Clontarf and Hill of Howth Tramroad
Encyclopedia
The Clontarf and Hill of Howth Tramroad Company (C&HoHTCo) operated a tram
service from central Dublin via Dollymount
in Clontarf
to Howth Harbour
in the Dublin area of Ireland
from 1900 to 1941. Formed in the 1880s, it was a separate entity from the other Dublin tramways, notably the Dublin United Tramways Company (DUTC), but worked closely with the latter, who owned the line as far as Dollymount, for most of its operating existence.
(GNR), to bring more passengers to Howth
and / or Sutton railway stations. The Clontarf and Hill of Howth Tramroad Company (C&HofHTCo) raised the idea of a circular line around Howth Hill. Neither idea progressed, not least because the slopes of the hill were too steep to be safe for horses, or practical for steam power, though a line may have been considered using a viaduct over Balscadden Bay, just beyond Howth village, to keep gradients within the range of steam propulsion.
In 1890, the C&HofHTCo sought an Order in Council to allow it to build a tram line from Howth Harbour to Dublin's fish market. The formal application was made on 31 January 1890, for a gauge of 3 feet, with lines running from Mary's Lane past Halston Street to Capel Street, and then along Parnell Street and Summerhill, through Ballybough
, Fairview
, Killester
and Raheny
, then along the coast through the fields of Kilbarrack
to Sutton
and Howth
. While this matter did not proceed, the company developed two new proposals after the DUTC received permission to electrify its lines. The proposed lines, at a gauge of 5 feet 3 inches, were from the DUTC's terminus in the Clontarf
area, via the hamlet of Raheny-on-the-Strand and Sutton, to Howth Harbour, and from the Summit on Howth Hill down past Howth Station and the Howth Estate to the gates of Claremont. The GNR made a two-part counter proposal, seeking to electrify their railway line from Amiens Street Station to either Sutton
or Howth, and to provide a circular tram line, with connections at Sutton Cross and Howth, and with the trams able to move all the way to Dublin's centre. The C&HofHTCo added a third element to their proposal, for a tram line from Sutton Cross to the Summit, and the GNR then objected to the whole package, and won. The GNR then received permission for its proposed circular line, which became the Hill of Howth Tramway
, and dropped the idea of electrification from the peninsula to Amiens St., and so of trams through-running around Howth and to the city centre.
, the Clontarf and Hill of Howth Tramway Company eventually secured permission for a line from the DUTC's depot at what had become Dollymount
in Clontarf to Howth Harbour, and this was enshrined in a Private Local Act of 1898, The Clontarf and Hill of Howth Tramroad Bill, 61 & 62 Victoria I, cap. clxxxii. This Act had its Second Reading on 3 March, and on 18 July was the subject of debate about the possible insertion of a clause requiring the purchase of rolling stock from England, the promoters having expressed a preference for buying from the DUTC, or failing that, from the USA. The bill was returned to the House of Lords on 26 July, and later completed its passage.
Leading businessman, and key player in the DUTC, William Martin Murphy
, was an active member of the Board of the C&HofHTCo up to this time. He secured the contract to lay the new line, and having resigned from the board, proceeded with laying and equipping, which eventually cost £71,624.
Much of the line construction was straightforward, allowing for the challenges of building at the water's edge, but there were difficulties with Lord Ardilaun, the Guinness heir, whose estate of St. Anne's ran to the coast where the line was to be laid. At the time, there was no coastal road, and Lord Ardilaun sought multiple conditions in return for removing objections to the project. He received most of what he sought, including the provision that the trams would not stop along the margin of his property, and line construction proceeded. The line opened on 26 July 1900.
to Howth took 45 minutes, and the price for much of the operating period was 2 shillings and 6 pence.
In 1918, the route number 31 was allocated to the line (the numbers were assigned clockwise from the No. 1 route to Ringsend
) , a number now used by Dublin Bus
services to Howth, albeit on the original inland route via Raheny, rather than the final route.
, the Board of the C&HofHTCo offered to end their service if the GNR agreed not to run a bus to Malahide. The line ceased operation on 29 March 1941, with the last tram to Howth, No. 294, departing Nelson's Pillar at 11.45 p.m, driven by Dick Ward. The company was wound-up on 1 July 1941, and the remaining tram cars were transferred to the DUTC's Dalkey route, where they served until that line closed in 1949.
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
service from central Dublin via Dollymount
Dollymount
Dollymount is a coastal suburban area on the north coast of Dublin Bay, within Clontarf, on the northside of Dublin, Ireland, just East of St Anne's Park.-Dollymount Strand:...
in Clontarf
Clontarf, Dublin
Clontarf is a coastal suburb on the northside of Dublin, in Ireland. It is most famous for giving the name to the Battle of Clontarf in 1014, in which Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, defeated the Vikings of Dublin and their allies, the Irish of Leinster. This battle, which extended to districts...
to Howth Harbour
Howth
Howth is an area in Fingal County near Dublin city in Ireland. Originally just a small fishing village, Howth with its surrounding rural district is now a busy suburb of Dublin, with a mix of dense residential development and wild hillside, all on the peninsula of Howth Head. The only...
in the Dublin area of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
from 1900 to 1941. Formed in the 1880s, it was a separate entity from the other Dublin tramways, notably the Dublin United Tramways Company (DUTC), but worked closely with the latter, who owned the line as far as Dollymount, for most of its operating existence.
