I am looking for information about how people may have travelled from Athlone to Queenstown in 1849. My ancestors made this journey before sailing for Australia and I would like to know what options they would have had by land or water.
Thank you.
1849 would have been a little early for any sort of Railway option, as far as I can see the Dublin Galway line which went through Athlone opened in the early 1850s and the rote to the south even later. Other than walking, several options would have been available e.g. by carriage - for example Slater's 1846 directory mentions Coaches & Cars to various locations including Dublin, Galway etc nothing directly to anywhere in County Cork but that could have been done on stages, e.g starting in Ballinasloe etc. The Bianconi Coaches would probably have covered at least part of the route.
A second option might have been to travel first to a port, either Dublin of Galway and then take one of the many ships travelling around the coast - e.g. Dublin to Cork or Galway to Cork and Queenstown. Another option might have been to travel on a boat either along one of the Canals to Dublin city or possibly down to Shannon from Athlone to Limerick and then onward to Queenstown by boat..
Thank you very much for this info,Shanew147. You have confirmed what I had researched and added a couple of new ideas. Your reference to Slater's 1846 Directory was a good find. I had also thought that about Bianconi Coaches as potential option. The posibility of travel down the River Shannon to Limerick and then on to Queenstown was one I had considered, but I had not thought of travelling east to Dublin and then by sea to Queenstown - a promising lead. I have looked at the walking time from Athlone to Cobh on Google Maps which shows two routes of approximately 130 miles so that is still in the mix. I suspect my ancestors' journey was a combination of the above and will continue the research.
With appreciation
IrishGreatGrands. .
The most common way to travel between the two cities was by land. There was a well-established road network in Ireland at the time, and the journey would have taken about three days.
Thank you very much for your post. In your opinion, how do you think four sisters between 16 and 25 would have made the journey if it took three days to travel from Athlone to Queenstown?
Irish Great Grands
Irish
The journey between Athlone and Queenstown during the Famine era was a perilous and heartbreaking trek for many Irish families. This route, often taken by those fleeing starvation in hopes of a better life abroad, symbolized both despair and resilience. The journey itself was fraught with hardship, as travelers faced long, grueling hours, often in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions. Reaching Queenstown (now Cobh), they would then embark on an even more uncertain voyage across the Atlantic. Reflecting on this period reminds us of the deep struggles endured and the profound impact this chapter of history has had on Irish identity.