The Last Train
Logline:
A nostalgic look back at the life of the railway in Abbeyleix, concentrating on the last train that left Abbeyleix in January 1963 and the individuals who took that journey.
Director: 
Synopsis
Officially opened in May 1967, linking Abbeyleix with Kilkenny, Mountrath, Waterford and eventually the rest of Ireland, the railway was to bring great changes to the town of Abbeyleix, both good and bad. Suddenly, the great towns and cities were within reach and this was to bring great commercial and economic benefit.
But it also led to the demise of the horse drawn coach services and stations in the town, such as the de Vesci Arms. It was also to usher in a new era of mass emigration, something which was to continue throughout the second half of the 20th century.
Opened by the Kilkenny Junction Railway, by the beginning of the 20th century the station was run by the Great Southern and Western Railway. It was absorbed into the Great Southern Railways in 1925. The station was then nationalised, passing on to the Coras Iompair Éireann as a result of the Transport Act 1944 which took effect from 1 January 1945.
With the onset of the motor vehicle in the 1950’s and 1960’s and the severe fall in revnue, many railway lines were closed throughout the island. Land was given back to the farmers, often at a cost to the company. Many consider this one of the great tragedies for the Irish transport, its environment, its culture and heritage.
Abbeyleix Railway station was closed in 1963, the same year as the formation of the Railway Preservation Society.
This is the story of last train that left Abbeyleix on that fateful day in 1963, told by the individuals who were on that train. It is also the story of the railway in Abbeyleix and throughout the island of Ireland. Their consolidation in the mid 1800’s, the affect they had on society and economics and their eventual demise.
Finally, it is the story of the great work being done by the Railway Preservation Society, and other smaller Railway Clubs throughout the island, such as the one based in the Heritage House in Abbeyleix.