0:00:04 > 0:00:10In 1840, one man transformed travel in Britain and Ireland.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12His name was George Bradshaw
0:00:12 > 0:00:17and his railway guides inspired the Victorians to take to the tracks.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21Stop by stop, he told them where to travel,
0:00:21 > 0:00:24what to see and where to stay.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28Now, 170 years later, I'm making a series of journeys
0:00:28 > 0:00:31across the length and breadth of these islands
0:00:31 > 0:00:34to see what of Bradshaw's world remains.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59For the first time on my railway adventures, I've crossed the Irish Sea,
0:00:59 > 0:01:05using my 19th century Bradshaw's Descriptive Railway Handbook of Great Britain and Ireland.
0:01:05 > 0:01:10The book gives a fascinating glimpse of an Ireland that, at the time of writing,
0:01:10 > 0:01:14was one Ireland under the reign of Queen Victoria.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16But, of most interest to me,
0:01:16 > 0:01:19it was also experiencing a railway revolution.
0:01:21 > 0:01:28'On this stretch I'll be discovering an industrial railway built on inhospitable bogs.'
0:01:28 > 0:01:34- What scale of rail operation do you have?- In total, 600km of permanent rail line.
0:01:34 > 0:01:38Admiring a marvel of Victorian railway engineering.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42It's certainly worth seeing the viaduct from here.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46It soars above the town and it's this wonderful combination of iron and stone.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50And unearthing extraordinary underground secrets.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54- So now we're at the sharp end? - Yes. This is where it all happens.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57Just mind your footing. Follow me is probably the best thing.
0:01:58 > 0:02:03Having visited 19th century Ireland's first railway lines in Dublin,
0:02:03 > 0:02:06I'm now following their expansion out from the capital.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10My route takes me North, where, having crossed the border,
0:02:10 > 0:02:13I'll take in the dramatic scenery of the North East coast,
0:02:13 > 0:02:16finishing up in Derry, Londonderry.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21This stretch starts in the rural Midlands, west of Dublin,
0:02:21 > 0:02:23then rejoins the east coast mainline,
0:02:23 > 0:02:26taking in the fishing town of Balbriggan, en route to Drogheda.
0:02:28 > 0:02:35I'm making a slight detour inland from my coastal route, northwards through the Republic of Ireland,
0:02:35 > 0:02:38because I'm intrigued by this entry in Bradshaw's.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42"Nearly one-fifth part of this county is occupied by bog,
0:02:42 > 0:02:47"including a considerable portion of the great chain of morasses, termed the Bog of Allen."
0:02:47 > 0:02:50And now Bradshaw suddenly breaks into verse.
0:02:50 > 0:02:56"Great Bog of Allen swallow down that odious heap called Philipstown.
0:02:56 > 0:03:02"And if thy maw can swallow more, pray take and welcome Tullamore.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07"These two unhappy towns are planted in the very heart
0:03:07 > 0:03:10"of this most desolate bog", says Bradshaw's.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13With a build-up like that, who can resist visiting?
0:03:14 > 0:03:21The rhyme quoted in my guidebook is typical of 19th century attitudes to Ireland's extensive bogs.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25They were seen as barren lands, a cause of poverty and misery,
0:03:25 > 0:03:27ripe for reform.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30To see this remarkable landscape for myself,
0:03:30 > 0:03:35I'm leaving the train on the edge of the ancient Bog of Allen.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41So, my trip to the desolate bog
0:03:41 > 0:03:45begins at the somewhat isolated station of Enfield.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50These days, much of the bogland
0:03:50 > 0:03:54would be unrecognisable to Victorian eyes.
0:03:54 > 0:03:58Vast swathes of the landscape have been transformed by the peat industry,
0:03:58 > 0:04:01which harvests around four million tonnes a year.
0:04:01 > 0:04:06I'm guided by peat worker Justin McCarthy.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09Very good to see you. Would this be the notorious Bog of Allen?
0:04:09 > 0:04:13It would be part of Bog of Allen that will stretch across the Midlands of Ireland.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16How extensive are these bogs in Ireland?
0:04:16 > 0:04:21- 17% of the total landmass of Ireland is bogland.- That's amazing.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26The bogs have developed over thousands of years
0:04:26 > 0:04:30as layers of dead plant material have built up in wetland areas.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34This eventually transforms into carbon-rich peat -
0:04:34 > 0:04:38a resource which has long been exploited by the locals.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43- So this is peat and it's useful stuff?- It is, yeah.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47Traditionally it would have been used to provide fuel for domestic homes.
