Éire: Local Services
Reading time: 16 minutes.
Bus service provision in Éire is changing with more private operator involvement. The time when it all was done by the state operator CIÉ is long gone and recent tendering of Dublin bus routes to Go Ahead is enough proof of that as has the expansion of private company operation of express coach routes around the country.
All this change is helping with rural transport too for there is only so much that a unionised monolith can achieve, a fact that is clear when you see how its network thins out as you go further away from Dublin. Local Link is working to address these gaps on behalf of Transport for Ireland, and it looks as if their efforts are bearing fruit with a mixture of scheduled and demand-responsive services that serve places that have not seen regular bus services for years, if ever. The fact that Transport for Ireland has a journey planner on their website makes it easier to discover these extra services and those provided by other companies.
Even with the above developments, I intend to continue building up what you find here as and when I find something new to add. Since I am always open to suggestions, let me know if anything needs adding or correcting. In the meantime, I hope that what you find here has a use for you.
16: Santry - Dublin - Ballinteer
Marley Park, the northern end of the Wicklow Way, is near the Ballinteer end of this route and that’s why it is getting a mention here. From there, it’s a short hop over the M50 into the Dublin Mountains for some walking, and it is possible to continue the whole way south along the Wicklow Way; using a bus is probably a better option for doing the whole route because this does not work well with car usage.
44: Larkhill - Dublin - Enniskerry
This next to hourly service from Townsend Street in the heart of Dublin lands you out near Powerscourt, a heritage property nestling in some fine hill country. You can skip Powerscourt and head directly for the hills and the Wicklow Way if you want, but there’s no need to bring your car with this travel option.
45A: Dun Laoghaire - Bray - Kilmacanogue
The location of the Great Sugarloaf next to Kilmacanogue makes it a great little hill to explore when you’ve only got a few hours to spare and being at the end of a bus route with a decent frequency helps too. This route replaced one between Dublin city centre and Kilmacanogue that had scheduled journey times of 85 minutes. Combining that bus service with a ride of the DART system shortened journeys and the usefulness of that approach matters more with the replacement bus service not serving Dublin’s city centre at all.
65: Dublin - Blessington/Ballymore
Blessington finds itself right beside the Poulaphuca Reservoir (otherwise known as the Blessington Lakes) and beyond those lie the Wicklow Mountains. That makes the sixty-minute journey using this bus service worthwhile and there’s so much to explore that you might never run out of places to savour.
226: Kinsale - Cork Airport - Cork Bus Station (Parnell Place) - Kent Station
This service is an amalgamation of the previous route 226 from Cork’s city to its airport and the 249 route from Cork to Kinsale. Even with the old state of affairs, there still were plenty of bus journeys serving Cork Airport and I remember seeing buses plying that route emblazoned with self-promoting liveries while I still lived in the city, just as I did with those buses heading off into West Cork.
Cork’s railway station gets linked in now that the new 226 is in place. Now, it is possible to get directly from anywhere on the Irish railway network to Cork Airport or destinations on the way to Kinsale too. The latter makes a West Cork getaway using public transport a more realistic possibility, for those in Ireland as much as those from beyond its shores. It also works to the advantage of those living around Kinsale too though Garretstown is now served using the Local Link network.
232: Allihies – Bantry – Kilcrohane
If the residents of the Beara Peninsula, had to content themselves with meagre service offerings from Bus Éireann as they once needed to do, then they would find car usage the much better alternative. This seven-day Local Link service with four journeys in each direction a day has to help with transport connections for those without a car. It also extends into the Sheep’s Head peninsula to boot, possibly offering bus transport where once there might have been done. That both these areas are home to well regarded walking country only adds to the service’s usefulness. If there is any black mark on its report card, it might be that connections with Bus Éireann arrivals and departures could be better. Other than that, there is little to criticise it.
253: Clonakilty - Timoleague - Kilbrittain - Ballinspittle - Garretstown - Garrylucas - Old Head of Kinsale - Kinsale
It was an overheard conversation on a bus about someone trying to get from Bandon to Timoleague that got me looking again at what Cork Local Link offers. That is when I got reminded of this route, and of the arrival of a bus operating one of its journeys to Kinsale with a good number of passengers on board. While it may be billed as “High Frequency”, that description is more poetic than actual. That takes nothing from its usefulness of its five daytime journeys in each direction from Monday to Saturday and three return journeys on Sundays. Friday and Saturday evenings get extra journeys, one from Clonakilty and two from Kinsale. There additionally are some short journeys serving Kinsale and Clonakilty using the same route number that are worth checking out too.
257: Macroom - Millstreet - Killarney
Most services between Macroom and Killarney run along or near the N22, while this less frequent offering goes via Millstreet, Rathmore and Barraduff. It does run seven days, though, and there are five or six journeys in each direction. Some of these are part journeys, especially at either end of the day, so you need to watch that side of things.
