Northern Ireland Screen's Digital Film Archive is a free public access resource for teachers, students, historians and anyone who has an interest in moving images. Spanning from 1897 to the present day, the films in the Digital Film Archive cover all aspects of life in Northern Ireland and includes everything from dramas to documentaries, newsreels and features, animation to amateur footage.
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Shane's Castle
Share in a rarely realised dream, as railway buff Lord O’Neill creates his own steam railway.
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Overview
See the ancient seat of the O’Neill’s; the powerful Irish clan associated with the red hand of Ulster. A fire in 1816 reduced the castle to the ruins you see in this film. Lord O’Neill opened the estate as an attraction starring this narrow gauge railway from 1971 until it closed in 1995. It was pieced together from rescued steam and diesel locomotives along with ex-Donegal Railways railcars and Belgian trams. Archie Reid captures both on glorious sunny day at Shane’s Castle.
Lord O’Neill is an avid collector and president of the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland. His love of trains began during World War II in a London bomb shelter. The shelter was owned by a member of the Model Engineering Society who would give him their journal to read. A lifelong passion blossomed from this kind distraction from the air raids.
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