Details of the Fatal Accident

Place Armagh, County Armagh, Northern Ireland
Date Wednesday 12th June 1889
Railway Company Great Northern Railway of Ireland
No. of Fatalities 78
Cause of Accident Insufficient brakes (no automatic brake) to prevent run back of divided train
Description Excursion train was heavily loaded with mostly schoolchildren and so unable to climb steep bank. Driver elected to divide train. Rear portion ran back and collided with following train. 22 of the victims were school children.

Sources/Further Reading

  • Red for Danger, L.T.C. Rolt (Sutton Publishing 1955)
  • The Runaway Train, Armagh 1889. Currie J R L. (David & Charles, 1971)

List of Fatalities

0 of the 78 fatalities that have been identifed so far are listed in the table below together with brief notes on any other information found so far.

The last column shows the General Register Office (England and Wales), Statutory Register (Scotland), General Register Northern Ireland or Civil Registration for Ireland reference where this has been identified.

Surname First Names Age Occupation Residence Notes GRO/SR/GRONI/GROIE Reference