Mayo man Noel Hoban makes tracks after 30 years with Irish Rail

By Tom Gillespie

THE haltkeeper at Castlebar railway station, Noel Hoban, retired last Monday after 30 years, and a third generation family member, with Irish Rail.

In an interview with Tom Gillespie, Noel looked back on a career on the railway and recalled:

When Noel Hoban’s grandfather, Mick Kennedy, married Kate Conway and set up home at Manulla Junction, it was far from the quiet, idyllic place it is today.

Civil war was raging and the Black and Tans were making a nuisance of themselves everywhere. Those early years saw the signal cabin blown up, among other atrocities.

Mick worked in the pumphouse feeding coal to the great burner, which in turn powered the pump to supply water from the adjoining lake to the water columns in Manulla Junction for the steam engines.

They had three children - Michael Joe, John and Mae. John had the B factor as he worked stations such as Ballina, Bekan and Ballinasloe.

Michael Joe worked for the railway for many years, ending his days in Thurles.

Mae married John Hoban at the tender age of 18 and they set up home in Ballyvary where my dad worked as a porter on the platform.

Part of his brief was to set out cycling on a Sunday evening to be in Tuam or Athenry to work the fairs the next day. There was no protective forward or wet gear back then, just a real hard slog.

John later became haltkeeper at Manulla Junction and remained there until that station closed in 1965. The Lemass ante railway government was in full swing at that stage with government policy being that Ireland did not need railways at all.

What followed was the plunder and closure of many stations and lines.

Castlebar station lost its station status in 1989 and became a halt.

John transferred to Castlebar and ended his days there as signalman.

They had three children, Bridget, Jimmy and myself. Sadly, Bridget died in infancy, Jimmy close the academic path while I initially close the clothes trade and was actually manager in Heatons in Castlebar up to 1986. Further stints in Prendergast’s and Harlow’s in Roscommon led me back to the railway bug and I joined Irish Rail in 1992 as the third generation.

I trained as a signalman and on completion took up that position in Castlerea.

On arrival in Castlerea in 1992 the town was still reeling from the infamous Hell’s Kitchen Nighthawk’s interview that eclipsed Charlie Haughey and brought down a government. The comments regarding phone tapping of journalists Bruce Arnold and Geraldine Kennedy by Deputy Sean Doherty went virtually unnoticed until the crew arrived back io Montrose.

I enjoyed six years in Castlerea and the highlight was working as signalman in the making of the film Amongst Women.

I always remember my colleagues and I were stall-fed a six-course dinner in the actors double decker bus canteen.

During my time there the Knockroghery derailment happened to the morning passenger ex Heuston and was a serious one. Luckily no one was seriously injured and it had a knock-on effect.

Prior to this the line west of Athlone did not exist on the European map.

As a result of joint government-EU funding, major track laying and new signalling happened. This gave us the streamlined system our customers enjoy today.

I left Castlerea in 1998 and was appointed haltkeeper in Castlebar. A civic reception was accorded to me in October 2001 by Castlebar Town Council, which was a great honour. My colleagues and I collected the All-Ireland Best Intercity Halts Award, which was a great achievement. In 2012 I acted as master of ceremonies for the Titanic 100th anniversary and the following years for the 150th anniversary of Castlebar station.

I have seen a multitude of changes in the railway in my 30 years. Train guards were first to go while the fast-track service was also scrapped.

Signal cabins closed and the all too familiar exchange of staff (the ring) alas no more.

Gate crossings became automated and no more gatekeepers working there.

Booking offices were closed down in favour of machines and online activity.

This is one change I deeply regretted as a retrograde step.

Unmanned stations became the order of the day as shifts were not allowed to be covered. This, too, I disagree with as the amount of people who require help at stations has surged with different nationalities and an ageing population.

The introduction of extra services such as early bird and the 09.45 (train) were excellent innovations and more services are to go on stream in the near future. The future is bright and exciting as public transport is seen as the cleanest, cheapest and most environmentally way to get from A to B - a far cry from the Lemass years.

A resume of my time in Castlebar would not be complete without the GAA connection.

Time after time we sent teams away to All-Irelands and these were magic days. The excitement on the fans faces was a sight to behold but we also had the homecoming trains which were a different kettle of fish.

I remember in the late ‘90s loading gear on the special train bringing the team with men such as John Maughan, Liam McHale, Sean Feeney and the late Johnny Mulvey.

I witnessed our elderly loyal fans who in the latter years have gone to their just rewards without seeing Mayo reach the Holy Grail. The defeats to Donegal and Tyrone I felt hurt the most.

It’s with a heavy heart I left but as the Porter Wagoner song on my album goes, 'I knew this day would come'.