0:04:47 > 0:04:52Probably, over the last two or three centuries, it would have been cut by had into sods
0:04:52 > 0:04:56and the sods would have been turned during the summer to be air-dried.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59That provided fuel and cooking fuel for the winter time.
0:05:01 > 0:05:06For most of the 19th century, as the world enjoyed a love affair with coal,
0:05:06 > 0:05:08peat was seen as an inferior fuel.
0:05:08 > 0:05:13While a few industrialists experimented with it, creating new products like briquettes,
0:05:13 > 0:05:18many felt that the bogs would best be drained and converted for agriculture.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22By the early 20th century,
0:05:22 > 0:05:26peat's potential value as an alternative form of energy was realised
0:05:26 > 0:05:29and, for the first time, a serious peat industry grew up.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33You're now doing this on an industrial scale.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37We are. It probably was brought to a head by the Second World War
0:05:37 > 0:05:40and the fuel shortages that were caused throughout Europe
0:05:40 > 0:05:44due to the emergency, as we call it, the Second World War.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47We decided to invest in our own future here
0:05:47 > 0:05:50and provide an indigenous source of fuel on an industrial scale
0:05:50 > 0:05:54that wouldn't leave us open to threats of shortages of fuel internationally.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57Is it still used mainly in people's homes?
0:05:57 > 0:06:00Most of what we do is to provide electricity.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03The peat that you're looking at is loaded here
0:06:03 > 0:06:06and brought to a power station and burned to make electricity.
0:06:06 > 0:06:10These days, peat extraction is controversial.
0:06:10 > 0:06:15It's estimated that over three-quarters of the Republic's bogs have already been lost,
0:06:15 > 0:06:20with side effects including loss of wildlife and the release of greenhouse gases.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23This company has made a commitment to drain no new areas,
0:06:23 > 0:06:28concentrating on bogs like this, first drained 40 years ago.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30How do you get rid of the water?
0:06:30 > 0:06:32It's about drainage.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35We have to dig outfalls around the periphery of the bog
0:06:35 > 0:06:38and, internally, we put in these ditch drains here.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41If you like, it's like a big grid of drains,
0:06:41 > 0:06:4450 foot apart, right across the bog.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49The harvesting is done by machines
0:06:49 > 0:06:52which scrape off the top layer of peat.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56Once the peat has been exhausted, plans for so-called cutaway bogs
0:06:56 > 0:06:59include turning them into nature reserves and even wind farms,
0:06:59 > 0:07:01but that's not what I've come to see.
0:07:01 > 0:07:07Amazingly, this soggy environment supports a huge railway network.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10Justin, I'm amazed by what I'm seeing here.
0:07:10 > 0:07:15I assumed I'd see you putting down sleepers and laying each track on each side, but none of that.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18This is just a Meccano kit. It's all ready-made.
0:07:18 > 0:07:23It's all pre-assembled and the lads put down around 400 yards every day.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25- 400 yards of track?- Yeah.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29Railways are the perfect way to transport peat
0:07:29 > 0:07:32because the weight can be spread across the boggy ground.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35The lines being laid are temporary tracks,
0:07:35 > 0:07:40but this bog is also home to a network of permanent lines.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43What scale of rail operation do you have here?
0:07:43 > 0:07:47- In total, 600km of permanent rail line.- That's amazing.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50That's almost like a national system.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54It's actually probably the biggest industrial railway in Europe.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57What quantity of rolling stock do you have?
0:07:57 > 0:08:00We have 200 locos and 1,600 wagons.
0:08:00 > 0:08:05- You really are a major railway. - It's huge. It's actually huge.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10Since peat reserves are finite, the future of the industry is uncertain.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13But, for the next few years at least,
0:08:13 > 0:08:16the bog trains will continue their work.
0:08:20 > 0:08:26'Having changed trains in Dublin, I'm now rejoining my south to north route,
0:08:26 > 0:08:30'on the Dublin to Drogheda line, completed in 1844.
0:08:35 > 0:08:40'My next stop is a seaside town with a rich history.'
