Cross-border event celebrating railways that once operated across the north-west

The Donegal Railway Museum have secured funding and are delighted to partner with Foyle Valley Railway Museum on “Railway Connections,” a special two-day event to be held consecutively in Derry and Donegal on February 22 and 23.

The Derry event takes place Foyle Valley Railway Museum on Saturday, February 22 from 10am to 4pm with the John Bosco Centre, Donegal Town the following day from 11am-4pm.

Supported by the Shared Island Civic Society Fund, this event celebrates the unique railways that once operated across the Northwest, seeking to develop new links and strengthen existing relationships on issues of common concern for civic society groups on both sides of the border.

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The railways which once straddled the border between Donegal and Derry closed in the 1950s, severing connections between remote communities and creating a significant negative impact that continues to resonate in the region to this day.

At this conference, the railways will act as a ‘vehicle’ through which to bring disconnected communities together to mark these shared histories and lost connections, aiming to start new conversations about the past, present and future of the Northwest.

The two-day event will include artefact displays; panel discussions; model railway layouts; local railway publications for sale, and an opportunity for those with links to the railways to showcase their artefacts and record their stories for the museum archives. A selection of these stories will also be brought together in a booklet to be published later in 2025. These events are free to the public and all are encouraged to come along, share their stories and join in the discussion of this fascinating part of our local and national history.

Niall McCaughan, Outgoing Manager of the Donegal Railway Museum stated: “We are delighted to have secured this funding which is a new one for us, particularly linking in for the first time with our colleagues at Foyle Valley Railway in Derry. The North West has a unique story to tell about the railways that once operated here, and these series of events will help us engage the wider public to tell this story.”

Caroline O’Hara, Manager of Foyle Valley Railway Museum stated: “We were delighted to be approached by Donegal Railway Museum in relation to this new cross-border project. We are fortunate to have a great collection of Donegal Railway stock on site which operated on both sides of the border, and of course our own location was one of the sites where trains departed for Donegal. This project gives us the opportunity to talk about the strong links between the border communities, the negative effects that the closure of the railways here had on the region, but also to look to the future.”