  thumb|moyasta junction with water tower the west clare railway (wcr) originally operated in county clare, ireland between 1887 and 1961, and has partially re-opened. this  narrow gauge railway ran from the county town of ennis, via numerous stopping-points along the west clare coast to two termini, at kilrush and kilkee (the routes diverging at moyasta junction). the system was the last operating narrow gauge passenger system in ireland and connected with the mainline rail system at ennis, where a station still stands today for bus and train services to limerick and galway. intermediate stops included ennistymon, lahinch and milltown malbay. a preservation society maintains a railway museum, and has successfully re-opened a section of the railway as a passenger-carrying heritage line. ==construction== the famine was over and there was a new growth in local businesses. the british government determined that an improved railway system was necessary to aid in the recovery of the west of ireland. the west clare railway and the south clare railway were built by separate companies, but in practice the west clare railway operated the entire line. the lines met at milltown malbay. in due course the entire line became known as the west clare railway. ===west clare railway=== the  west clare railway between ennis and milltown malbay was built a few years' earlier than the south clare railway. the first sod was cut on 26 january 1885 at milltown malbay by charles stewart parnell, m.p., although actual work on the line had begun in november 1884. the line was opened on 2 july 1887. ===south clare railway=== the south clare railway built the extension from milltown malbay to kilrush, cappagh pier (kilrush pier) and kilrush docks with a branch to kilkee from moyasta, with work starting on the extension in october 1890 and opening on 11 may 1892. the extension was worked by the west clare railway and was initially dogged by poor service and time keeping, but this later improved. ==operation and timekeeping== the west clare railway was the topic of percy french's song "are ye right there michael, are ye right?" (written in 1902), deriding the poor timekeeping and poor track quality of the time. though amusing, some complained that this jesting nevertheless did little to further the cause for keeping the line open. french wrote the song after successfully prosecuting the railway company for loss of earnings, when a late running train prevented him from attending a performance on time. the company, in turn, appealed the ruling, but french was over an hour late for the court hearing in [[enn
3_ft_gauge_railways_in_Ireland Closed_railways_in_Ireland Defunct_railway_companies_of_Ireland Heritage_railways_in_the_Republic_of_Ireland Railway_lines_closed_in_1961 Transport_in_County_Clare Visitor_attractions_in_County_Clare