Posted online: Feb 15th, 2007

A number of rare books about the days when Donegal had an extensive railway network have been donated to the Jason Clarke Foundation charity bookshop in Ballybofey.

The books were donated to the shop manager Danny McIntyre by Joseph Curran, whose late father Mr. B.L. Curran was the former manager of the County Donegal Joint Railways Committee when the last train ran through the Finn Valley to Donegal Town in 1959.

Among the pick of the books donated by Mr. Curran are Donegal Railway Company Rules and Regulations which was printed in 1893 and circulated to all its engineering staff; Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway Co. Rules and Regulations which was printed in 1909 and issued for the guidance of all officers and men of that company and The Tourist Programme for the County Donegal Railways which was printed in 1914.

The latter publication is really a work of art in hardback and contains the train timetables of the time; the excursion fares on offer, maps of the routes and is beautifully illustrated with black and white pictures of all the beauty spots throughout Donegal.

Danny McIntyre, whose is well known for his charity work, said that the books were in pristine condition and anyone interested in putting in an offer for them should contact him on 087 6709568.