Guth & Tuairim, Márta/Aibreán1981

Anseo1 Ansiud Tbe P;*carrach Youpg Scientists (ar caite · 9 leanuint o mhf seo In this article we look at some more of the projects entered b,y the students ·Of Pobalscoil Chloich Cheann lhaola in the recent Young Scientists Exhibition in Dublin. 11 Saacht ar Leictronachas 11 le Deaglan 6 Gradaigh Thaispeiin Deaglan doigheannaf" a dtiocfadh linn smacht a choinneail ar leictronac~as. Rinne se organ leictronach agua rinne si I Robot I mer ar ar bhaiiJt se Jack. His project earned Declan who is onlY twelve years old let place in the Junior section for Mathematical Science, Ph711ica and Applied Chellistey. He vas also awarded a special prize b,y the Institute of Phfaics. D.,lin 0 Griiiclaigb lena cbara 1 Jact•. •Cumbacht as Tnathadh Gluaistean" le Muiria 0 Baoill Ta suill! mhcfr ag Muiris 1 ngluaisteain agus in innill agus t'uair se amach go bht'uil ni-os mo na 20% de cbullhacht peitril (artola) ag gabhiil i mogha - ag eillu aD&oh trfd tmithadh (exhaust) an ghluaistea1.n. Thog Muiria lnneall 8gt1S d I US aid se- an cumhacht S!O le gleas f'uaradJl (cooling system) a oibriU, ag taispea1.nt gur feidir. tairbhe a bhaint as an chumhacht seo. •MiiacaUt" (Induction) le Marian Nf Gbradaigh Marion,· who has a great interest in Physics and electricity experimented with different methods of producing electricity e.g. the 1 telsa coil'. She put her ideas into practice in the metalwork room and her .etforts earned Marion (sister of Declan) lst prize in the ~termediate section for Mathematical Science, ~ice and hemistry as well as a prize from the Institute ot Peysics. o· chle (lnin Greene, Marion ll:{ Gbradaj,gh, llliria cf Baoill. STAIR] "The Old Purrer 11 - .l look at the old Lough Svillr Railvy 'by J. Carr. Jnr., Falcarrach (Cuid a h-aon) "Dear Mama, I'll be comin' hoae tomorrow, will you IIIEiet me at the train, Cos its good to touch the Green, Green, Grass of Hoae •••" So Run the linea of a vell-knovn C/W ballad and I vas just thinking that those words may have been on many a young Donegal boy or g~s lips as they returned home after aix-month· hard labour in the Lagan fields or when returning hoM from the picking of the Potatoe harve.st in Scotland• (What some people' today would call the "Good Old Days"). Returning to their beloved Donegal with their well earned tev pounds and Rhillings. As .I happen to reside not too far trom what vas once the Falcarragh Station, I decided to take a look back in history at the life and times ot 1 The Old Puffer' - a nick-Dalle for the Old Lough Svilly Railway. The beginning of the Railway - The first Public transport system in Donegal. The Derry-Letterkenny Rail line vas completed and opened for traffic twenty years later - about 1883. The Letterkenny-Burtonport line vas authorised b,y the Letterkenny to Burtonport Extension Or~er of 1396 and in 1903 the railway blazed its way through the highways and the byways of Donegal to the fishing port of Burtonport on the Western Seaboard. The Lough Svilly Railway Line vas a narrow-gauge line throughout, and so, vas the lonJest narrow-gauge line in the British Isles. For over half a century it grew, established itself and operated while the demand for a railway service existed. · The opening of the railway in Donegal brought the wild rugged mountainsides to life. Yes, the noisy "Puffing Billy" awakened the sleepy countryside. At Stations, crowds gathered on. the arrival of a train.• It vas the only form or passenger and goods-trusport there was. To the drivers it vas a grand journey through the countryside when the weather vas fine but, in the depth of winter and snow all around! •••Ah, sure they were great men those days~ . However, the railway served .two world-wars and the "Troubles" that ended in the. tventiea. Was it not our own dear St. Colmcille who prophecised that "a black pig would race from Derry to the ·Rosses"1 And or course when the railway appeared, to many people Colmcille 1 s prophecy had been fUlfilled! When .the 'Old Puf.fer' vas going up a hill the engine puffed and panted but, going down hill the engine vas ~mooth, thus, people used to say that going up-hill she seemed to be saying - "Will I make it, Will I make, Will I make it? And going down-hill it was - I made it, I made it, I made it~ The train worked on the power· of steam until the end. During the 1939 - 45 World War, the trains did a lot of smuggling! Sugar and butter, plentifUl on this side ot the border were carried 'North' while 'the North' sent us out tea and white bread. Many a good tale has been t~ld ot those b,y-gone days! Services were suspended in 1940 when road transport for both passengers and goods began to appear on the roads. A temporary goods train tor the haulage of turf vas reinstated during the second World War from May 1941 to "-' 1946. During those years it cost the sum of One Peund and eight shillings to send a load of turf by train tr~ Falcarragh Station to l.stterkenny Station. The line eventually closed in Januar,y 194.7 when the Lough Svilly Company established a replacement road service~ In 186.3 the population ot Donegal vas 246,706. The population figures for 1929 stood at onlY 148,429. In those sixty years Donegal had witnessed continual emigr!ltion as its people left their homes to seek employmeitt beyond the borders ot Donegal and much fUrther afield either on a permanent Qr season~! basie. thTharefp~ tba trains were operating with onlY a handful of passengers. The people who did stay at home in e Nort.n es,- ot Donegal were very upset at the lose or the railva,y. As one poet-put it "Though I 1 m 50 ;years of aea -fffl vh"la and I' 11 engage, to tab 40 tau the load ot 8151 bwl1 11 · . (Ar leanu.il )t ar an llh! s' chugainn). -see pho\oF•Pl1.. ~ lut ~~enth' • •auth 7 ~4-1a•.