The Great Southern & Western was the largest Irish railway, prior to the 1924 Grouping. The main lines are still functioning as part of Iarnród Éireann, carrying levels of passenger traffic previously undreamt of, but no longer very much freight.

Gone completely are the branch lines, including the remote West Kerry lines which extended the network through splendid scenery to Kenmare and Valentia Harbour, at its closure the western most railway in Ireland.

This fully illustrated book summarises the story from the beginnings in the 1840s, right down to the present day with the reopening of lines to Middleton and from Limerick to Galway.