Description

Cyril McIntyre’s Wheels Around Connaught is an extensively researched, nostalgic, and visually spectacular historical survey documenting the revolution of transport infrastructure across Ireland’s western province. Covering the counties of Galway, Mayo, Roscommon, Sligo, and Leitrim, this volume traces the critical transitions that reshaped regional mobility from the 19th century into the mid-20th century. McIntyre utilizes a wealth of rare, meticulously restored archival photographs, engineering records, and local transport timetables to tell the story of a region breaking free from geographic isolation. The book provides exhaustive details on the expansion of the branch line steam railways, the introduction of the first commercial charabancs and rural bus fleets, the pioneering motorists who braved unpaved western roads, and the coastal shipping vessels that serviced remote island communities. Beyond the mechanical and infrastructural history, the text emphasizes the profound socio-economic impacts of these transit networks, showing how improved mobility transformed local markets, facilitated emigration, stimulated early tourism, and forever altered the day-to-day lives of the people of Connaught. It is an invaluable resource for industrial historians, vintage transport enthusiasts, and regional heritage collectors.