Positive news for the people of Munster as Bus Éireann have announced significant service enhancements which will come into effect from Sun 3rd Jan. This will mean increased frequency and extra services, which will provide links to the wider public transport network.
At the moment though, with Covid-19 restrictions in place, keep in mind that public transport should be kept for essential journeys. Capacity is reduced (to 25%) and you are now required by law to wear a face covering. It’s also advisable to pay your fare through contactless methods.
Leap Card is accepted on these services and you can get up to 30% savings on the price of a single ticket or use a zonal product for best value multi-journey fares.
Cork Urban Network
Enhanced services will be introduced on routes 202, 208, 214/221, 220 and 225/226/226a. So what exactly does this mean for your daily commute? We have broken down all the information you need to know:
Route 202/202a:
From Jan 3rd, the 202 will be divided into 202 or 202a – this is to distinguish the different routings each will take in both the Mahon Point and Hollyhill areas. Frequency will be increased to every 15 minutes and a new two way operation will be introduced on Ringmahon Rd.
Route 202 will travel from Hollyhill (the Apple Campus) to Mahon Point Shopping Centre (SC) – via Kilmore Rd, Merchants Quay, Blackrock Rd and Skehard Rd. From Hollyhill, the first bus will leave at 6:40am (Monday to Friday) and the last at 11pm. This will change to 7am and 11pm on Saturdays and 7:30am and 10:30pm on Sundays
From Mahon Point SC, the first bus will leave at 6:30am and the last at 11:15pm (Monday to Friday), with the times changing to 7:15am and 11:15pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
Route 202a will operate from Hollyhill (the Apple Campus) to Mahon Point – via Harbour View Rd, Merchant’s Quay, Blackrock Rd and Ringmahon Rd. From Hollyhill, the first bus will leave at 6:50am (Monday to Friday) and the last at 11:15pm. This will change to 6:45am and 11:15pm on Saturdays and 7:15am and 11:15pm on Sundays.
From Mahon Point, services will operate from 6:40am to 11pm (Monday-Friday), with the times from 7am and 11pm on Saturdays and 6:30am to 11pm on Sundays. You can view the full timetables here.
A new route 212 will provide a service from Kent Station to Mahon Point -via the city centre, Monahan Rd and Ringmahon Rd in both directions. This will operate Monday-Saturday 6:30am to 10:30pm and on Sundays from 8:30am to 10:30pm. Check the full timetable.
Route 208:
This route will continue to operate between Curraheen and Ashmount with new timetables that increase frequency. Weekday services will start a bit earlier and the last bus will go a bit later. Services on Sundays will now start two hours earlier, with the first bus from Ashmount at 7:45am.
From Curraheen, buses will operate from 6:30am to 11:35pm (Monday-Friday), with services operating 7am to 11:35pm on Saturdays and 8am to 11:30pm on Sundays.
From Ashmount, buses will operate 6:45am to 11:50pm (Monday-Friday), 7am to 11:50pm on Saturdays and 7:45am to 11:45pm on Sundays. See the full timetable.
Route 214/221:
The current routes 221 and 214 will be merged from Sun 3rd Jan and the new combined route 214 will provide a cross city service from Cork University Hospital (CUH) to Glanmire. Frequency will increase to every 20 minutes and all services will operate via Kent Station.
This route will operate from CUH to Glyntown Rd – via Sarsfield Rd, Togher Rd, Wandesford Quay and the Lwr Glanmire Rd. From CUH, buses will operate 6:40am to 11:40pm (Monday to Friday), with the times from 7am to 11:40pm on Saturdays and 7:10am and 11:10pm on Sundays.
From Glyntown Rd, buses will operate 6am to 11:40pm (Monday-Friday), 6:40am to 11:40pm Saturdays and 7:10am to 11:10pm Sundays. Here’s the full timetable.
Route 220/220X:
This route from Ovens to Carrigaline (via Ballingcollig and the city centre) will be extended to serve the Carrigaline Primary Care Centre.
From Ovens, buses will operate between 5:30am and 4:30am (Monday-Saturday) and from Ballincollig between 5:35am and 4:35am on Sundays.
From Fort Camden, buses will operate 5:45am to 12:15am (Monday-Friday), 6:15am to 12:15am on Saturdays and 7:15am to 12:20am on Sundays.
Route 220X’s timetable, as well as the full 220 can be checked here.
Route 225/226/226x
Route 225 will be extended to Cork City, linking Carrigaline and Ringaskiddy to Kent Station via Cork Airport. A second route, 225L, will also operate on the stretch between Carrigaline and Ringaskiddy. Combined, this means there will a service between these two every 30 minutes.
Services on the 225 will operate from Kent Station (Horgans Quay) to Haulbowline (National Maritime College of Ireland) – via Cork Airport, Carrigaline and Ringaskiddy. The 225L will operate between Carrigaline Primary Care Centre and Haulbowline. The schedule will run seven days a week (Monday-Sunday): from Kent Station between 5:20am and 10:20pm and from Haulbowline between 6:25am and 11:25pm. Check the 225 timetable and to view route 225L in full see here.
Route 226 will merge with 226a to provide an hourly service from Kent Station to Kinsale – via Evergreen Rd, Cork Airport and Riverstick. There is a slight change to the service’s routing within the city centre, with it now stopping on Clontarf St rather than at the bus station on Parnell Place. From Kent Station, buses will operate from 5:55am to 9:55pm (Monday-Saturday) and 6:55am to 9:55pm on Sundays.
