AS a child, James Kilroy was always fascinated with trams. Growing up in Artane, in Dublin, he recalls childhood memories of day trips to Howth, to fish, climb the hills, swim the seas, but above all to watch the Hill of Howth tram.
When he had the money, he would ride the tram from its base in Sutton to Howth station, savouring every moment of the journey. "It was like floating along at treetop level on a magical wooden carpet," James says.
The Hill of Howth tram originally started in 1867 and was drawn by horses, only to be replaced by an electric tram in June 1901. This service lasted until May 31st, 1959, when conductor, Billy Rankin, shouted: "Last fares please". As James was in boarding school at the time, it was several weeks before he learned that the tram had stopped running. Saddened by the event, he describes it as the death of an old friend.
Several years passed and James forgot about the trams, until one day in the mid 1970s while out walking in Howth, he, came across the remains of an old tram pole. The discovery immediately brought back all his old memories and on that day, he vowed to find out what happened to the old Hill of Howth trams.
Over the next few years, he managed to locate several trams and restore some of them. He also opened a transport museum in the grounds of Howth Castle, with the help of Capt Christopher Gaisford St Lawrence.
Magnificent Book
Now, his enthusiasm for trams has found an outlet in a beautifully illustrated book, Irish Trams, published by Colourpoint Press of Omagh, Co Tyrone, which will prove a boon to tram lovers everywhere. This magnificent 126 page book is full of interesting information, photographs, maps, and above all memories, which will be evoked by anyone who remembers any of the trams, not only in Howth, but throughout Ireland.
The No 9 Hill of Howth tram was found at Castleruddy, Co Wicklow, in June 1976, in a state of decay. At that time it was owned by the Transport Museum Society of Ireland (TMSI) which James then joined and persuaded to let him restore the tram. Thirteen years later the tram was fully restored, with parts shipped in from all over Europe, and is now on display in the Howth Transport Museum.
It is interesting to learn the fate of the other Hill of Howth trams. Out of a fleet of 10, five still survive. The No 2 tram ended up in the Orange Trolley Museum in Perris, California; the No 4 ended up at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, Cultra, Co Down; the undercarriage of No 6 ended up in Heaton Park, Manchester; No 9 is in Howth, Co Dublin, while No 10 resides in the National Tramway Museum, Crich, Derbyshire.
Journey Through Time
In the book, James provides a short history of each tramway system in Ireland. This itself is a journey through time, starting with the first horse drawn tram which appeared in Fintona, Co Tyrone, in 1854, moving on to the steam trains of the late 1880s, passing through the electric trams and finishing up with the LUAS proposals for the 1990s.
Ireland, indeed, was a pioneer in electric trams, with the Giant's Causeway tram of 1883, which is also thought to be the oldest surviving tram in the world. This, which has been immortalised in story and songs, has many a tale to tell. After ending its working days in September 1949, it found its' way to Youghal, Co Cork, where it was converted to a shop, before retiring to the Howth Transport Museum, where it is being restored.
Every man has a dream, and James is no exception. His is to see the No 9 Hill of Howth Tram up and running again. He "has done a lot of research and estimated that to run the tram around the grounds of Howth Castle would cost between £500,000 and £1 million.
Horse drawn Tram
On a smaller scale, he has thought about running a horse drawn tram up and down the promenade in Howth. The costs are estimated at around £400,000. Fingal County Council has been consulted about the plans and is interested in the idea.
James, an architect, has spent most of his spare time restoring trams and raising funds for them, along with running the Howth branch of the Pony Club and helping An Taisce. As a gesture to his family, he has named the restored trams after his wife and two daughters - Helen, Claire and Mia.
The No 9 tram along with the Giants Causeway tram and 140 other old vehicles ranging from fire engines to Dublin buses, can be seen at the Howth Transport Museum.
On a final note, how much would you pay for memories? There must be thousands of people who remember the trams. Those memories may be in the form of long forgotten holidays, courtship and romances, or just special occasions. This is a book that will recall those memories and bring many hours of pleasure.