New bus service announced for Cork to Kinsale 

A private bus service has announced new routes from Cork city to Kinsale, via villages along the way, potentially transforming the lives of College students commuting to lectures.

Kinsale Connect, a service by West Cork Connect, will start operating the daily return routes from January 9 next, following lobbying by local activists.

The new routes mean that no one will be left behind again, and will particularly benefit College students getting to lectures, said a spokesperson, Damien Long.

“Kinsale has been suffering for a while. It’s been a major problem. We’ve done this before, where we’ve come in, with loads of routes, and you never hear of anyone missing a bus. If we have fifty booked, we just put another fifty on,” said Mr Long.

“We can make decisions very quickly and to double up on capacity when it’s needed.” Mr Long said no one “will ever be stuck for a seat going to Kinsale again. 

"We invested a lot of money on an online booking system there and computers on board buses. Once you’ve booked your seat online, you are guaranteed a seat no matter what.” Mr Long said the biggest beneficiaries will be College students. “They’ve had it really hard. 

"They have to leave Kinsale for the city centre, then get on another bus. We’re going to save an hour off most of their journeys every day and an hour off going home again. That will be the big change.” 

The Route 228 will operate an hourly service, from 9.30am, starting at St Patrick’s Quay in Cork, and ending at Kinsale, with a travel time of one hour and five minutes. The last bus will be at 7.30pm.

Bus stops along the way will include, Washington Street at Four Star Pizza, Western Road at UCC Castlewhite Apartments, Wilton at CUH, Ballinghassig opposite the Dairygold Co-op Store, Fivemilebridge at Ballinbearna Cross, Riverstick opposite the Church, Belgooly at the Southbound Stop, Bridge View at the Southbound Stop, ending at Kinsale Town Car Park.

The hourly service will depart Monday to Sunday, on the half hour, every hour, until 7.30pm. Commuters from Kinsale will see the first departures to Cork city at 7.30am, and every hour thereafter with the last bus departing at 6.30pm.