From Kinsale, the first bus will leave at 7am and the last at 11pm (Monday-Saturday), with the first at 8am and the last at 11pm on Sundays.
Route 226x will operate once a day in the morning, from Kinsale to Cork Institute Technology (CIT) – via Riverstick, Western Rd and Model Farm Rd.
Together, routes 225 and 226 will provide a bus every 30 minutes between the airport and the city centre/Kent Station. Full timetables can be checked on the website.
Nenagh-Limerick (Route 323/323x)
Great news! Enhanced timetables will come in on the 323/323x route which will provide a service from Nenagh to Limerick – via Ballina, Birdhill, Castleconnell and Portroe. On weekdays, it will provide seven daily round trips and on Sundays, three daily round trips.
Services will be spread throughout the day (including late evening) and they will also operate via the University of Limerick Campus. Timetables will operate from Nenagh between 6:17am and 8:57pm (Monday-Saturday) and between 8:57am and 6:27pm on Sundays. An extra service will run from Newport to Nenagh and back on Fridays.
From Limerick, buses will operate from 6:45am to 8:45pm (Monday-Saturday), with the times changing to 11am and 9pm on Sundays.
And for the people of Portroe? You are now connected directly to Limerick for the first time by public transport!
Route 323x will operate Monday to Friday from Limerick Bus Station to Birr. View the full timetable here, as well as route 323.
Scariff-Limerick (Route 345)
The introduction of enhanced route 345 will provide service between Scariff and Limerick via Killaloe. On weekdays it will offer three daily round trips, there will be an enhanced Saturday service and routes will now operate on Sundays and Bank Holidays (must check times on website before travelling).
Monday to Saturday, buses will leave Scariff at 7:15am, 10:10am and 3:35pm . From Limerick, buses will operate at 8:50am, 1:25pm and 5:25pm. On Sundays, there will be 2 services each way: at 10:50am and 2:50pm from Scarriff and at 12:55pm and 5:55pm from Limerick. See the timetable for full details.
Limerick Urban Network
Significant service enhancements have been announced for Limerick on routes 303 and 306, which will mean increased hours of operation.
Route 303
This route operates from Pineview to O’Malley Park, but is now being extended to the Kilmallock Rd (Georgian Village) – via Moyross, Clancy Strand, William St and Roxboro Rd. Frequency will double to every 15 minutes and routes will now operate via the bus and train stations.
From Pineview, the first bus will leave at 6:30am and the last at 11:30pm (Monday-Saturday), with these time changing to 7:30am and 11:30pm on Sundays.
From Kilmallock Rd, the first bus will leave at 6:35am and the last at 11:35pm (Monday-Saturday), with these times changing to 7:35am and 11:35pm on Sundays.
For route 303’s full timetable, see here.
Route 306
This route is being revised and extended to serve Glenagross, so it will operate from Edward St to Glenagross (Sarsfield Gardens) – via Hyde Rd, Henry St, Shelbourne Rd and Ballynanty.
From Edward St, the first bus will leave at 7:20am and the last at 7:15pm (Monday-Friday), with these time changing to 7:15am and 7:15pm on Saturdays.
From Glenagross, the first bus will leave at 7:45am and the last at 11:45pm (Monday-Friday), with these time changing to 7:15am and 7:15pm on Saturdays.
On Sundays buses will operate a circular route from from Henry St via Shelbourne Rd, Ballynanty, Kileely Rd and will return to Sarsfield St. The first will leave at 10am and the last at 10pm. The timetable can be viewed in full here.
West Clare Network
Wonderful news for people in West Clare as Bus Éireann have announced service enhancements to routes 333 and 336. This will mean you can travel from Ennis to Kilkee/Doonbeg via Kilrush or Ennistimon. It will also mean Kilkee and Doonbeg will be linked directly by public transport for the first time!
There will be increased frequency daily and at the weekends, with services spread throughout the day (including late evening services). All services will provide connections at Ennis Bus/Rail Stations to the wider public transport network.
Route 333
This route will operate from Ennis to Kilkee – via Corofin, Ennistimon, Lahinch and Spanish Point. Monday to Saturday, there will now be 4 services, with the first bus leaving Ennis at 8am and the last at 5pm. An extra service will run once each way on Tuesdays, linking Doonbeg and Kilrush. On Sundays, there will be two services, at 10am and 4pm. From Kilkee, the first bus will operate at 7:20am and the last at 4:12pm (Mon-Sat). On Sundays, buses will leave at 12:30pm and 6:30pm.
Route 336
Route 336 will operate from Ennis to Doonbeg/Kilkee – via Lissycasey, Kilrush, Moyasta. There will be six services each day (Monday to Saturday) in each direction, 3 of which serve Doonbeg, with the other 3 starting/finishing their route at Kilkee. The first bus will leave Ennis at 9am, with the last at 9:30pm. On Sundays, there are 4 services, the first at 11am and the last at 8pm.
From Doonbeg, the first bus will operate at 6:05am and the last at 7:30pm (Mon-Sat). On Sundays, the first bus leaves Doonbeg at 8:15am (the rest operate from from Kilkee, with the last at 6:30pm). Full timetable details can be found on the website.
