Throwback Thursday

This week we go back twenty-four years to the year 2000 and to ME 25 parked on Store Street, opposite Bus Aras. 

ME 25 was new to Dublin Bus in 1994. Initially delivered in City Imp livery (and used on City Imp routes), it was repainted in 1999 into this version of the Airlink livery, and branded "Hotelink". At least two other MEs were similarly treated, and they were used on new route 61A which ran between a variety of hotels and Bus Aras. This route started on the 14th June 1999 and was withdrawn on 17th October 1999.

Less than two months later, on 6th December 1999, new route 321 started. That is the route being displayed here on ME 25. It ran from Amiens Street (opposite Connolly Station) to the Mater Hospital, which explains the paper "Hospital" destination in the windscreen of the bus. The route operated every 15 minutes, Monday to Friday. But like Hotelink route 61A, this one did not last long either. It was withdrawn on 1st April 2000. 

ME 25 was repainted back into City Imp livery. It was withdrawn by Dublin Bus after 2001, and was operating a town servce in Tralee by 2004. It spent around decade there, providing a local service around the Kerry town.

This part of Store Street is now home to tram tracks as part of the Luas Red Line.

14/03/2000

This week we are going back twenty-one years to 2003 and MV 77 at the Blanchardstown Shopping Centre. The bus is dressed for route 270.

This route started operating between Dunboyne and the shopping centre, going via Littlepace, in September 2000. It has remained pretty consistent since then. Only major changes were in 2006 when the bus stops at the Blanchardstown Centre were relocated, and in 2019 when Go-Ahead Ireland took over the operating of the route.

MV 77 was new to Dublin Bus in 1998. Between 1997 and 1998, Dublin Bus received 25 MV-Class minibuses, the last minibus fleet delivered to the company. The following year would see the WV-Class midibuses start to arrive. MV 77 was withdrawn around the end of 2006, and was subsequently sold on to another Irish operator. It did around another decade in service during its second life.

Although the bus is in City Imp livery, neither route 270 nor any other of the local Blanchardtsown routes were City Imp routes.

28/03/2003

This week we are going back twenty-six years to 1998 and RH 174 parked on Eden Quay. The bus is dressed for route 77A.

The 77A started running between the city centre and Tallaght in 1972. Initially its southern terminus was at St. Maelruen's Park, but between 1973 and the mid-1990s it moved to Bawnville Road, Bolbrook, Old Bawn Road, and finally The Square Shopping Centre. In 2011, under Network Direct, the 77A was extended beyond The Square to Citywest, where it still terminates today.

RH 174 was new to Dublin Bus in 1993. It was withdrawn in 2006 and sold on to another operator in the United Kingdom, where it provided at least another decade of service for a variety of owners.
The bus is in the new "core" livery for Dublin Bus which was introduced around the end of 1997. This marked the end of two-tone green livery on Dublin Bus, as exemplified on the bus stop and the buses in the background. Green would not return as the main livery for buses in Dublin until 2021.

11/04/1998

This week we are going back twenty-six years to 1998 and KD 88 at Heuston Station. The bus is dressed for route 91.
This route did not have a timetable and ran as required. It was there to provide extra capacity on route 90 during periods of great demand (such as two trains arriving together). Whereas the 90 connected Heuston with Connolly (and for a while the IFSC), the 91 only went as far as Aston Quay. The route faded away over time, especially when the Luas tram started running in 2004, providing a new connection between Heuston and Connolly.

KD 88 was new to CIE in 1982. It was withdrawn by Dublin Bus around 1999/2000.

The ad on the side of the bus is for a referendum to ratify to Good Friday Agreement. This agreement was signed on 10th April 1998, and the referendum was held on the 22nd May 1998.

Work beside the bus is part of a refurbishment / upgrade of Heuston Station. This expanded the concourse of the station into the original building at the front of the station.

02/05/1998

This week we go back twelve years to 2012 and to RV 629 on O'Connell Bridge with a service on route 39.

