On this day, August 1, 1980 a major rail accident happened at Buttevant rail station in Co Cork.
The Dublin Cork express, travelling at approximately 60 mph was derailed at the station as a result of facing points directing the train into a siding. The points had been disconnected from the signal.
Eighteen people were killed and 70 more injured.
The locomotive driver of the ill-fated train was Dublin man Bartholomew Walsh, who at the last minute read the situation and tried to stop the train but that was not possible because of the speed he was travelling.
At the time many media outlets attributed blame to low paid workers. The subsequent report exonerated the low paid workers. The crash happened as a result of a number of errors made at management level.
The train was made up of a mix of old timber and alloy-framed coaches with out of date coupling systems.
That crash and the subsequent one at Cherryville Junction made the State take action and begin a project to update the rail system.
At the public inquiry loco driver Bartholomew Walsh gave an excellent report of what had happened and how he reacted. The driver did everything according to the book.
Buttevant Station closed in 1977. It first opened to passenger traffic in 1849.
The locomotive on the ill-fated 10.00 express Heuston Cork service was 075, which may still be in service on non-passenger work with Irish Rail.
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