Early stages
Tram service for the Howth area was first proposed in 1883, by the Great Northern Railway (Ireland)Great Northern Railway (Ireland)
The Great Northern Railway was an Irish gauge railway company in Ireland.The Great Northern was formed in 1876 by a merger of the Irish North Western Railway , Northern Railway of Ireland, and Ulster Railway. The Ulster Railway was the GNRI's oldest constituent, having opened between Belfast and...
(GNR), to bring more passengers to Howth
Howth railway station
Howth DART station , opened on 30 May 1847, serves Howth Head and the harbour town of Howth in County Dublin, Ireland, in the administration of Fingal...
and / or Sutton railway stations. The Clontarf and Hill of Howth Tramroad Company (C&HofHTCo) raised the idea of a circular line around Howth Hill. Neither idea progressed, not least because the slopes of the hill were too steep to be safe for horses, or practical for steam power, though a line may have been considered using a viaduct over Balscadden Bay, just beyond Howth village, to keep gradients within the range of steam propulsion.
In 1890, the C&HofHTCo sought an Order in Council to allow it to build a tram line from Howth Harbour to Dublin's fish market. The formal application was made on 31 January 1890, for a gauge of 3 feet, with lines running from Mary's Lane past Halston Street to Capel Street, and then along Parnell Street and Summerhill, through Ballybough
Ballybough
Ballybough is a district of north Dublin, Ireland situated northeast of Summerhill, between the Royal Canal and the River Tolka. Adjacent areas are North Strand, Fairview and Drumcondra/Clonliffe. The name derives from the Irish baile "town" and bocht "poor"...
, Fairview
Fairview, Dublin
Fairview is a coastal district on the Northside of Dublin, Ireland, in the jurisdiction of Dublin City Council. Part of the area forms Fairview Park, on land reclaimed from the sea.-Location and access:...
, Killester
Killester
Killester is a small, largely residential suburb of Dublin and lies on the Northside of the city.-Location and access:Killester is located between Clontarf, Donnycarney, Raheny and Artane, and it falls within the postal districts of Dublin 3 or 5. St. Anne's Park lies just beyond Killester on the...
and Raheny
Raheny
Raheny is a northern suburb of Dublin, the capital city of Ireland. It is an old area, centred around an old village, and is referenced back to 570 AD but after years of light settlement, with a main village and a coastal hamlet, grew rapidly in the 20th century, and is now a mid-density...
, then along the coast through the fields of Kilbarrack
Kilbarrack
Kilbarrack is a residential suburb of Dublin, Ireland, running inwards from the coast, about from the city's centre. Modern-day Kilbarrack is within the jurisdiction of Dublin City Council, with part of its old lands now in Donaghmede, and part in Bayside under Fingal County Council...
to Sutton
Sutton, Dublin
Sutton is a residential suburb of Dublin's Northside, Ireland, at the base of Howth Head, the peninsula which forms the northern edge of Dublin Bay.-Location and geography:...
and Howth
Howth
Howth is an area in Fingal County near Dublin city in Ireland. Originally just a small fishing village, Howth with its surrounding rural district is now a busy suburb of Dublin, with a mix of dense residential development and wild hillside, all on the peninsula of Howth Head. The only...
. While this matter did not proceed, the company developed two new proposals after the DUTC received permission to electrify its lines. The proposed lines, at a gauge of 5 feet 3 inches, were from the DUTC's terminus in the Clontarf
Clontarf, Dublin
Clontarf is a coastal suburb on the northside of Dublin, in Ireland. It is most famous for giving the name to the Battle of Clontarf in 1014, in which Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, defeated the Vikings of Dublin and their allies, the Irish of Leinster. This battle, which extended to districts...
area, via the hamlet of Raheny-on-the-Strand and Sutton, to Howth Harbour, and from the Summit on Howth Hill down past Howth Station and the Howth Estate to the gates of Claremont. The GNR made a two-part counter proposal, seeking to electrify their railway line from Amiens Street Station to either Sutton
Sutton, Dublin
Sutton is a residential suburb of Dublin's Northside, Ireland, at the base of Howth Head, the peninsula which forms the northern edge of Dublin Bay.-Location and geography:...
or Howth, and to provide a circular tram line, with connections at Sutton Cross and Howth, and with the trams able to move all the way to Dublin's centre. The C&HofHTCo added a third element to their proposal, for a tram line from Sutton Cross to the Summit, and the GNR then objected to the whole package, and won. The GNR then received permission for its proposed circular line, which became the Hill of Howth Tramway
Hill of Howth Tramway
Colloquially known as the Howth Tram, this tramway operated from June 1901 to June 1959 and served Howth Head, near Dublin, Ireland. The service was run by the Great Northern Railway , which viewed it as a way to bring more customers to its railway stations at Sutton and Howth.-Route:Electric...
