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Dave’s Irish bus page.

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The company I work for organised a weekend trip to Dublin in the summer of 2000. While most of my colleagues were touring the Guinness storehouse, O' Connell Street and the other Dublin sights, I was watching the buses and coaches going by. I had never seen or heard a bus as weird as a Bombardier to that point, and I still haven't!!!

Those three days whetted my appetite for Ireland and Irish buses. I was unable to return for various reasons until May 2003. In all true bus fashion Irish bus holidays came along in twos, and I was back in Ireland in September as well.

May was largely unplanned, with only a vague itinerary in mind. The only real planning I had done was to plot where some of the operators were on a road map. I set off in my hire car from Dublin Airport and after Sunday in Dublin, visited Waterford, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Derry before returning to Dublin eight days later. Irish hospitality outside Dublin was as warm as it is in the capital. The one place I really wanted to visit before hand was O's Coaches of Hospital. I arrived here at around 4pm, and left at 10pm, having spent the evening talking about buses and life in general with Sean O' Sullivan, the owner.

September was a little more planned; by now I knew I needed permits to visit Bus Eireann and Dublin Bus’s depots. Indeed in May, I had been lucky and got around Limerick depot without one; I wasn't so lucky in Derry. Dublin Airport was again the starting point, and my itinerary this time took me south to Rosslare, then Kilkenny, Cork, Tralee, Limerick, Galway, and Athlone and back to Dublin.

Several operators were visited, amongst the highlights being the gems at Glynns of Graigue Na Spiddogue, and the sheer number of vehicles at companies like Spruhans at Bagenalstown. The bad points were being stung by a swarm of bees at Glynns so badly I lost my balance and fell over!! Potential preservationists beware! I also enjoyed my visit to the Cavan and Leitrim Railway, and the hours I spent talking to Philip Bedford about his preserved buses.

Dave Beardmore.

May 2003: Dublin – Portlaoise – Urlingford – Kilkenny – Waterford – Cork – Hospital – Limerick – Ennis – Galway – Westport – Ballina – Sligo – Letterkenny – Derry – Strabane – Omagh – Newry – Dundalk – Drogheda – Dublin.

Firstly, two photos of the varied Aircoach fleet. Above is the company’s only Mercedes Citaro artic, registered 02-D-59012. This Airport carpark shuttle bus has just 48 seats.

In total contrast to the Citaro is their only double decker, AEC Routemaster ZV 6741 (originally WLT 753). This bus was new 40 years before the Citaro.

Universal Coaches of Portlaoise acquired a large number of Volvo Ailsas from the UK, including this Northern Counties bodied example, now 82-LS-326. It is possibly ex Arriva Derby.

Onto Urlingford now, and another unusual vehicle with airport connections. This ex Aer Lingus Van Hool AP500 tarmac transfer bus has been registered for road use, although its central driving position and multi doors make it somewhat unsuitable for road going PSV use?

Also found in Urlingford was one of the four former South Yorkshire Leyland-DAB bendi-buses which are now in service in the Dublin area.

99-WD-11 is one of two late model Volvo Olympians delivered to Kenneally’s Bus Service of Waterford for use on their city service. Both vehicles have Northern Counties bodywork.

86-W-363, owned by Shanahan of Waterford was originally C937 VLB, and had previously been used as a shuttle bus at Holyhead Port.

One of the last surviving Atlanteans in the CIE group fleets is Van Hool McArdle bodied DF795, having been converted for the Cork sightseeing tour. It is also probably the last surviving VHM bodied double decker to remain in passenger service.

Bus Eireann’s sole example of Northern Counties bodywork is fitted to this Volvo B10B (VNC1, allocated to Limerick). It was originally a dual door bus and is now converted to front entrance only. A luggage compartment has been fitted in the centre stepwell.

Bus Eireann Caetano bodied Volvo B10M VC75 was photographed at Carraroe, Co. Galway.

Lough Swilly 405 is an ex Clydeside Buses Leopard/Alexander B53F. It was new to Western Scottish as BSJ 902T in 1979.

Ulsterbus 1415 is a 1992 Wrights bodied Leyland Tiger, being one of 25 such vehicles purchased for use on Goldliner express services.

Western Education and Library Board Albion Viking 1142 (new 1979) carries a modified version of the then standard Ulsterbus body. This bus is allocated to Enniskillen.

Halpenny Travel of Blackrock, Co. Louth run the stage service between there and Dundalk, as well as some town services. Representing their fleet are one of their 1996 Wrights bodied Volvo B10Bs and their only double decker, a Volvo B7TL previously used as a Bus Eireann demonstrator.

September 2003: Dublin – Bray – Arklow – Gorey – Enniscorthy – Wexford – Bagenalstown – Myshall – Graigue-na-Spiddogue – Kilkenny – Urlingford – Thurles – Cork – Macroom – Killarney – Tralee – Listowel – Ennis – Galway – Spiddal – Athlone – Dromod – Crossdoney – Granard – Cavan – Edenderry – Rathcoole – Dublin.

Finnegan Coaches of Bray, Co. Wicklow run this 1999 Alexander bodied Dennis Trident, one of two which spent their first few months on trial with Dublin Bus.

New to Cronin of Cork in February 1979, 4500 ZF is a Van Hool bodied Leyland Leopard, seen here with its fourth owner, Edwards of Enniscorthy.

Plaxton Supreme bodied Bedford VAS5 81-MH-111 was new as URK 971X, and came to Ireland in July 1989. Spruhan Coaches of Bagenalstown, Co. Carlow acquired it in 1996.

Roberts, Myshall, Co. Carlow, have Alexander bodied Leopard 80-LS-268, which does very little to hide evidence of its previous owner’s identity. It was new as JSA 101V.

Brigdale Coaches of Ennis also have some Alexander bodied vehicles in their fleet, including this example, the origin of which is unknown.

Donnelly Coaches of Granard acquired this Alexander bodied Leyland Tiger in August 2000. Again, any clues to its original identity would be welcome!!

80-CN-382 is an East Lancs bodied Leopard acquired by Wharton of Crossdoney from Rossendale. Previously registered PJI 9175, it was new to Ribble as WCK 139V with a Duple Dominant II Express body in 1980. The chassis passed to Rossendale in 1993 when it gained its current body and was numbered 75.

93-D-43430 was previously registered K740 LHP and was acquired by Dualway of Rathcoole from Whitelaw of Stonehouse in Scotland in June 2002.

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