Dublin and Blessington Steam Tramway
Steam Tram No. 10 at Terenure
A photo of Dublin and Blessington Steam Tram No. 10 at Terenure.
© South Dublin Libraries. Courtesy of Mr Richard Casserley.Steam Tram No. 10 at Terenure
© South Dublin Libraries. Courtesy of Mr Richard Casserley.
© South Dublin Libraries. Courtesy of Mr Richard Casserley.
Steam Tram No. 10 at Terenure
A photo of Dublin and Blessington Steam Tram No. 10 at Terenure.
© South Dublin Libraries. Courtesy of Mr Richard Casserley.On 1 August 1880, almost 125 years before the Luas, the first tram system began to operate in Dublin. It was called the Dublin and Blessington Steam Tramway (DBST). It served the people of Dublin and Wicklow for more than fifty years before stopping in 1932.
Terminus at Blessington
Dublin and Blessington Steam Tramway former terminus and ticket office at Blessington, 1932.
© South Dublin Libraries. Courtesy of Mr Richard Casserley.Terminus at Blessington
© South Dublin Libraries. Courtesy of Mr Richard Casserley.
© South Dublin Libraries. Courtesy of Mr Richard Casserley.
Terminus at Blessington
Dublin and Blessington Steam Tramway former terminus and ticket office at Blessington, 1932.
© South Dublin Libraries. Courtesy of Mr Richard Casserley.The DBST was an important development in public transport for Dublin and some of its surrounding areas. Before the tramway, the nearest train or tram transport was from Clondalkin. This was 5 kilometres from Tallaght, Harristown or Naas and 13 kilometres from Blessington. The tram served the important cattle and sheep fairs of Blessington and the De Selby Quarries at Jobstown, making it an important trade link.
Beware Excited Horses
Tram Tracks at Terenure
A photo of tram tracks at Terenure in 1932.
© South Dublin Libraries. Courtesy of Mr Richard Casserley.Tram Tracks at Terenure
© South Dublin Libraries. Courtesy of Mr Richard Casserley.
© South Dublin Libraries. Courtesy of Mr Richard Casserley.
Tram Tracks at Terenure
A photo of tram tracks at Terenure in 1932.
© South Dublin Libraries. Courtesy of Mr Richard Casserley.The DBST connected Blessington to Dublin City via Terenure. There was a tram terminus at Terenure, where passengers and freight could access the Dublin tram service further into Dublin City. This picture was taken in 1932 and shows the tram tracks in Terenure.
Steam Tram at Templeogue
Photo of a Dublin and Blessington Steam Tram at Templeogue, 1929.
© South Dublin Libraries. Courtesy of Mr. Richard Casserley.Steam Tram at Templeogue
© South Dublin Libraries. Courtesy of Mr. Richard Casserley.
© South Dublin Libraries. Courtesy of Mr. Richard Casserley.
Steam Tram at Templeogue
Photo of a Dublin and Blessington Steam Tram at Templeogue, 1929.
© South Dublin Libraries. Courtesy of Mr. Richard Casserley.From Terenure, the tram passed through an iron gateway on to the Templeogue Road and ran along the lefthand side of the road.
Over the years, many people were killed in accidents involving trams. However, most were not actually struck by trams but were thrown from their horses, which were frightened by the noise.
Running Out of Steam
During the period 1920 to 1922, the fighting in the Irish Civil War destroyed the DBST track in a number of places. Normal operations were disrupted as a result of this. During this time, business was also lost to road hauliers.
Dublin and Blessington Steam Tram
© South Dublin Libraries. Courtesy of Mr Richard Casserley.
© South Dublin Libraries. Courtesy of Mr Richard Casserley.
By the time the Civil War had ended, increasing competition from lorries and the arrival of buses reduced the demand for the tram service further. The service had never managed to become profitable. The last trams ran on Saturday 31 December 1932, having served the people of Dublin and Wicklow since 1888.