Dublin tramways

Dublin tramways was a system of trams in Dublin, Ireland which commenced line-laying in 1871, and began service in 1872, following trials in the mid-1860s. Established by a number of companies, the majority of the system was eventually operated by forms of the Dublin United Tramways Company (DUTC), dominated for many years by William Martin Murphy. Most of the services ran within the city centre and near suburbs, with the majority of major suburbs served (and many of the remainder handled by mainline rail). Additionally, there were two longer-range services, one reaching the "excursion" destination of Poulaphouca Falls, and two services concerning Howth.

At its peak, with over 60 miles (97 km) of active line, the system was heavily used, profitable and advanced in technology and passenger facilities, with near-full electrification complete from 1901. Heavy usage lasted from the late 19th century into the 1920s. The tram system was also central to the Dublin Lockout, which caused major distress within the city.

Elements of the system went out of service from the mid-1920s, in part overtaken by the bus. The decline of the trams accelerated in the 1940s and the last trams ran on 9 July 1949 in Dublin city and in 1959 on Howth Head, near Dublin.

The tram concept arrived in Ireland in the early years of railway development, and the first related projects concerned attempts to link major city train stations with a light railway. The legislation on this topic was the model for the first of the Irish Tramways Acts (which differed somewhat from those of England and Wales, or Scotland), the Tramways (Ireland) Act, 1860 (c. 152). One feature of this law was that each establishment of a tramway operation required approvals including those of the Irish Privy Council, and an Act of the Imperial Parliament, onerous and expensive provisions. This and other provisions argued to be impractical led to modification by the Tramways (Ireland) Amendment Act, 1861 (c. 102).

The next relevant legislation was the Special Act, the Dublin Tramways Company Act of 1871, setting up the first company to actually deliver service, and the associated similarly named act of 1872, finalising initial routes and other rules. In parallel the main legislation was modified by the Tramways (Ireland) Amendment Act of 1871 (c. 114). A further Dublin Tramways Act followed in 1876 (c. 65), and the Tramways (Ireland) Amendment Act of 1881 (c. 17), provided for the formation of tramway ventures by way of simplified procedures. In the meantime, the Relief of Distress Act of 1880 allowed for local authority support of tramway ventures (previously some provisions existed for such support for railways only).

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