0:08:40 > 0:08:44I'm now headed for Balbriggan, which my Bradshaw's guide tells me
0:08:44 > 0:08:50has "a harbour inside a pier, 600ft long, with a fixed light,
0:08:50 > 0:08:54"35ft high, visible ten miles distant."
0:08:54 > 0:08:59And he says, "The Cargee half tide rock lies one mile northeast.
0:08:59 > 0:09:03"I get the impression of a community that lived from the sea
0:09:03 > 0:09:06"and with great respect for the sea."
0:09:08 > 0:09:12'In Bradshaw's day, however, Balbriggan was more than just a fishing town.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15My guidebook writes of "the stocking, linen
0:09:15 > 0:09:20"and embroidery trades flourishing here in the 19th century."
0:09:20 > 0:09:23'Before I arrive I want to see whether my fellow passengers know
0:09:23 > 0:09:26'of this textile heritage.'
0:09:27 > 0:09:30I'm heading for Balbriggan. Do you know it?
0:09:30 > 0:09:33I live in Balbriggan, yeah. It's a lovely place.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36It actually means, the town of the small hills.
0:09:36 > 0:09:40In Irish it's 'Baile Brigin'. I've lived there all my life.
0:09:40 > 0:09:46In the old days, apparently, it used to manufacture stockings. Do you know anything about that?
0:09:46 > 0:09:50That's right, yeah. Down in Drogheda Street they made socks.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53I think it was called Smith's.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56- They used to make socks for the Queen.- For Queen Victoria?- Yeah.
0:09:56 > 0:10:01I'm not too sure if it was Queen Victoria, but they made socks there.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04What sort of socks or stockings did she wear?
0:10:04 > 0:10:07I couldn't tell you that. That's classified.
0:10:07 > 0:10:11- But they came from Balbriggan? - They came from Balbriggan, yeah.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16In fact, Balbriggan's textiles were once so famous that the
0:10:16 > 0:10:21town's name became a byword for a type of knitted cotton.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24I'm getting off at the harbourside station to see what this place
0:10:24 > 0:10:27is known for today.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29Even from the station, even from the train,
0:10:29 > 0:10:33it looks a charming, charming place.
0:10:41 > 0:10:46By the time the railway reached Balbriggan in 1844,
0:10:46 > 0:10:49the textile trade was well established, and after the rails
0:10:49 > 0:10:53arrived it continued to expand, with new factories built beside the line.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57And the story about the royal penchant for Balbriggan's wares
0:10:57 > 0:10:59seems to be true.
0:10:59 > 0:11:04Indeed, one Thomas Mangan, who was a hosier with the company Smyth,
0:11:04 > 0:11:08supplied Queen Victoria with stockings for more than 60 years.
0:11:08 > 0:11:13In recognition of that, she sent him a signed photograph of herself,
0:11:13 > 0:11:14commending him for being
0:11:14 > 0:11:18a "conscientious worker, though in a humble position."
0:11:19 > 0:11:23Well into the 1900s the town continued to be famous
0:11:23 > 0:11:27for stockings, long johns and other underwear,
0:11:27 > 0:11:28but by the end of the century,
0:11:28 > 0:11:32the industry had succumbed to competition from cheap imports.
0:11:33 > 0:11:37These days no trace of the stocking industry remains,
0:11:37 > 0:11:41but the railway is still here overlooking the lighthouse
0:11:41 > 0:11:43mentioned in my Bradshaw's guide.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47The town sustains a modest fishing industry, mainly for prawns,
0:11:47 > 0:11:49so I've come for a chat with some local fishermen
0:11:49 > 0:11:54to see how the rails and the sea have shaped the town.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59Gentlemen, would you mind if I while away a few moments with you?
0:11:59 > 0:12:00No, certainly I'd be delighted.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02Great to see you. Lovely summer evening.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05Your lighthouse is rather famous, I think.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08The lighthouse dates back to the time the harbour was built.
0:12:08 > 0:12:13Roughly, 1761 onwards, right?
0:12:13 > 0:12:15OK.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17It's one of the oldest ones in the country,
0:12:17 > 0:12:20still standing, in the same spot without being changed,
0:12:20 > 0:12:24except that it lost its top. It used to have a bell on top.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27Does it show a light any more?
0:12:27 > 0:12:30It does. It's only a guiding light. It's not really a sea light.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32But it is used for guidance?