275: Tralee - Blennerville - Camp - Annascaul - Lispole - Dingle
Perhaps because there was a previous railway connection that no longer exists, Tralee and Dingle are well-connected by this bus service. On Sundays and bank holidays, there are five or six journeys in each direction while this rises to nine or ten on other days of the week. That is just as well since there is mountainous countryside to explore along the Dingle Peninsula and I made good use of the service for doing just that when the weather allowed during a stay in Tralee.
277: Dingle - Ventry - Ballyferriter - Dunquin
There was a time when this route was served by Bus Éireann, yet that is no longer the case, and it is no part of the Kerry Local Link network. Most are door-to-door services that need advance booking, but this one is scheduled to operate every day of the week. There are three journeys in each direction on Sundays and bank holidays while other days of the week get eight journeys in each direction, even if some have Ventry as a terminus instead of Dunquin. Many offer connections with ongoing bus services to and from Tralee.
323: Limerick - Nenagh
It was for getting back to Limerick after a day out along Lough Derg and the hills near Killaloe that I first made use of this service. Though linked by a long single track bridge, Killaloe and Ballina are separate places in different counties (the first is in Clare while the second is in Tipperary) even if they work together to promote themselves as visitor destinations.
Returning to the bus service, there are three journeys in each direction on Sundays while there are seven covering the full length of the route on other days of the week. You will find extra supplementary ones serving different places in the Monday to Friday timetable. Timings are useful too, so this is a worthwhile service to know.
343: Limerick - Shannon Airport - Ennis
While the 51 Cork-Galway timetable is a good one, I am adding this local service to complete the picture for you and there seem to be plenty of possible journeys too. Hopefully, they’ll cut down on the need for car hire for getting about.
345: Limerick - Scarriff
On Sundays, there are two journeys in each direction on this route and the frequency increases to three on other days of the week. What brought the Bus Éireann offering to my notice was that it could get me to Killaloe on the banks of the River Shannon while Lough Derg was not far away either. There are some hills nearby and the East Clare Way is a useful walking route around them, so the lure was heightened.
350: Galway - Kinvara - Doolin - Cliffs of Moher - Ennis
This route was made from the combination of no less than three predecessors and runs each day of the week too. There also seems to be a year-round core service with extra journeys during the peak tourist season. With the delights in west Clare like the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren, that is perhaps not too surprising and there is Dunguaire Castle near Kinvara too. The timetable may need some studying if you use the service, but it is not the only route with that quality.
360: Waterford - Tramore
360A: Waterford - SETU - Tramore
When I saw the announcement of this new timetable on the Bus Éireann website, curiosity led me to check it out and the half-hourly frequency for so much of the week amazed me; it is only Sunday mornings and early afternoons or later on weekday evenings that see an hourly service. The spread of the day that is covered starts early in the morning and extends late into the night. The 360A operates to and from WIT at peak times from Monday to Friday with the 360 operating at all other times.
363: Dungarvan - Cappoquin - Lismore - Tallow
It was my curiosity about getting to Cappoquin for some hill wandering in the Knockmealdown Mountains and maybe a visit to Mount Melleray Abbey, a former haunt of my late parents whenever rhododendrons bloomed around there. Lismore is another worthwhile post of call with its well-known castle and gardens. Handily, there is a regular seven-day service for getting to these places from Dungarvan, itself well-connected by Bus Éireann and Dublin Coach services. There are four return journeys on Sundays and an up to hourly frequency on other days of the week.
364: Dungarvan - Cappoquin - Lismore - Tallow - Curraglas - Conna - Bridesbridge - Castlelyons - Fermoy
This Monday to Saturday counterpart to service 363 between Dungarvan and Tallow adds some extra journeys from its less frequent timetable. That was how I got to know about it when planning a day trip from Cork; the different timings made for better outbound connections. Though some only run over part of the route, there are six journeys in each direction from Monday to Friday. This drops to three to four journeys on Saturdays, depending on the direction in which you are travelling.
391: Thurles - Newport - Limerick
My interest in this daily service arose because it got me from Limerick to Newport, from where I could walk to the Clare Glens and into the Slieve Felim hills. There are three journeys in each direction every day and these extend coverage from early morning to early evening depending on where you need to catch the coach that is used. Aside from leisure users like me, students and commuters also make good use of the service since it gets to the University of Limerick and Limerick’s city centre at a good time every morning. The first departure of the day from Limerick may not leave as scheduled but does so a few minutes afterwards, but that caused no trouble for me.
419: Galway - Clifden (- Westport)
This is a Bus Éireann service and some route variations complicate the timetable, but it is usable all the same. Irish Citylink offering (see below) serve many of the same places so combining the two can open up a lot of options, especially on a Sunday when the Bus Éireann is much more limited than on other days of the day. The Westport extension seems to be a peak summer holiday operation with one journey in each direction when it is available.
