1. Transport in the C20th. Sources:
Photographs, newspapers, ticket stubs, government records, timetables, firsthand accounts, artefacts.
Why has there been a sudden modernisation of transport?
improved technology & globalisation.
How has it changed Ireland?
better transport system, urbanisation & development,
globalisation

2. There were 6 main modes of transport in the early 1900s, can you name them?

3. Most common mode of transport for people travelling locally.
By Foot:
Most common mode of transport for people travelling locally.
2) Horse:
Used to transport goods
Used as a taxi, by carrying people in Carts and on side cars.
Only the wealthy & farmers owned a horse.
This is a drawing of a postal coach used in Germany in 1900!

4. 3) Trams:
Found in cities
Originally pulled by a horse & then powered by electricity.
Expensive (1 penny per mile)
4) Bicycles:
Affordable for middle income.
1900 modern bicycle appeared.
V. Popular; introduced a shorter skirt!

5. 5) Trains:
1900, over 5,500 km of train track & many trains.
Trains were cheap & efficient.
There were 3 classes of train ticket, so everyone could afford it.
Linked most towns in Ireland, there was a taxi service to bring people from rural areas to local station.
Poorer people used this transport to go to the seaside for their holidays.
By 1960s, cars were cheaper to run and trains became less popular. As a result there are less trains in Ireland today.
(see pg: )

6. 1900, cars could be run on petrol, steam or electricity
6) Motor Car:
1900, cars could be run on petrol, steam or electricity
By 1908, petrol most popular. It was bought in a bottle from the chemist.
1903, only 250 cars in Ireland.
After WW1 Henry Ford introduced the “Model T ford”. This made cars more affordable for the middle class.
Roads improved with introduction of road tax in 1920s.
Cars soon became very popular.
(see pg: )
1896 John Brown, from Belfast, imported the first car to Ireland. It was called a “Serpollet Steamer” & took 1 hour to start!

7. Leaving Ireland in 1900:
In 1900 you could only leave Ireland by steamship.
There were many shipping routes between Britain & Ireland.
Ship liners stopped in Queenstown (Cobh) co. Cork, for people travelling to America.
All liners were divided by class: the poorest people travelled in ‘Steerage’. Wealthier people travelled in luxury. Eg: Titanic.

8. Introduction of Planes:
Luxury liners continued to cross the Atlantic until the 1960s.
1903 the Wright brothers flew the first ‘flying machine’ in North Carolina.
1909, first flight in Ireland by Harry Ferguson in Co. Down.
WW1 pushed the development of planes.
By the 1930s passenger planes had developed.

10. Aviation in Ireland: 1934 Dublin airport was established.
1936 the government set up Aer Lingus.
The1st route was btw. Dublin and Bristol. (Iolar name of plane, it had 5 passengers!)
Foynes used for refuelling ‘flying boats’ on way to America.
19381st transatlantic passenger route set up at Foynes on the Shannon.

11. Developments in Aviation:
1945, jet engines invented.
Planes could now fly direct from Europe to America without refuelling in Foynes.
By 1950s most people crossed the Atlantic by plane & ship liners became an unpopular mode of travel.
Flights became cheaper in the 1980s & 1990s.
Commercial low-cost airlines such as Ryanair & Aer Lingus have made travelling by plane cheap and accessible to all.

12. Recent developments:
1944, CIE was set up to run the countries bus & rail services.
1980s, the DART was opened in Dublin.
Since 1980s, EU money has been used for major road construction. Eg: M50, M1 & M4.
International airports across the country eg: Dublin, Shannon, Knock, Cork, Belfast & Galway.

13. Past Exam Questions on changes in transport:
2009, 6B(iv): Write about changes in Transport since the 1940s.(HL)
2007, 6B(iii): Write about changes in Transport since 1900.(HL)
2005, 6B(iii): Write about changes in Transport since 1945.(HL)
1999, 6C(ii): Write about changes in transport since 1900.(HL)
2008, 4B(iii): Write about an old person talking about changes in transport in Ireland since (OL)
2007, 4B(ii): Write about an old person talking about changes in towns during the C20th, include changes in transport. (OL)
2005, 4B(iii): Write about an old person talking about changes in Ireland during the C20th, including changes in transport.(OL)
2004, 4B(iii): Write about an old person talking about changes that have taken place in transport & communications during the C20th. (OL)