0:12:32 > 0:12:36It is used in guidance but it wouldn't be any use in fog.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42Until the 1960s the lighthouse had a much brighter beam,
0:12:42 > 0:12:47but even then, resourceful fishermen found other ways to help them into
0:12:47 > 0:12:48the safety of the harbour.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51So, what navigational tricks do the sailors use?
0:12:51 > 0:12:55If it was foggy and you were coming in, you'd listen for the train
0:12:55 > 0:12:56going across the bridge.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00You'd know then the harbour was near, so you'd follow the sound.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04It's one of the few viaducts in the country that runs over a harbour.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08- 11 arches.- 11 arches, yeah.
0:13:09 > 0:13:14These days fishermen have computer systems to help them, but the trains
0:13:14 > 0:13:19passing over the viaduct still drum out the rhythms of Balbriggan life.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23These fishermen even use the sounds of the trains to tell them
0:13:23 > 0:13:24when it's home time.
0:13:24 > 0:13:29Well, there's one particular train, the cup o'scald train.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33The cup o'scald train would mean the cup of tea train.
0:13:33 > 0:13:37To scald the kettle, if you know the phrase.
0:13:37 > 0:13:42In Ireland they either said, "to wet the tea", or "scald the tea".
0:13:42 > 0:13:43They never said, "make the tea".
0:13:43 > 0:13:45And it means to go...?
0:13:45 > 0:13:50- It means to go home.- And enjoy a cup of tea?- Yes, simple as that.
0:13:50 > 0:13:55But, still, probably the most famous train in the harbour, at the moment.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01Well, I don't know about the cup o'scald train, but it's time
0:14:01 > 0:14:04for me to get some rest, and with the sound of locomotives
0:14:04 > 0:14:09and lapping waves to lull me to sleep, Balbriggan will do just fine.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21Day two of my journey and I'm back on the tracks.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30I'm travelling on what's now the Dublin to Belfast mainline,
0:14:30 > 0:14:34built in three stages by three different companies.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37I'm on the southern stretch, completed in 1844,
0:14:37 > 0:14:41and my immediate destination was for a while the terminus of the line.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43My next stop is Drogheda
0:14:43 > 0:14:47and my Bradshaw's says that it enjoys a good trade in Irish produce
0:14:47 > 0:14:52and that small craft can come up to the quays from the sea,
0:14:52 > 0:14:54which is six miles distant.
0:14:54 > 0:14:59Which makes the town sound peaceful enough, but it sits upon a river,
0:14:59 > 0:15:03the Boyne, which gave its name to one of the most decisive battles
0:15:03 > 0:15:06in the history of the British Isles.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11At the close of the 17th century,
0:15:11 > 0:15:15a bloody battle was fought on Irish soil between rival Catholic
0:15:15 > 0:15:18and Protestant British kings.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23As my Bradshaw's says, on the 10th July 1690,
0:15:23 > 0:15:26the famous Battle of the Boyne took place,
0:15:26 > 0:15:30when King William III utterly defeated the Jacobite party.
0:15:30 > 0:15:35They were the supporters of the deposed King James II, the Catholic.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39The battle was fought at Oldbridge, three miles above the town.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41And that battle set the course of Irish history.
0:15:43 > 0:15:4560,000 men took part,
0:15:45 > 0:15:48making it the biggest pitched battle ever on British or Irish soil.
0:15:49 > 0:15:54But the Victorian era also left its mark on Drogheda town.
0:15:55 > 0:15:59What's lured me here is this dramatic feat of engineering.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08The 30 metre high Boyne viaduct took four years to build,
0:16:08 > 0:16:12and created an uninterrupted rail route from Dublin to Belfast
0:16:12 > 0:16:14that survives to this day.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19The bridge has been updated since Bradshaw's day
0:16:19 > 0:16:22but much of the original structure remains.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26I'm taking a tour with local museum archivist Brendan Matthews.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32- Hello, Michael.- Hi, good to see you. - Pleased to meet you.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34I've come to admire your wonderful viaduct.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36Yeah, a fantastic piece of work.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41By 1849, railway lines reaching north from Dublin
0:16:41 > 0:16:45and south from Belfast had reached the banks of the river Boyne, but
0:16:45 > 0:16:51there could be no through service without spanning its 167m width.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53The building of this wonderful bridge,
0:16:53 > 0:16:56how significant was it in the history of Irish railways?
