Ballyglunin ready to unveil refurbished station

FINAL preparations are under way to get Ballyglunin Station ready for its grand unveiling this weekend as a special Open Day is held in the village on Sunday (May 5).

Members of the Ballyglunin Restoration Committee have been getting the station and grounds ship shape for Monday’s event, which will celebrate a year-long restoration project that has seen a new roof and windows installed at the historic building.
Students from Presentation College Tuam will be displaying their project on Ballyglunin Station, which won a Galway Civic Trust Local Heritage award last month, as the building reopens to the public as a platform for heritage, cultural and community events.
Founding member of the committee Micheal Finn said it was fantastic to see the station regain some of its former glory.
“The station was the heart of the community back in the 1960s, when local children took the train to get to school in Athenry and Galway,” he said.
“We were down here every day collecting the daily papers off the trains and milk deliveries and while the trains are no longer running it will be wonderful to see the station full of local people again.”
New lampposts have been installed, based on the fixtures that featured in the Quiet Man film which has led to the station having iconic status with fans of the movie worldwide.
A new community garden is also being developed by Ability West below the Signal Box at the station which it is hoped will increase the biodiversity of the area.
The Open Day takes place on Sunday from 2pm to 5pm with live music, games, wildflower planting and face painting.