On Whit Monday, 22nd July 1893, a disaster occurred at Camp Bridge on the Tralee and Dingle Railway.

transcribed at

Derryquay, Tráighlí  [duchas:4685836]

Thomas O'Sullivan
Derrymore West,
Tralee


On Whit Monday, 22nd May 1893, a disaster occurred at Camp Bridge on the Tralee and Dingle Railway. On that day a train left Dingle with pigs and pig buyers for Tralee. At the steep incline down Glounagalt, the engine got out of control, and gaining speed as it dashed along, junped the rails  at Curraduff Bridge and was broken to pieces on the river bed several feet below, bringing the waggons laden with pigs, and the passenger carriage in which some pig buyers travelled, with it. The chain in the Guard's van snapped and it remained on the rails thus saving the Guard and some pig buyers, who travelled in the van as they had no room in the passenger carriage.

The driver, Alfred Redshaw, and the fireman Richard Dillon, and a permanent-way inspector named Bernard O'Loughlin who came into the engine  at Dingle were killed. The late Thomas O'Leary of the Basin Station, Tralee was the guard of the train on the day of the disaster. It was a special train running in connection with the pig fair, and was made up of seven waggons of pigs, a passenger carriage and a guard's van. There were thirty seven passengers, twenty eight in the passenger carriage and

Derryquay, Tráighlí  [duchas:4685837]

nine  in the van. The seven waggons were loaded with one hundred and forty pigs.

The train started alright from Dingle and stopped at Lispole. Before reaching Lispole the engine was slipping for three quarters of a mile. The stop at Lispole lasted for five minutes. Then Guard Leary went along the line throwing sand on the rails before the engine.

Approaching Aunascaul there is a curve in the line, and the train went one hundred and forty yards or more beyond the station. The train ran until it came to a stand still, opposite Bob  Moriarty's hotel, where the engine slipped for a long time. About two hundred yards on the East side of the hotel the engine came to a stand still again, and she was going backwards and forwards for nearly half an hour.

They moved slowly until they arrived at the first crossing on the county road on the East side of Aunascaul, where the train stopped again for ten minutes. The passengers got out of the train and said they would get cars but the guard coaxed  them back. Then the train started again and after passing Emlough station there was another stop. They had no other stop until they reached the top of Glenagalt. The stop there lasted for fifteen minutes. Then the train

Derryquay, Tráighlí  [duchas:4685838]

started and it passed Skirlough gates at a fast speed. It was gaining speed as it passed Mountoven. When the train came to the dangerous curve in the line at Curra Dubh Bridge it was thrown over the bridge by the speed. The engine carried the waggons and carriage with it but the van remained on the rails.

Constable James McDonnell, of Kilgobbin and Mr William D'Arcy of Dingle were the first at the scene of the disaster. They went over and helped the passengers from the carriage some of whom sustained severe injuries. Then they returned to the engine and with the help of others removed the detached cab of the engine off the three men.

Redshaw died within ten minutes. A clergyman and doctor came to Loughlin and Dillon. Then the injured were removed to the train which was in waiting, and sent to Tralee. The body of Redshaw was left at Camp until a special train arrived for it. The accident occurred about forty minutes past four in the evening. O'Loughlin died just as he arrived in Tralee and Dillon died soon after.

Daniel O'Sullivan,
Derrymore, West,
Tralee
Age - 15 years