424: Galway - Carraroe - Lettermullen/Carna
Access to the Aran Islands via ferry connections from Rossaveal get facilitated by this seven-day service that follows the southern coastline of County Galway and Connemara. Service times are somewhat irregular, so close attention to the timetable is a must even for the main route between Galway and Carraroe with other termini like Lettermullen or Carna getting one journey in each direction on most days of the week.
456: Galway - Headford - Kilmaine - Ballinrobe - Castlebar
It is the more regular service between Galway and Westport that caused this service to catch my eye since it sits at the head of Clew Bay. The seven-day service enjoys a three hourly frequency on all days, so there is regularity about the operation even with the wide spacings across the day.
490: Donegal - Killybegs - Glencolumbkille
492: Donegal - Killybegs - Glenties - Dungloe
Both of these services head into the Donegal Gaeltacht from Donegal town, so I have bundled them together here. Though Bus Éireann is the main licence holder for these routes, local firm McGeehan’s Coaches work with them to operate many of the journeys. Very oddly, there seem to be more journeys to the likes of Glencolumbkille and Dungloe than there is from them, so it looks as if things are set up to meet Expressway services between Donegal and Dublin rather than serving the local area; that may explain the number of evening services starting from Donegal in the evening too. That may explain how timings are not set up for an out and back day trip from Donegal town though the opposite is possible. In a way, that’s a pity because there is plenty of alluring coastal scenery around here with Slieve League being beside the route of the 490 and Dungloe being at the head of a bay with islands at its foot. However, staying longer than a mere day might be warranted anyway with what’s on offer.
521: Newcastle West - Castlemahon - Feoghanagh - Kilmeedy - Feenagh - Dromcollogher - Milford - Newtownshandrum - Charleville
For a long time, there has been no public bus service operating within reach of the place where I had my upbringing. This useful seven day hail and ride offering only started a few years ago as a Local Link concession for Transport for Ireland, and its times of operation often extend from early until late too. There are four journeys in each direction on Sundays, seven journeys in each direction from Monday to Wednesday and nine journeys in each direction from Thursday to Saturday. Even with the now extensive service level, there are some gaps in the timetable that can catch you out, so it pays to take care, especially if making a connection to or from another service.
523: Mitchelstown - Mallow
It was thanks to this service that I was able to spend an afternoon around Doneraile Park, because that was difficult to achieve as a day trip from Cork when Bus Éireann served the town. There are four journeys in each direction on each day of the week. An extra early morning return journey is offered from Monday to Saturday. While I may not agree with Cork Local Link’s classification of the service as high frequency, it certainly is regular enough for many uses, though there are no evening journeys beyond 19:00.
828: Cashel - Urlingford - Portlaoise
855: Tipperary - Limerick Junction - Cahir - Cashel
858: Thurles - Urlingford - Portlaoise
The inception of the Irish motorway network cause its share of alterations to long-distance services. Private operators could add services against which Bus Éireann’s commercially operated Expressway network no longer could compete. In the beginning, its was Bus Éireann’s dropping of stops on the Cork to Dublin service that brought about the introduction of service 828 in the days before Local Link offered scheduled services. The route, like the others, is now part of what Local Link offers. Since then, Bus Éireann’s route 245X between Cork and Dublin now needs TFI support for it to continue, while they no longer operate any route between Limerick or Galway and Dublin. There truly have been major changes from how things were at the start of the century.
Services 855 and 855 supplement route 828 by offering connections to Thurles (possibly affected by the withdrawal of Limerick - Dublin services) as well as Limerick Junction and Tipperary. The frequencies on each are not that frequent. Service 855 offers just three journeys in each direction, while the others add an extra journey beyond this. Some may be partial, though, so inspection of the timetables is essential. Nevertheless, they offer journey options that I might have used on a day trip to Cashel and Cahir if others were not available and the timings suited.
923: Galway - Clifden - Cleggan - Letterfrack
All bus routes in Ireland are supposed to be numbered, but there is no sign of one for this one. That does nothing to take from the fact that the timings are useful and there are those valuable extensions to Letterfrack and/or Cleggan too. The Irish Citylink service not only offers a useful way to reach Connemara because connections to the Inishbofin are possible at Cleggan. Then, there’s the matter of the timetable being more standardised than its Bus Éireann counterpart.
C4: Maynooth - Celbridge - Dublin (Ringsend)
C6: Dublin (Ringsend Road) - Celbridge - Maynooth
X28: Celbridge (Salesian College) - UCD/St. Stephen’s Green
There used to be a time when visits to Éire took me to Celbridge at times and forbears to these services came in very handy though the numbering changed during a reorganisation in November 2021. The C4 is the main daytime service and the frequency largely is half-hourly with the C6 being a nighttime bus service. By all accounts, the X28 is a university student service that operates at peak times only from Monday-Friday and not on bank holidays; UCD is one of Ireland’s largest universities.
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