0:16:56 > 0:17:02Hugely significant. It was the last piece of the jigsaw, if you like.
0:17:02 > 0:17:06It was to link the great cities at the time, of Belfast and Dublin.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08What did you do, if you were a passenger,
0:17:08 > 0:17:10before the bridge was built?
0:17:10 > 0:17:14Initially to get the passengers from one side of the river to the other,
0:17:14 > 0:17:16they were brought around on coaches.
0:17:16 > 0:17:17Horses and carts, and so on.
0:17:17 > 0:17:22There was a man employed to do this, called Thomas Simcox, from Drogheda.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26He would bus the passengers around, roughly about a mile,
0:17:26 > 0:17:30to go down through the town of Drogheda, crossing Mary's Bridge,
0:17:30 > 0:17:33through the town on the north side, and then they would board a train
0:17:33 > 0:17:36on the opposite bank of the river.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41A bridge was the obvious solution but raising the capital
0:17:41 > 0:17:45was impossible in famine-ravaged 19th century Ireland.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48By the 1850s however the money had been found,
0:17:48 > 0:17:53and civil engineer John Macneill was commissioned to produce a design.
0:17:53 > 0:17:58He decided on a latticework viaduct, supported by 15 masonry arches
0:17:58 > 0:17:59and two vast piers.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03Construction began in 1851,
0:18:03 > 0:18:06and for the town of Drogheda it was a godsend.
0:18:06 > 0:18:10It would have created an awful lot of work, quarry and stone, for instance.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12Craftsmen, stonecutters, stonemasons,
0:18:12 > 0:18:16steeplejacks in order to build the pillars.
0:18:16 > 0:18:22So, the coming of the railway and building of the viaduct created work.
0:18:22 > 0:18:26- And pride?- And real pride. It helped enormously because,
0:18:26 > 0:18:30as the famine ended, Drogheda responded more rapidly
0:18:30 > 0:18:32because of the railway being here.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36It was able to respond and get out of the depths of depression
0:18:36 > 0:18:38of the great famine.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41It was able to get out much more rapidly because of the railway.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46The ambitious project wasn't completed until 1855,
0:18:46 > 0:18:50but the first train journey took place some two years before.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52Under pressure to link Dublin with Belfast
0:18:52 > 0:18:55for the Dublin exhibition of 1853,
0:18:55 > 0:18:59a temporary wooden structure was erected and put to use.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02There was a train carrying two wagons,
0:19:02 > 0:19:06and they put on board between 45 and 50 labourers.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09Interesting that they mentioned that it was labourers
0:19:09 > 0:19:11they put on board to test it out, if you like.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14They put these 45 to 50 labourers on board,
0:19:14 > 0:19:16the whole lot weighing 75 tonnes.
0:19:16 > 0:19:21That was the initial train to come across on the 15th May, 1853.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25Newspapers varied in saying between 8,000-10,000 people who turned out
0:19:25 > 0:19:26to see this happening.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29They would have never seen anything like this,
0:19:29 > 0:19:32a great piece of achievement and a great marvel.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35Great for the economy of Drogheda, as well.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38- And for the morale of the people? - And for the morale of the people.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41It was absolutely fantastic, yeah.
0:19:41 > 0:19:46By 1855, the wooden latticing had been replaced by iron,
0:19:46 > 0:19:49making this the longest section of latticed ironwork
0:19:49 > 0:19:51in the world.
0:19:51 > 0:19:55But not everybody welcomed this engineering triumph.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59People had a fear of actually travelling over this.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02And so many continued their journey by horse and cart
0:20:02 > 0:20:05to go from one side to the other and time had to be allowed
0:20:05 > 0:20:08for the train to wait on these people to come around
0:20:08 > 0:20:10and board from one side to the other.
0:20:10 > 0:20:14The original ironwork was replaced by steel when the bridge
0:20:14 > 0:20:16was refurbished in the 1930s.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19But the Victorian masonry piers are still in place.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22Before I leave, Brendan's bought me to the riverbank,
0:20:22 > 0:20:25the best place to appreciate the scale of this achievement.
0:20:25 > 0:20:30Brendan, it's certainly worth seeing the viaduct from here, isn't it?
0:20:30 > 0:20:31It soars above the town
0:20:31 > 0:20:34in this wonderful combination of iron and stone.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38Absolutely. A marvel in its day when it was constructed.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42I see there are pillars built into the river. How difficult was that?
