Many people who visit Ireland know how difficult it is to get around using public transport, but in the 19th century getting around was much easier as waterways and railways bloomed in Ireland, Railways were growing fast and in all their varieties until they reached over every county and to the furthest shores. They reached to places as yet untouched by proper roads and enabled the produce and the people of the country to escape their isolation and poverty Some of them have gone from places condemned as desolate and dying and now crying out for suburban railways. Some were in places so remote it seems incredible that the railway every came. For some of these places the railway ages was short, maybe only thirty years.... Excluding existing rail lines, you have these Lost railways * Athenry + Ennis Junction,/ Athenry + Tuam, / Bagenalstown + Wexford,/ Ballymena, Cushendal + Red Bay,/ Ballymena + Larne,/ Cavan + Leitrim,/ Cork, Bandon + South Coast,/ Cork, Blackrock + Passage,/ Cork + Macroom Direct,/ Cork + Muskerry, /Cork + Youghal,/ County Donegal,/ Enniskillen + Bundoran,/ Farranfore + Valentia,/ Fishguard + Rosslare R + Harbour Co,/ Galway-Clifden,/ Listowel + Ballybunion,/ Londonderry + Lough Swilly, /Londonderry + Letterkenny, / Sligo + Ballaghadreen Jcn, / Sligo, Leitrim + Northern Counties, / Tralee + Dingle, / Waterford + Tramore, / Waterford Dungarvan + Lismore, / Westport + Achill Island, / West Clare With waterways and railways starting in early 1800's the following map may help to show the transport available in 1800's for those departing to foreign countries http://www.downrail.co.uk/history/photos/Map_Rail_Ireland_Viceregal_Commission_1906.jpg One also has to take into account how News/Gossip etc was spread along these lines of communication, how people moved around...met others, etc... Not quite the Internet but not a bad Inter-Net!