Skibbereen to Killarney among new bus routes launched

New and enhanced rural bus routes for Cork have been announced following the launch of the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan for 2023.

The plan was launched by Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan with the National Transport Authority (NTA) on Friday.

In what is one of the most ambitious plans yet for rural transport, 67 new or enhanced Connecting Ireland bus services are proposed, strengthening existing services and connecting more towns and townlands across the state.

New or enhanced routes planned for Cork this year include Dursey Sound to Kilcrohane; Ennis to Whitegate; Youghal to Dungarvan via Villierstown; Youghal to Dungarvan via Ardmore; Skibbereen to Killarney; Macroom to Cork; Mallow to Fermoy and onto Lismore; Cork to Bandon; Baltimore to Union Hall; and Newmarket to Cork.

Last year, Connecting Ireland delivered 38 new and enhanced bus services across various counties, bringing new bus services to 67 additional towns.

Almost €4 million was invested last year in implementing Connecting Ireland bus services, with that figure set to double to €8.5 million this year, provided by the Department of Transport and the NTA.

Bus Éireann will be a key partner in the delivery of new Connecting Ireland services this year with some 20 of the routes identified in the implementation plan to be delivered by Bus Éireann in counties such as Cork, Galway, Waterford, and Clare.

Commenting at the launch of the plan, Minister Eamon Ryan, said: “Massively improving rural transport is one of my key priorities as Minister for Transport. The Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan, launched in 2021, has already played a key role in towns and villages across Ireland and providing people with new choices to travel by bus.

“But now, we want to go further and build on that success with many more new and enhanced routes planned for 2023.” 

Minister Ryan said more and more young people are choosing to use public transport as it is more convenient, more accessible, and more frequent than it has been before and said the more people choose public transport the better it is for our environment.

CEO of the National Transport Authority Anne Graham said the plan will deliver “better access to safe, reliable, and more frequent bus services connecting towns and villages”.

“The NTA is continuing its efforts to improve rural bus services by identifying areas that require additional services, and we are committed to continuing to develop connectivity and mobility in rural areas through the phased rollout of new and enhanced bus services this year and in future years,” she said.