Hill of Howth
and the Fintona Horse Tramway
Picture Gallery
The Hill of Howth tramway opened on 17th June 1901 from Sutton to the summit and then the section from the summit down to Howth on 1st August of the same year

This service was preceded by a horse bus which had run since 1867.
The main steam railway reached Howth Harbour in 1847

The Hill of Howth tramway, in NE County Dublin, was the last tramway in Ireland
The service ceased on 31st May 1959

Site Visitor Feedback     External Link on the Tramway     A Book on the Tramway

Click on any thumbnail for a larger image but wait until all thumbnails have downloaded

4
Picture 4
Tram #3 shortly to leave Howth Station for Sutton.		 5
Picture 5
Summit Halt, the highest point on the 5 mile Sutton - Howth route. The view is taken facing northwards in the direction of Howth Village. On the left of the tramway is the waiting room and on the right, hidden from view, are two general stores, Gaffney's and McElroy's, and a pub, also owned by Gaffney.
From: "Mike Delaney" <mdelaney@fairadsl.co.uk>
Many thanks for the pictures of the Howth Tram. I spent many happy hours riding this as a youngster!		 6
Picture 6
Tram #4 is on the decent from the Summit to the Train Station at Howth. it had passed through "Kruger's Cutting" and it is coming up behind the Grace O'Malley Housing estate. The building in the background is Howth National School [Scoil Mhuire].
8
Picture 8
This view is parallel to Station Road with Sutton Cross 200 yards to the right and Sutton Station 25 yards to the left on the opposite side of the road.		 7
Picture 7
Tram #9 inside Sutton Shed.
This tram has been restored and is now at the National Transport Museum, Howth, Co. Dublin.
On system closure, sister car #10 was acquired by the National Tramway Museum at Crich in Derbyshire, re-gauged to 4'-8½", and is on display there. Not thought to be in service.		 9
Picture 9
Fintona Horse Tramway. There was only one tram for this ½ mile 'branch line' seen here arriving at Fintona terminus. It connected with the GNR at Fintona Junction.
More information

The Hill of Howth Tramway was 5.19 miles in length and ran along the Howth peninsula between Howth and Sutton, using the Irish standard gauge of 5ft 3ins. The first section [between Sutton and the Summit] was opened on the 17th June 1901, under the Great Northern Railway [Ireland] Act of 1897, with the remaining section opening on the 1st August.

The line was single-tracked with passing loops and set mainly on sleepers. The rolling stock consisted of ten double-deck open-top cars [Nos. 1-8 built by Brush and Nos. 9-10 by Milnes] in a livery of crimson lake and ivory. The livery was changed in the 1930's to Oxford blue and cream. A service of 20 minutes frequency was provided all day, with extras being operated for the summer tourist traffic and in the morning peak.

Following nationalisation of the railway system in 1953 it was announced that the line was to close, although it did not do so until 31st May 1959, by which time it was Ireland's last working tramway.

Acknowledgements to "Philip Morgan" <philip@imageviewer.co.uk>,
"Kevin Rickard" <krd@eircom.net> and
"Wilson Adams" <wilson.adams@ntlworld.com> for help with caption information.