Buses: Throwback Thursday

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No, I have never met Archbishop Martin.

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Going back thirteen years this week to 2009 and Dublin Bus EV 79 at Clontarf Road station on route 104. Route 104 started operating between Clontarf Road station and Cappagh Hospital via Beaumont Hospital in 2000. It took a convoluted route, serving Clontarf, Artane, Santry, Ballymun and Finglas. In May 2009 the 104 was combined with route 103, and the eastern terminus was cut back to Clontarf Garage. In 2011 the route was changed again under Network Direct, running between Clontarf Garage and Ardlea Road. About seven months later the route was extended west to Santry via Beaumont Hospital, and in 2015 moved again to DCU. Finally, in January 2019 Go-Ahead Ireland took over the operation of the route, and the eastern terminus was moved back to Clontarf Road station. It also became inter-worked with route 220, which operates from DCU to Lady's Well Road. Although it is basically one long route, it operates as two.

EV 79 was delivered new to Dublin Bus in 2008, and was one of a hundred Enviro 400s bought between 2007 and 2008 for the fleet. Although other members of the EV Class have been withdrawn, EV 79 is still in service in 2022. 04/03/2009

Throwback Thursday (321) by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

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This week we are going back thirteen years to 2009 and RV 356 on Nassau Street. The bus is dressed for route 172 to Dunard. This route started on 15th December 1998, running between Middle Abbey Street and the Dunard Estate. In August 1999 the route was rebranded Museumlink and moved its city centre terminus to Kildare Street. It provided a connection between a number of museums in the city, and received a specially-branded minibus to operate the service. When the minibuses were withdrawn the Olympian double-deckers too over. The route was never very busy and when the recession hit, it was an obvious one to cut to save money. The route ceased to operate on the 25th April 2009.
RV 356 was delivered new to Dublin Bus in 1997. Like the 172, it was also withdrawn in April 2009, after operating the route on the last day.
05/03/2009

Throwback Thursday (322) by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

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This week we are going back ten years to VT 8 on route 46A. St. Patrick's Day is a good day to see buses on diversion, as the parade through the centre of Dublin closes off main arteries for bus services. With O'Connell Street closed for the parade, a lot of the bus routes (such as the 46A) are diverted onto Gardiner Street on their journey across the city. The 46A started running between the city centre and Dun Laoghaire in 1936. In 2010 it was extended to the Phoenix Park, replacing route 10 under Network Direct changes. It is still running between the Phoenix Park and Dun Laoghaire today.
On the other hand, the same cannot be said of VT 8. This Enviro 500 was one of twenty delivered to Dublin Bus in 2005. A further 50 were delivered in 2007. The first twenty were all withdrawn in 2018, and inroads have been made into the final 50 in recent years (although there are still a handful in service). VT 8 was sold on to Ensignbus in the UK initially, before ending up with Travelmasters of Sheerness.
The ad on the side of the bus is for AIB mobile banking. At the time this was a relatively new concept (doing banking through a phone app), unlike now where it is almost the default practice.
17/03/2012

Throwback Thursday (323) by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

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This week we are only going back eight years to AV 364 on route 120 to Ashtown Station. The bus is seen crossing Reilly's Bridge over the Royal Canal. This bridge dates to the 1790s, and provided bit of a bottle-neck on the Ratoath Road in more recent times. Not only was this a narrow hump-bridge, but behind the bus was a level crossing over the Dublin to Sligo railway line. In 2013 construction started on a new, wider, bridge that went over the railway line and canal, just to the east of this location. When it opened in 2015, the level crossing and the 18th Century bridge closed to traffic, and the 120 used the new bridge.

Route 120 itself started in 1993 as a City Imp route to Ratoath Road, using mini-buses. In 2004 it was extended to Ashtown Station (the actual stop being a small distance from the station), and around this time double-decker buses started to replace the minibuses on the route. In 2011, certain morning and evening departures were extended to Ballsbridge.

AV 364 was delivered new to Dublin Bus in 2004. It was withdrawn in 2018, and sold on to an operator in the UK.

24/03/2014

Throwback Thursday (324) by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

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This week we are going back forty years to 1982 and D 638 on route 42A. This bus was delivered new to CIE in 1975. It was withdrawn by Dublin Bus in 1994 and sold for scrap.
Route 42A started operating between the city centre and Kinsealy / Malahide in 1926. In 1953 it was cut back to Coolock, and in 1954 to Artane. In 1966 it was extended to Harmonstown. In 1988 it was merged into (and replaced by) the 42B, before reappearing again in 1996 as the service to Blunden Drive. In 2005 it was extended to Beaumont Hospital and in 2011 it was removed from the network again under Network Direct.
The bus is seen at the terminus on Talbot Street, and this is still used by route 42 to Malahide today.
31/03/1982

Throwback Thursday (325) by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

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This week we are going back thirteen years to 2009 and RV 586 in Drumcondra on route 116. The 116 is one of those peak-hour only routes that has a complicated (and confusing) history. It started in 1999 running between Whitechurch and the city centre, using the new Stillorgan Quality Bus Corridor. From then it started to expand, with variations serving different places and using different routings. From 2000 one of those variations was Clonskea to DCU (Dublin City University) in Whitehall. This lasted until around 2010. Now the 116 only operates once more between Whitechurch and the city centre.

RV 586 was delivered new to Dublin Bus in 1999. It was withdrawn in October 2012 and sold on to another Irish operator.

08/04/2009

Throwback Thursday (326) by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

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This week we are throwing back thirty-four years to D 521 on Parnell Square dressed for route 35. This route started running between the city centre and Finglas in 1952. Initially its terminus was on Ballygall Road, but in 1975 it moved to McKee Road. The route ceased to operate around 1990 when the 19A was extended to McKee Road (The 19A itself was later replaced in part by route 9).


