A grave railway accident transpired on Friday at Knockbrack Quarry, marking the most severe incident to occur on the Limerick Kerry line, managed by Great Southern and Western. A pilot engine, responsible for shunting and en route to Tralee, unexpectedly broke down due to an engine defect, stopping on the line. Unfortunately, this coincided with the arrival of both up and down trains from Limerick and Tralee. The pilot driver sent the fireman to warn the incoming Limerick train, but it was too late. The train collided with the pilot engine at high speed, creating considerable wreckage.
Though many passengers were injured, none lost their lives in the incident. Several carriages were damaged, and one person named Daniel Connolly received slight leg injuries. Dr M’Carthy attended to the injured passengers, and local hotels accommodated the stranded individuals.
Eventually, the Tralee engine towed the damaged engines and carriages into Abbeyfeale station, and the Tralee train was able to continue its journey to Limerick with the mails. A horse trainer named Jeremiah Collins suffered three broken ribs and an arm wound. The morning train from Tralee was delayed by an hour, but the Limerick train arrived on time, carrying Gadd, the superintendent of the railway line, and several engineering staff to assess the situation.
Northants Evening Telegraph – Monday 04 February 1901
