Newmarket bus route enhanced as Charleville gets new service

Bus Éireann has announced enhancements to the 243 service, Newmarket to Cork, and are also introducing a new 519 service from Charleville to Cork.

The 243 will now provide five return trips daily between Newmarket and Cork, via Kanturk, Dromahane, Bweeng and Grenagh.

There also will be five return trips provided between Newmarket and Mallow, via Kanturk.

The new 519 route will provide passengers travelling from Charleville to Cork with a morning service at 7:05am and a service from Cork to Charleville at 05:45am, Monday to Friday. These services currently operate as Route 243 and will now be operated as Route 519.

John Nott, head of public transport service planning at the National Transport Authority said: “The introduction of route 519 and the expansion of route 243 are important steps in delivering better public transport for rural communities in the North Cork area.

“Through the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan, we are working to ensure that towns and villages across Ireland have access to reliable, frequent and convenient bus services” 

Local Link Cork will also now be operating a bus service linking Banteer, Lombardstown, Castletownroche, Killavullen, Mallow and Mallow rail station on Saturdays only, commencing July 5. Details of this service will be made available by Local Link Cork.

Meanwhile, on the route between Skibbereen and Cork, there will be an introduction of a new integrated schedule supported by an enhanced commercial bus service, route 230, operated by West Cork Connect. This is alongside revisions to Bus Éireann’s existing route 237.

The new integrated timetable offers sixteen daily services in each direction Monday to Friday and twelve on weekends. Services will be evenly spaced throughout the day, with departures hourly to and from Cork.

Jeremy Ryan, director of public transport services at the National Transport Authority said: “The increase in bus services between Skibbereen and Cork are significant for the people living along the route and in the West Cork area.

"By enhancing route 230 to complement the revised 237 service from Bus Éireann, we’re offering a more comprehensive and accessible transport network for the region.”