, and dropped the idea of electrification from the peninsula to Amiens St., and so of trams through-running around Howth and to the city centre.
Service establishment
Having considered both a coastal route to Howth, probably working with the DUTC, and an inland one, via RahenyRaheny
Raheny is a northern suburb of Dublin, the capital city of Ireland. It is an old area, centred around an old village, and is referenced back to 570 AD but after years of light settlement, with a main village and a coastal hamlet, grew rapidly in the 20th century, and is now a mid-density...
, the Clontarf and Hill of Howth Tramway Company eventually secured permission for a line from the DUTC's depot at what had become Dollymount
Dollymount
Dollymount is a coastal suburban area on the north coast of Dublin Bay, within Clontarf, on the northside of Dublin, Ireland, just East of St Anne's Park.-Dollymount Strand:...
in Clontarf to Howth Harbour, and this was enshrined in a Private Local Act of 1898, The Clontarf and Hill of Howth Tramroad Bill, 61 & 62 Victoria I, cap. clxxxii. This Act had its Second Reading on 3 March, and on 18 July was the subject of debate about the possible insertion of a clause requiring the purchase of rolling stock from England, the promoters having expressed a preference for buying from the DUTC, or failing that, from the USA. The bill was returned to the House of Lords on 26 July, and later completed its passage.
Leading businessman, and key player in the DUTC, William Martin Murphy
William Martin Murphy
William Martin Murphy was an Irish nationalist journalist, businessman and politician. A Member of Parliament representing Dublin from 1885 to 1892, he was dubbed 'William Murder Murphy' among Dublin workers and the press due to the Dublin Lockout of 1913...
, was an active member of the Board of the C&HofHTCo up to this time. He secured the contract to lay the new line, and having resigned from the board, proceeded with laying and equipping, which eventually cost £71,624.
Much of the line construction was straightforward, allowing for the challenges of building at the water's edge, but there were difficulties with Lord Ardilaun, the Guinness heir, whose estate of St. Anne's ran to the coast where the line was to be laid. At the time, there was no coastal road, and Lord Ardilaun sought multiple conditions in return for removing objections to the project. He received most of what he sought, including the provision that the trams would not stop along the margin of his property, and line construction proceeded. The line opened on 26 July 1900.
Operations
The company purchased twelve large cars (larger than those of the DUTC, for example) for its operations, each seating 74 passengers, 29 inside and 45 on the upper deck. The enclosed lower deck had a driver's cab, and separate areas for each of First, Second and Third Class. The journey from Nelson's PillarNelson's Pillar
The Nelson Pillar , known locally as Nelson's Pillar or simply The Pillar, was a large granite pillar topped by a statue of Horatio Nelson in the middle of O'Connell Street, Dublin...
to Howth took 45 minutes, and the price for much of the operating period was 2 shillings and 6 pence.
In 1918, the route number 31 was allocated to the line (the numbers were assigned clockwise from the No. 1 route to Ringsend
Ringsend
Ringsend is a southside inner suburb of Dublin, the capital of Ireland. It is located on the south bank of the River Liffey, about two kilometres east of the city centre, and is the southern terminus of the East Link Toll Bridge....
) , a number now used by Dublin Bus
Dublin Bus
Dublin Bus is a public transport operator in Ireland. It operates an extensive bus network of 172 radial, cross-city and peripheral routes and 18 night routes in the city of Dublin and the Greater Dublin Area. The company, established in 1987, is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann which is...
services to Howth, albeit on the original inland route via Raheny, rather than the final route.
Decline and winding-up
During the 1930's, the line became unprofitable, and when the GNR put forward a proposal to run a competing bus service on the Howth Road, and launch a bus to MalahideMalahide
Malahide is a coastal suburban town, near Dublin city, located in the administrative county of Fingal, within the traditional County Dublin, Ireland. It has a village-like centre and extensive residential areas to the south, west and northwest.-Name:...
, the Board of the C&HofHTCo offered to end their service if the GNR agreed not to run a bus to Malahide. The line ceased operation on 29 March 1941, with the last tram to Howth, No. 294, departing Nelson's Pillar at 11.45 p.m, driven by Dick Ward. The company was wound-up on 1 July 1941, and the remaining tram cars were transferred to the DUTC's Dalkey route, where they served until that line closed in 1949.
External sources
- Howth, County Dublin, North Dublin Round Table, 1981: McBrierty, Vincent J., "Howth" - specifically, Chapter 7, "Transport" by James M.C. Kilroy, and particularly pp. 93-97.