AN Ennis man was so passionately angry about the moving of an old steam engine to another location at the weekend that he staged a protest by sitting in the cab while it was lifted and transported to a new base in west Clare.
As a result he became the first passenger since 1961 to travel on old west Clare locomotive.
Later, a bonfire greeted the arrival of the locomotive engine in Moyasta, where three miles of tracks had been laid. It is hoped that the engine, which was immortalised in song by Percy French's Are You Right There Michael? will be able to run again before the end of the year.
Mr Oliver Moylan of Ennis Chamber of Commerce and three members of the Ennis heritage group, Oidhreacht na hInse, who were opposed to the move, had positioned themselves in the engine cab in order to stop the removal of the engine from Ennis railway station to its new base in Moyasta, about 40 miles from Ennis.
Shortly before the locomotive was lifted by crane on to the transport truck, the Oidhreacht na hInse members alighted but Mr Moylan remained on board, disregarding warnings about his safety.
The locomotive left Ennis with Mr Moylan on board followed by a cavalcade of cars and supporters of the move.
The first stop on the journey west was at Fanny O'Dea's pub in Lissycasey, where Mr Joe Taylor of the West Clare Railway Committee presented Mr Moylan with a glass of hot whiskey "to show there are no hard feelings".
The locomotive reached Kilrush, near Moyasta, shortly before 8 p.m. where Mr Moylan addressed the waiting crowd before leaving the engine cab.
He said he did not want them all to think that it would have an easy ride back to Kilrush and that was why he was there under protest.
Responding to Mr Moylan, Fine Gael Senator Madeleine Taylor Quinn said she was delighted to see the passenger on board as it was good for publicity and advertising.