Anne Marie McAleese writes about Headhunters' superb railway museum

“This is the regional news. The time is 8pm on Monday, the thirtieth of September, 1957. Rail travel ended tonight on 93 miles of track of the Great Northern Railway system in Northern Ireland. On the Clones to Omagh and Bundoran lines, and on the Sligo, Leitrim and Northern Counties Railway, leaving all the country between Omagh, Clones, Sligo and Bundoran without any trains.”

It was confirmation that train travel in the county had effectively ceased to exist.

Fermanagh was once served by three railway companies – the Great Northern Railway, the Sligo Leitrim and Northern County Railway, and the Clogher Valley Railway.

By September 30, 1957, all three were indeed closed, and Fermanagh became totally devoid of any railway links.

For as long as Selwyn Johnston from Enniskillen can remember, he and his brothers Nigel and Gordon have had a deep-seated love of trains and railway heritage.

Their cousin, Bertie Palmer, worked as a Signalman at Belturbet, which was part of the Great Northern Railway.

After the closure, he gave them the few treasured possessions that he had kept as mementos of his career on the railways.

This included his cap, whistle and GNR brass coat buttons, and this officially started their lifelong interest in this mode of transport.

Some 40 years after the fateful announcement about train travel in their home county, in 1997 they formed the Enniskillen Railway Interest Group.

With fellow enthusiasts they curated several exhibitions of railway artefacts and organised reunion events for former railway employees.

At that time, there was no suitable location for a permanent display of the range of railway items that were being amassed. A creative and innovative solution was required.

Headhunters Ladies and Gents Hairdressing Salon had been opened by Selwyn’s brothers, Nigel and Gordon, in 1981. The name was inspired by Head Street, adjacent to the business.

In time they decided to focus on the barbers side of the business, and the space previously occupied by the ladies salon was repurposed.

A temporary exhibition of railway artefacts was soon on display and fully integrated within the shop.

Gradually it became permanent. In 2002 the museum was officially opened with hearty support from former railway employees and enthusiasts from across counties Fermanagh, Donegal and Sligo.

It gained recognition as a museum in its own right, became a registered charity, and a member of the Heritage Railway Association and the Northern Ireland Museums Council.

Headhunters can also proudly claim the distinction of being the world's only combined barber shop and railway museum, and in 2017 its volunteers received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.

Selwyn’s feelings regarding the heritage of the railways in his home county are bittersweet.

“There had been last-minute attempts to try to save the railways, but then suddenly it was all very final. On that September day, there were 150 people on the platform, many with tears in their eyes.”

Many people lost their jobs entirely, some were redeployed on the buses, and others had to leave the county.

It was a brutal hammer blow and despite the passage of time, it still seems heartless and ill-conceived.

Selwyn reflected: “No consideration was given to the broader, long-term strategy. The buses, lorries and trains could have worked together, and didn’t need to be mutually exclusive. In this area we lost a vital link, something that held a community together.”

Within a year of the closure all of the railway tracks were removed and sold. Selwyn says the effect was profound.

“The Royal Mail delivered letters by train and newspapers came from Belfast and Dublin by rail. Suddenly they had to be shifted onto the road, and it became a logistical nightmare for the wholesalers. In those days the roads were inadequate and the knock-on effect caused chaos.”

Like many people, Selwyn is bewildered by the exclusion of Fermanagh from the All-Island Railway Review. Should the draft plans come to pass, the county will be the only one in Ireland without a rail service.

He believes that in the 21st Century, Fermanagh deserves what former generations enjoyed until that momentous day in 1957.

In 2017 and 2018, Headhunters was runner-up in the UK Heritage Railway Association Awards outstanding railway attraction category.

Admission to the museum is free and Selwyn points out that while visitors are not obliged to have a haircut, many men do as proof of pilgrimage to the memorable site.

Headhunters welcomes visitors from throughout the world. What it lacks in size, it makes up for in its sheer quirkiness, and the unique quality of the Irish railwayana on display.

The museum is involved with various community events. It brings history to life for schools and youth groups, and arranges yearly visits of vintage steam traction engines, which help to educate a new generation who are too young to remember the golden age of steam.

One of the latest additions to the collection has been a large model railway, which occupies an entire room, evoking powerful childhood memories.

For the three railway-loving siblings, it’s all about personal relationships. They pride themselves on providing a traditional experience sprinkled with stories about the glory days of steam travel.

Gloria Hunniford, Richard Wilson, Adrian Dunbar, Neil Morrissey, Joe Wilkinson, Catherine Ryan, Rob Bell, Monkman & Seagull and Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen are among the celebrities who have paid homage to this jewel in the crown of cherished local heritage.

Fr. Brian D’Arcy is also a regular caller. His father worked on the Great Northern Railway, and he is passionate about the return of rail services.

There is no doubt that Headhunters is an impressive example of how heritage can and should be part of everyday life. Regular customers are well used to people from near and far arriving to see the museum whilst they enjoy a short back and sides or their preferred choice of hairstyle.

This unassuming barbers’ shop has become an integral part of the town. It is a precious place that tells the story of the unique role that the railways played in Enniskillen and throughout county Fermanagh.

When the trains grinded to a halt on that late September day in 1957 a number of poetic tributes were written by former railwaymen. The author of this particular accolade is unknown.

The Enniskillen Line

Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind,

We’ll have one toast, before they close,

The Enniskillen Line.

Farewell to Fintona old horse tram, we’ll never see it more;

Farewell to Fintona Junction and the good old spot, Dromore.

To Trillick and the Junction too, we’ll send our greetings kind,

We’ll never see them once they close

The Enniskillen Line.

Farewell to Ballinamallard and to Enniskillen Town,

They sit in queenly grandeur with Lough Erne all around.

The mountain and lake scenery around it too is fine;

Twill be but a memory once they close

The Enniskillen Line.

Now let us from the Junction go to honour Irvinestown,

Then on to Kesh where in the past, sharp Customs’ men were found.

They seized our butter, sugar, jam, our whisky and our wine,

But now our greatest loss will be

The Enniskillen Line.

And crossing o’er the border, we come to Pettigo,

a place of ancient pilgrimage, as everyone will know.

Then on to Castle Caldwell, round the lakeside we will twine;

What lovely beauty spots did grace

The Enniskillen Line.

Farewell to Ballyshannon and the border town, Belleek

The Sunday train will often keep us waiting half a week.

Our last stop is Bundoran, with its sea and sand so fine; We've paid our final tribute to

The Enniskillen Line.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind,

We never, never, shall forget

The Enniskillen Line.

Anne Marie McAleese is a broadcaster, writer and author who considers Fermanagh as one of her favourite places. You can listen to her every Saturday morning on BBC Radio Ulster’s, ‘Your Place and Mine’, 8am-9am.