D 521 was delivered new to CIE in 1973. It was withdrawn by Dublin Bus in 1991.

14/04/1988

Throwback Thursday (327) by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

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This week we are going back forty-one years to 1981 and D 818 on the seafront (or Esplanade) at Bray. The bus is dressed for route 45A, a route that started operating between Dun Laoghaire and Bray in 1936. In 2004 it was extended to Ballywaltrim (it had previously served there too in the late-1980s/early-1990s), and in 2015 it was extended further south to Kilmacanogue. The latter change was part of a terminus swap with route 145 which moved to Ballywaltrim instead. In 2018, Go-Ahead Ireland took over operating the route.


D 818 was delivered new to CIE in 1976. It was withdrawn and sold for scrap in 1994.

Bray Esplanade ceased to be on the Dublin Bus network in 2012 with the end of route 45.
21/04/1981

Throwback Thursday (328) by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

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This week we are going back 29 years to 1993 and KC 23 at Dublin Airport. The bus is dressed for route 230. This orbital route started operating between Malahide and Dublin Airport in 1991. However, a few short months after starting it was extended to Portmarnock. The route lasted until 2008 when it was merged with route 102 (Sutton Station to Malahide) and became the new route 102 between Sutton Station and Dublin Airport. In 2018, Go-Ahead Ireland took over operation of the route.
KC 23 was delivered new to CIE in November 1983. Initially it was based in Donnybrook Garage, but in 1992 it transferred to Summerhill Garage. The 230 had proved to be a very popular route, and the minibuses on it were not sufficient to meet the demand. Single-decker buses were required instead to operate it, thus the transfer of KC 23. The bus was withdrawn by 1997.
This view at Dublin Airport changed following the construction of the multi-storey carpark that is seen in the background.
28/04/1993

Throwback Thursday (329) by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

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This week we are going back twenty-two years to 2000 and the final year of Bombardier bus use by Dublin Bus. KC 113 is seen at the terminus for route 51A in Lower Abbey Street. This route started operating between Dublin city centre and Beaumont in 1936. It stopped running in 1942, before resuming again in 1949. Around 1988 it was extended to Beaumont Hospital after it opened. The route ceased to operate in 2009. It was always one of the numbering oddities within the Dublin bus network as the other routes in the 51 series served Clondalkin in west Dublin. The end of the 51A also saw roads like Grace Park Road and Clonliffe Road lose their bus services.
KC 113 was delivered new to CIE in 1986. It was withdrawn by Dublin Bus in 2000, along with the other remaining KD and KC buses. This marked the end of the use of Bombardier / GAC buses by Dublin Bus, apart from a farewell run in January 2001.
This stop on Abbey Street is now the terminus for route 33.
05/05/2000

Throwback Thursday (330) by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

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This week we are going back thirty-eight years to 1984 and KC 68 on Hawkins Street. The bus is operating a service on route 47B to Grange Road. This route started operating between the city centre and Grange Road in 1949. The route ceased to operate in 1999, along with the 47 and 47A.
KC 68 was new to CIE in February 1984. It was withdrawn by Dublin Bus in the late-1990s and joined the driving school. It was subsequently sold into private ownership and awaiting restoration.
In the background is the New Metropole cinema which subsequently became the Screen cinema. Also in the background is Hawkins House. Both were demolished over the last five years with a new development currently under construction on the site.
10/05/1984

Throwback Thursday (331) by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

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This week we are going back eight years to 2014 and Dublin Bus GT 39 at Sutton Station. This bus is waiting to depart with a service on route 102 to Dublin Airport. This route started operating in 1986 between Malahide and Sutton. It was one of the new DART Feeder services introduced around that time to connect people with the new suburban rail service. In 2008 it was extended from Malahide to Dublin Airport when it merged with route 230. Then in December 2018, Go-Ahead Ireland took over operation of the route.
GT 39 was delivered new to Dublin Bus in 2012. It was part of the first batch of GT Class buses delivered to Dublin Bus, the first type of bus since 1999 to be delivered with front and middle doors. In total 160 of these buses were delivered to Dublin Bus, but 12 subsequently transferred to Go-Ahead Ireland. GT 39 was not one of them.
17/05/2014

Throwback Thursday (332) by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

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This week we are going back thirty-nine years to KD 345 on Abbey Street. The bus is picking up passengers while operating a service on route 39 to Clonsilla. This route started operating between Dublin and Blanchardstown in 1926. By 982 it reached Clonsilla and in 2004 it was extended to Ongar. In 2010 it's city terminus was moved to Burlington Road. It's main claim to fame was becoming the first CitySwift route 1993, with its frequency massively increased.
KD 345 was delivered new to CIE in May 1983, shortly before this picture was taken. It was withdrawn by Dublin Bus in the late-1990s. It spent a period from 1988 in an all-over ad for Coca-Cola.
26/05/1983

Throwback Thursday (333) by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

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This week we are going back twenty-six years to 1996 and KD 335 inside Ringsend Garage. This bus is surrounded by fellow members of the KD Class, the first of which were delivered in 1981. KD 335 itself was delivered new to CIE in 1983, near the end of the KD deliveries. When this picture was taken a few dozen of the class had already been withdrawn by Dublin Bus and Bus Eireann. KD 335 would make it to the end of the type working in Dublin, being withdrawn around 1999/2000.
The bus is dressed for route 65B. This route started operating between the city centre and Killinarden around 1984. In 1998 it was extended west to Citywest and it still operates to there to this day.
Ringsend Garage opened in 1941, replacing another garage that was in Lime Street.
02/06/1996

Throwback Thursday (334) by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr