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Am trying to learn / track down information about railroads in Co Sligo in mid 1800's.  Patrick CASEY, my ggrandfather, b. 1829 in Co Sligo was reputed to have been a "railroad man"   He married Bridget POWEL in 1872 in Co Sligo (according to 1901 census they were both born in Sligo).  He was 15 years older than Bridget and I am wondering if perhaps he began work with the railroad as a young man.,  After he married Bridget, they moved quite a bit for a few years (based on the birthplaces of their children) to Co Kerry, Co Wicklow and then to Co Kildare where they remained.  by 1901 Patrick (now 62 y/o) is listing his occupation as a farmer.  Perhaps he had retired from the railroad.  Am thinking that perhaps all the moving about was a result of his job with the railroad.  Any thoughts on this?   thanks much

mel1

Saturday 7th Dec 2013, 08:29PM

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  • The first line to be built in Co Sligo was from Dublin and Mullingar which reached Sligo town in December 1863. It was operated by the Midland & Great Western Railway (MGWR). Patrick would have been 34 then so he couldn?t really have started his career with the railroad company in Sligo, as a young man. He either did something else before that or perhaps he worked for a railroad company elsewhere in Ireland.

    You don?t say what his specific job was. That should be on the children?s birth certificates. If it was a maintenance job, then I?d guess he had probably previously been a labourer in Sligo and started with the railroad company when the line was built, or later. If it was a more skilled job such as train driver (engineer), station master or signalman, then he might have been trained elsewhere and moved to Sligo with his work.

    The lines in Wicklow and Kerry were owned by different companies (Dublin & South Eastern Railway) and (Great Southern & Western Railway). So if he was working for railroad companies in all those locations then it appears he must have switched employers a couple of times at least.

    What?s his occupation given as on the children?s? birth certs?

    What?s his address and occupation on his marriage certificate? (Is it a Co Sligo address, or could it be that he was working elsewhere and just came back there for the marriage?).

    Ahoghill Antrim

    Sunday 8th Dec 2013, 12:08AM

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