Overview
On the night of 30 January 1925, a gale lifted two carriages of the Derry-to-Burtonport train off the Owencarrow Viaduct and dropped them into the ravine below. Four people died. The railway story is the main reason many people look this river up, and the architectural record of the viaduct describes the surviving stone piers and the accident.
The Owencarrow River itself is the main outflow from Lough Veagh (also spelled Lough Beagh) in County Donegal, running on towards Glen Lough. Two very different things carry its name: a lakeside walk inside Glenveagh National Park, and the viaduct downstream.
Walking the lakeside trail
For a public walk beside the water, use the Glenveagh National Park trails. The park map shows the lakeside approach from the visitor centre, which follows the shore of Lough Veagh. Follow signed routes and keep back from the water.
The walk is linear rather than a loop, so plan how you will get back, and check the park for current visitor centre and shuttle details before you set off.
Along the way the lake shore has stands of mature pine and native holly, rowan and birch. Beyond the lake the ground opens into blanket bog and wet heath, largely treeless but home to specialised bog plants. Glenveagh, founded in 1984 as Ireland’s third national park, is a good base for the wider area.
The 1925 viaduct disaster
The former Letterkenny to Burtonport railway crossed the valley on the Owencarrow Viaduct, built in 1903 by the Londonderry & Lough Swilly Railway Company as part of its narrow-gauge line. For decades the railway carried West Donegal’s passengers, goods and migrant workers out to hiring fairs and the Scottish harvest. Its exposed position in the wind-funnel of the valley was its undoing.
That night in January 1925, in a violent gale, the mail train crossed at around 8pm when a gust flipped two carriages off the rails. One somersaulted, its roof breaking apart and throwing passengers into the rocky gorge below. Four were killed: Philip and Sarah Boyle of Arranmore Island, Una Mulligan of Falcarragh, and Neil Duggan of Meenbunowen. Eight more were badly hurt.
The train’s fireman, John Hannigan, climbed over the wreckage and ran more than two miles in the dark to Creeslough to raise the alarm. Doctors, priests and neighbours worked the ravine by hurricane lamp to reach the survivors. The inquiry that followed brought in hard rules: ballast weights on every train using the line, and a wind gauge that stopped traffic once gusts passed a set limit.
Memorial
A memorial to the four victims was opened in 2021. The remains of the viaduct are separate from the national park walk, so keep clear of the old railway structures and private ground, and do not try to walk onto the viaduct.
Fishing
Fishing on this river is managed by Inland Fisheries Ireland under conservation rules. Do not assume you can fish or cross land here. Check the current rules and permit arrangements with Inland Fisheries Ireland before planning any fishing, and use only access that is clearly public.
Practical information
- Visitor centre and shuttle: opening times and shuttle arrangements change through the year, so confirm current details with Glenveagh National Park before you go.
- Safety: high winds sweep this valley without much warning, as the viaduct’s history makes plain. Check the forecast before you start the lakeside walk.