welcoming us as we passed Oranmore and headed along Galway Bay, over the Lough Atalia bridge and into Ceannt Station Galway. Here passengers and crew had time to explore the western city and grab some lunch (and of course ice cream). Eyre Square was a hive of activity as tourists basked in the sun.

Retired driver Tom Ryan chats to steward and railway historian Jonathan Beaumont at Galway.

"Arrow" cars 2602 and 2601 in Galway, marking the first visit of a set in that livery to Galway in over 20 years.

Back the way we came

With passengers and crew sufficiently fed and legs stretched, everyone made their way back to the station where further where taken of our railtour set in the sun. After all, this was the first time and "Arrow" liveried set had visited Galway in at least 20 years and both tour participants and local staff and enthusiasts savoured the sight. We then headed back towards Athenry in what was by now relentless sunshine, retracing our outward steps and reversing here for our journey back down the Western Rail Corridor.

This time, we stopped in the loop platform at Gort for photos and to let a Galway-bound passenger train pass us, before resuming our journey back towards Counties Clare and Limerick. On arrival at Limerick we had an approximately 35 minute break, giving passengers a chance to grab refreshments locally (and, indeed, take more photos if they so wished). With the evening rush beginning, our 2600 set was surrounded by their slightly younger 2800 cousins, which are similar but have some detail differences.

Those who enjoy their set numbers took the opportunity to photograph 2602+2601 on our train (the first of the 2600 class) alongside 2802+2801 (the 2800 class leader) in the adjacent platform on the evening service to Nenagh and Ballybrophy. At this point Driver Ken Fox of Cork depot, who is involved with the tours just about every railtour operator in Ireland, joined us to take over for the final back to Cork. A special tribute to the late Seamus Breathnach was placed in the cab of leading vehicle 2602 for the run to Cork. A well known Cork enthusiast who was a familiar sight to users of Cork station over the years, Seamus sadly passed away a few days before the railtour, and had been looking forward to travelling on it.

A tribute to the late Seamus Breathnach. Photo: Cathal Deasy.

An on time departure saw us heading back along the former WLWR mainline towards Limerick Junction, pausing at the closed station of Dromkeen for around half an hour in order to let two Limerick-bound services pass us on the single line. As we approached Limerick Junction, the railtour briefly diverted into the pocket loop, giving the track bashers aboard a chance to scratch off some more rare mileage.

Arriving in Limerick Junction, we said goodbye to some of our Dublin-based passengers who were heading home at this point, and also picking up a few who had headed out there during our break at Limerick to get photos of the tour arriving there. We had one more stop at Mallow, again setting down some passengers and for a few more photos in the evening sun.

It seemed like no time at all before we were back in Cork's Kent Station, only a few minutes down. Swift work saw our stock unloaded and soon the set was being shunted off to the yard after its big day out, with it returning to its more customary local trips to Midleton the following day. We said goodbye to our passengers who appear to have enjoyed their day out.

The railtour on arrival back at Kent Station, Cork, that evening.

All in all, the "Eyre Lee Bird" was one of those railtours that ran like clockwork on the day, even the sun co-operated, which in Ireland is no guarantee. As volunteers we were pleased with the support this outing received, and it's definitely given us food for thought for further railtours out of Cork in the future. Where to you ask? Well, we'll keep our powder dry for now but we have notions...

Special thanks to all the staff in Iarnród Éireann who went out of their way to make this railtour a success, with a particular shout out to Stephen Hackett in Cork without whom none of our railtours over the past few years would have happened. We are also grateful to Rhomberg Sersa Rail Group Ireland and Casino Model Railway Malahide who kindly sponsored the railtour brochure which was given out on the day.

And of course, to our volunteer stewards on the day, Jenny Boland, Jonathan Beaumont, Jonathan King and Martin Hoey, who assisted the our director team of Alex Richardson, David Walsh and Niall Kelly in looking after our passengers throughout.

To those who travelled, we thank you for your support, as a voluntary group every ticket sold helps us further our aims of promoting railway heritage throughout Ireland. We hope you enjoyed the day out and hopefully we'll see you on another railtour in the future.