Kirk Ronan (RWS)

Kirk Ronan (Sudric for Ronan's Church) is a port town on Sodor's southern coast and the terminus of the Kirk Ronan Branch Line.

The Railway Series
The name is derived from Saint Ronan, a sixth century Irish missionary of the Iona School. The church here is dedicated to him. The Hawin Croka flows from here into the Irish Sea.

Until the 1860's, Kirk Ronan was a quiet fishing port. In 1865, the town was reached by the Sodor and Mainland Railway, which was the first standard gauge railway on the Island. They hoped to start a steamer service from Kirk Ronan to Dublin in Ireland. This project failed, but the Crovan's Gate Mining Company used the harbour extensively for the shipment of ore from Ward Fell. Due to the collapse of the S&MR's tunnel through the Ballahoo Ridge, their trains only ran between here and Ballahoo. Skarloey and Rheneas arrived from Whitehaven here, in 1865 and 1866 respectively.

Following the amalgamation of the Sudrian railways into the North Western Railway in 1915, the line to Kirk Ronan was demoted to branch line status. In 1920 the NWR started daily sailings to Dublin from here and had enough success to disturb the LMS. Sailings to Dublin still continue, but following the Agreement of 1925, they are on Tuesdays and Fridays, as a local service only.

Appearances
Railway Series=

Companion Volumes

 * 1987 - The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways

Trivia

 * Saint Ronan was a real sixth century Saint.
 * The term Ronan means "little seal", as it is a male given name in the Irish language.
 * On early maps of Sodor, Kirk Ronan is spelled as one word.