Madam, – Having read your feature on the state of Youghal (Uptown Downtown series, Weekend Review, April 2nd), I researched the possibility and cost of reopening the railway from Youghal to Midleton.
I obtained some information from friends in the UK, most particularly from a local civil engineer with experience of building railways in Canada.
He had walked the entire length of the stretch from Youghal to Midleton a number of years ago in order to assess its condition after half a century of non-use. He found that the bridges, drains, sleepers etc. would require considerable work and even allowing for some free local labour (without dole loss) the cost would be several million at least.
Bearing in mind that the cost of the section from Cobh Junction to Midleton – approximately one third of that from Midleton to Youghal – cost CIÉ €75 million, I fear it would be impossible for Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar to justify the reconstruction of the Youghal extension. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – At the height the boom, Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council managed to kill George’s Street stone dead by semi-pedestrianising the stretch between Marine Road and Bloomfield Shopping Centre. A bustling main street became a ghost town overnight.
The recession just rubbed salt into the wound. – Yours, etc,