0:20:42 > 0:20:44Very difficult by all accounts.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48They would have used a method called a coffer dam,
0:20:48 > 0:20:52which are metal plates formed into a square tank, if you like,
0:20:52 > 0:20:56around the pillars enabling the workmen to work within the tank.
0:20:56 > 0:21:00And the water would have been seeping into this coffer dam,
0:21:00 > 0:21:04and because of that they brought in the bales of wool
0:21:04 > 0:21:07to plug the inside of the coffer dam to stop the water from actually
0:21:07 > 0:21:11leaking in, and because of that reason, people had
0:21:11 > 0:21:15the belief that the actual viaduct was built on a foundation
0:21:15 > 0:21:16of cotton wool,
0:21:16 > 0:21:19so therefore people refused to travel over the bridge by train.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23- Not good for confidence. - Absolutely not good for confidence.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27Apparently the urban myth still persists.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30But I'm not getting the chance to test the bridge just yet.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34My last train journey of the day is taking me west
0:21:34 > 0:21:35on a branch line from Drogheda.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38And although it's mentioned in my Bradshaw's,
0:21:38 > 0:21:41it is not a service you'll find in any modern timetable.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45Since I've been in the Republic of Ireland
0:21:45 > 0:21:48I've been riding on railway lines that were built for passengers,
0:21:48 > 0:21:52but this branch off the main Dublin to Belfast line was
0:21:52 > 0:21:56built for passengers and freight, and now is a freight line only.
0:21:56 > 0:22:01And this massive, veteran American-built locomotive
0:22:01 > 0:22:05seems the best way for me to hitch a ride to my next destination.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11I'm on my way to Navan,
0:22:11 > 0:22:15along the line which until the 1950s was used by passengers.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19Nowadays it's a different load that travels these tracks, zinc and lead.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24I'm bound for a vast mine
0:22:24 > 0:22:26which extract millions of tons of ore each year.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33This island's metal industry has roots stretching back
0:22:33 > 0:22:35to Bradshaw's day and beyond.
0:22:35 > 0:22:37I'm getting the story from Owen O'Neill
0:22:37 > 0:22:40who's worked at this mine for 28 years.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45- Owen, hello.- Michael, very welcome.- Good to see you.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49This looks like a formidable operation here. Pretty big.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53Yes, it's Europe's largest lead zinc mine, the sixth largest in the world.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56I don't think of Ireland as a mining country.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58In my ignorance, I thought it was agricultural,
0:22:58 > 0:23:00but has there been a lot of mining?
0:23:00 > 0:23:03There's a rich heritage of mining in Ireland.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06We were mining back as early as the Bronze Age
0:23:06 > 0:23:08and there were traces of copper and gold.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12In the 18th and 19th century with the Industrial Revolution,
0:23:12 > 0:23:15mining became more popular again.
0:23:16 > 0:23:22These new mines provided industrial Britain with much-needed metals.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25With the advent of electricity, copper especially boomed.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29Used for example in the telegraph wires encircling the globe.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33At one stage, 19th century Ireland boasted mines in almost every
0:23:33 > 0:23:38county, but by the end of the century a fall in metal prices
0:23:38 > 0:23:40caused the industry to slump.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44It wasn't until the mid-20th century
0:23:44 > 0:23:47that interest in metal mining was revived.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51Exploration began, and in 1970, this huge reserve
0:23:51 > 0:23:54of zinc and lead was discovered.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57We produce approximately 2.7 million tonnes
0:23:57 > 0:24:00from the underground operation.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03We process it in our milling section here
0:24:03 > 0:24:07and produce then about 360,000 tonnes of zinc concentrate.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10Zinc from this mine is used to galvanise steel,
0:24:10 > 0:24:13protecting it from rust and extending its life
0:24:13 > 0:24:16in modern products from car bodies to road signs.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20And I'm pleased to see you using the railways.
0:24:20 > 0:24:24Yes, railways are very important for us. They are 100% reliable.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28- Each train is carrying what kind of weight?- About 600 tonnes.
0:24:28 > 0:24:33And we have approximately three trains per day, on average.
0:24:33 > 0:24:38This is metal mining on a scale the Victorians could only dream of.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42I'm taking a trip deep underground to see it first hand.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46I'd like to introduce you to Joe Rice, your guide.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49- Pleased to meet you, Michael. - And we're going down in there?
