Railway museum - Local history set in stone

Passionate about local history, Zaneta came to Belturbet from Poland in 2006.

The single mother of two found herself not knowing what to do when her children moved away to study.

As a ”new Irish” she wanted to learn more about Ireland and decided to undertake a culture and heritage course in Cavan Institute. She enjoyed the work experience elements of the course, which she completed at the Belturbet Railway Station Museum, where she has since been working for the past two years.

This position has led her into doing “quite everything” from working with visitors, painting, cleaning, making tea, taking bookings and marketing for the centre.

With a background in co-ordinating events, Zaneta also completed a regional tour guide course, although she largely tends to leave tours of the Belturbet museum to her colleagues who have guiding them since the beginning in 1994.

“They are so knowledgeable, and they have been involved in the station [museum] from the start,” she said.

“It’s their passion, it’s their love, it’s their baby,” she said, mentioning that she likes to “leave it to them".

Previously, the Railway Station was only open to the public for one hour per month for tours, which Zanetta says was “not enough". The station is now open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

“It’s a massive chunk of the history,” Zaneta said, explaining the importance of the station.

It was open between 1885 and 1959, years of “fantastic prosperity”.

"There was a great demand for railway in Belturbet,” she said, explaining that the town was home to “one of the best markets" in the region.

“Market day was crazy,” she said.

The Great Northern Railway constructed the station with a line from Ballyhaise to Belturbet and later Cavan and Leitrim train systems added one connecting Dromod to the town.

“Personally I was never ever interested in trains, in my country trains are not historical,” she said with a laugh.

Explaining the “adventure” of travelling by train, the mother of two planned to come here with her children and go on several excursions by train.

“I really admire local history, to me it’s the best history that you can gain because the remains are around you."

She described train stations as having “double sentimental” value as places where people both met and said goodbye. Families went on holidays, while others went to war.

“There are a lot of memories. You can meet people who have the stories,” she said.

The highlight of working in the station to date was when 102-year-old Annie Brady from Miltown came to the station and remembered taking the train to Belfast, where she met her husband and got married.

“A lot of people have memories like that and it is just incredible,” she said.

The last train departed the station in 1959, which Zanete said was packed with people.

“Everybody knew that it was going to be the last chance to be on the train.”

“I couldn’t find anything better,” Zaneta responded when asked if she enjoyed working at the station.

Speaking on the development of the station, founder George Morrissey said “it’s hugely important” to have the railway station opened as a museum.

“I think it’s wonderful for prosperity for the coming generations.

“It's a hugely important part of the history of the town.

“It’s one thing to have it [the history] on paper, but to have it on the stone and say this is what happened here. I think that’s the most important part.”