The Ballyglunin Community Development Charity was formally established in 2012. However, a voluntary committee has been in place since 2004. Our goal is to restore the Ballyglunin Train Station and develop a heritage and arts centre at the station which will become an destination for visitors from across the globe. We are working closely with Irish Rail and CIE as well as Galway County Council, National Heritage Council and local academic institutions.

The charity has four directors and 10 members.

Chairperson – Kathleen Boyle

Vice Chairperson – Grace Feeney

Secretary – Maria Heneghan

Assist. Secretary – Eva Eagleton

Treasurer – Mark Gibson

Assistant Treasurer – Peter Cooke

Public Relations – Paschal Cassidy

Members include: Seamus Nally, Maura Flannery, Gerry Finn, Leonie Finn, Michael Coleman, Joe Boyle, Micheal Finn, Marian Williams, Padraic Mannion, Eugene Finnegan, Marsha Fleming, Peter Roche, Karey McHugh.

Restoration of the Station

The restoration project is an entirely  community led initiative. All members contribute their time on a voluntary basis. The committee has been humbled by the generous donations of time and effort by local professionals.

The station has significant historical interest as well as being a prime heritage site in the West of Ireland. In a detailed conservation report on the station, John Yates describes the station, ancillary buildings and the site surrounding them as “an outstanding example of a typical late 19th Century Railway Station…”. The report states that “efforts should be made to preserve this character for the future.”

Planning & Conservation

In 2013, the project received full planning permission from Galway County Council to restore the train station. This involved many conservation reports, road traffic reports and engineering reports. This could not have been achieved were it for the generous donation of time by local engineer Mr. Jerry Quirke. Jerry and his team have brought this project to planning and have invested endless hours in perfecting our plans. All of this effort has been done completely without charge.This application includes:

• re-slating of the roof,
• restoration of the flooring,
• installation of a new heating system
• re-plumbing and rewiring
• installation of a treatment plant
• construction of new toilet facilities
• interpretation of the history of the station

View full plans here

Next steps

• Raise the necessary funds to carry out works outlined above.
• Produce an interpretation plan for the station.
• Continuous engagement with local community to develop the station as a focal part of the area.