0:24:49 > 0:24:51I'm going to put you into the front seat there.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53Belt up and we'll head away.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57Amazingly, the mine's 400-plus workers all reach
0:24:57 > 0:24:59the underground workings by 4x4.
0:24:59 > 0:25:00This is extraordinary to me,
0:25:00 > 0:25:04because I'm used to coalmines where you go down in a cage.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07- But we're just going to drive away. - Driving down the decline.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10That's the main access into the mine now.
0:25:11 > 0:25:15The journey takes about 15 minutes by car and covers around four miles.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18So this is like driving down a multi-storey car park,
0:25:18 > 0:25:19except you just keep going, don't you?
0:25:19 > 0:25:21Keep going, yeah.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23How far are you going to take us today?
0:25:23 > 0:25:26We will bring you down about 600 metres.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29- 600 metres deep.- Vertical, yeah.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32It is 1,000 metres, but we not just going right to the bottom.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35Unless you want to, I could bring you right down.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38- No, 600 metres will do me. - It's not bad.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42With an astonishing 120 kilometres of underground roads here
0:25:42 > 0:25:45I am very glad I'm with a knowledgeable guide.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48- OK, Michael. We're here. - Now we're at the sharp end.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51This is where it all happens.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54Just mind your footing and follow me is probably the best thing.
0:25:54 > 0:25:5719th century Ireland's mines were small
0:25:57 > 0:26:00and used basic technology to extract the metal.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04Here, much of the work is done by huge drilling machines
0:26:04 > 0:26:05which bore deep into the rock.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10- Right, Michael. We have the machine operator, Declan.- Declan, hello.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13- Michael.- I guess it's going to be quite noisy, is it?- Very noisy.
0:26:13 > 0:26:18Wear the earplugs definitely. And the earmuffs if you have them.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21The drill makes holes up to 80 metres long,
0:26:21 > 0:26:23which are then loaded with powerful explosive.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27So, actually, the key to getting the stuff out is to blow it out.
0:26:27 > 0:26:28Or blast it out, yes.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31- Oh, yeah.- That's fantastic.
0:26:31 > 0:26:35- The whole thing is on such a massive scale.- It is.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39The extracted ore is then taken to the surface
0:26:39 > 0:26:42to be crushed and processed,
0:26:42 > 0:26:44then exported abroad to be smelted.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48Much of the lead will be used in batteries, while the zinc
0:26:48 > 0:26:52finds its way into everything from washing machines to screws.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55And would you expect that as you keep spiralling down
0:26:55 > 0:26:57you're going to find more and more?
0:26:57 > 0:26:58We're very hopeful.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01We have, for years and years, back in the Eighties and Nineties,
0:27:01 > 0:27:04we have always been finding as much as we have mined.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06It has maybe thinned out a little bit
0:27:06 > 0:27:10but we are always hopeful that we will hit the bonanza.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13And maybe the real old body's out there.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16The mother lode, as they call it. We're hopeful for that.
0:27:18 > 0:27:22Whether or not they discover more ore,
0:27:22 > 0:27:25exploring this region with my Bradshaw's Guide,
0:27:25 > 0:27:28I've certainly uncovered a land that's full of surprises.
0:27:29 > 0:27:34Walking the magnificent viaduct at Drogheda reminds me how
0:27:34 > 0:27:38the railways transformed Ireland in Bradshaw's day.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42But seeing tracks laid across a peat bog and watching
0:27:42 > 0:27:46vast quantities of zinc being transported by train convinces me
0:27:46 > 0:27:52that 150 years later, the railway is still a formidable technology.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55On the next stretch of my trip,
0:27:55 > 0:27:59I'll be hunting for ancient relics steered by my Bradshaw's.
0:27:59 > 0:28:03Well, that is a most extraordinary set of stones.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06I suppose Stonehenge-like.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09Learning how 19th century astronomers mapped the stars.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12Well now, John, that I do recognise as a telescope.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15And travelling on a Victorian country railway
0:28:15 > 0:28:18lovingly restored to life.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20I might think I was in the wrong place
0:28:20 > 0:28:23if it weren't for the tell-tale drift of smoke.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:28:46 > 0:28:50Email: subtitling@bbc.co.uk