Urgent action is required if a collection of 19th century railway buildings in Mullingar, which retain all the characteristics and charm of the steam era, are to be preserved, according to a new report.
The report, compiled by a firm of architects for the Heritage Council, said the buildings, which include a goods shed, locomotive shed and tank house from the Victorian era, must be conserved as part of our national heritage.
"Some parts of the buildings are in extremely good condition despite years of neglect. Others, however, have deteriorated to such a degree that urgent action is required to stop the rot and conserve what is left," it said.
"A strategy for protecting all these buildings and stopping further deterioration should be put in hand without delay."
It added that the "wonderful collection" of 19th century railway buildings had suffered very little from modernisation or alterations of the 20th century.
"Items of historic interest and record range from the simple elegance of the platform canopy, with its decorative fascia, following the gentle curve of the platform and track, to such elements as the glazed timber screens to waiting rooms or the telegraphy office, complete with a sliding hatch for passing through written messages."
The report for the Heritage Council was carried out by Brady Shipman Martin, architects.
The buildings are designated for inclusion in a proposed National Transport Museum at Mullingar railway station on a site provided by Iarnr≤d ╔ireann. The project co-ordinator is Mr Bob Morrison.
He said the scale of the project, which could cost £10 million, had been mapped out but the immediate issue now facing his group, the Mullingar Arts and Railway Group Ltd, was to conserve the buildings.
He said the group hoped to meet the Minister for Arts, Culture, the Gaeltacht and the Islands, Ms de Valera, this month to see if £1 million could be provided to begin immediate conservation work.
Mr Morrison said the museum, when operational, would be a major cultural asset. "The project represents the last opportunity to preserve Irish railway heritage on an appropriately large scale. No comparable site exists in Ireland. The museum will house in one secure location valuable historical artefacts which are at present scattered around the country."
The project will have several strands. Apart from the museum, which will present the story of Irish railways, waterways and roads, it is hoped to open a heritage railway line linking Athlone and Mullingar.
Mr Morrison said it would enhance Westmeath's tourism image, draw new visitors to the area and "make Westmeath a tourist destination rather than a stopping-off point".
He said he was not worried about funding for work on the project long-term as he felt the project was a strong one. "The immediate issue is that a national asset has to be preserved. Even if we did nothing else we would be doing a good job if we did that," he said.
"This is the largest such heritage site left to develop in Britain or Ireland and it is definitely the only station in the country with all its facilities still intact."