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IFI Irish Film Archive

Once Upon a Tram

Year1960 Duration22m 03s ProducerLeinster Studios
Take a nostalgic trip along the beautiful Dublin coast, escaping the hustle and bustle of the city while enjoying the clatter and clang of the old Howth tram. This gentle film, directed by John Sarsfield and James Maguire and narrated by Cyril Cusack, records one of the last journeys of the Howth Tram, as it passes through the village, past the golf club and along the coast – a most elegant form of transport from a bygone era. Constructed in 1901 the line serviced Howth Head and was run by the Great Northern Railway (Ireland). It was designed to bring visitors to the seaside villages of Sutton and Howth both located along the North Dublin coast. The tram line was officially closed on 31 May 1959 and the route was replaced by CIE buses. Four of the trams survive today with one on display at the National Transport Museum of Irelandj right beside Howth Castle near its former terminus. With Kind permission from Maeve Maguire.

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