The Buttevant Rail Disaster occurred on 1 August 1980. At 12:45 a CIÉ express train from Dublin to Cork entered Buttevant station at carrying some 230 Bank Holiday passengers. It careered into a siding and smashed into a stationary ballast train. The carriages immediately behind the engine and goods wagon jack-knifed and were thrown across four sets of rail-line. Two coaches and the dining car were totally demolished by the impact. It resulted in the deaths of 18 people and over 70 people being injured.