Route 39 started running between the City Centre and Blanchardstown in 1926. Between 1972 and 2004 its western terminus moved around between Sheepmoor, Clonsilla, Coolmine and the Blanchardstown Shopping Centre, In 2004 it settled on Ongar as a western terminus. In 2010, under Network Direct, the city terminus moved to Baggot Street and three years later to Burlington Road.
Route 39 also holds the distinction of being the first CitySwift route, being converted in 1993.

RV 629 was new to Dublin Bus in 1999, arriving in CitySwift livery. However, it entered service with Bus Eireann, along with RV 628, with both buses spending most of the year 2000 on services to Ashbourne, Ratoath and Drogheda. In 2001 it entered service with Dublin Bus and it was withdrawn in October 2012, before being sold on to another Irish operator.

17/05/2012

This week we are going back thirty-two years to 1992 and to D 703 parked on Marlborough Street. The bus is dressed for route 20A to Donnycarney North.

Route 20A started running between the city centre and Donnycarney North in 1948, going via Fairview and Malahide Road. It ceased to operate in 1999 when it was partially replaced by route 42A. In its final years the route was very infrequent.

D 703 was new to CIE in 1975 and was initially based in Cork (as seen here: <a href="https://flic.kr/p/2nkSMqk" rel="noreferrer nofollow">flic.kr/p/2nkSMqk</a>). It migrated to Dublin in 1988 and was withdrawn in 1994.

This part of Marlborough Street is now the Marlborough tram stop on the Luas Green Line.

Sadolin Varnish is still being sold.

30/05/1992

This week we are going back twenty-six years to 1998, and to ML 2 at The Square in Tallaght. The minibus is operating a service on route 201 to Kilnamanagh.

Tallaght gained three local routes in the late-1980s, and these were numbered T01, T02 and T03. These routes served the various housing estates around Tallaght. When The Square shopping centre opened in 1990, the routes started serving calling there. Around that time they were also renumbered 201, 202 and 203. The 201 connected Killinarden and Kilnamanagh, In the 1990s it had a few changes, moving western terminus to Jobstown and eastern one to Aylesbury and later Kiltipper. In the early-2000s it started operating between Citywest and Bohernabreena, and this was its final form until the route was withdrawn around 2009.

ML 2 was one of thirty-five ML Class minibuses delivered to Dublin Bus between 1994 and 1995. Some of these buses did not last long with Dublin Bus, and transferred to Bus Eireann in Waterford and Cork. ML 2 was withdrawn by Dublin Bus in the early-2000s and had been sold on to another operator by 2003.

13/06/1998

This week we are going back thirty-seven years to KC 3, parked in Phibsborough Garage.

This bus was new to CIE in 1984. Whereas KC 1 was built by FFG in Hamburg, and KC 2 was built in Bombardier, KC 3 was the first KC built by GAC who also build the rest of the fleet, up to KC 202. KC 3 was initially allocated to Cork, before moving up to Dublin Although the bus did operate in passenger service, it did spend some time as a driver training bus. As a result it gained a second mirror behind the door for the instructor to use. The bus was withdrawn by Dublin Bus from service in the late-1990s.

Phibsboro Garage opened in 1971, built on part of the old railway yard at Broadstone Station. That station closed to passenger traffic in 1937, and closed completely in 1961. The station complex is currently home to the Bus Eireann main depot, and more recently a Dublin Bus depot.

20/06/1987

No worries. Glad people find it interesting / useful.

This week we are going back thirty-seven years to 1987 and to D 813 on O'Connell Street. The bus is one of many operating shuttles to Slane in County Meath.

In 1981 open-air concerts started taking place at Slane Castle, at Slane between Drogheda and Navan. Double-deckers from the Dublin city fleet were used each year to bring people from the city to Slane Castle, and back again after the concert. In certain years, around 200 buses could be used to undertake this service. The last year Dublin Bus operated a service was 2019, the year before the Covid-19 pandemic. In the last decade or so, there has been an increase in the number of private operator buses used. For many years Dublin Bus ran the service from O'Connell Street as seen here. Then it became Parnell Square, and in 2019 it was Western Way.

D 813 was new to CIE in 1976. It was withdrawn by Dublin Bus in 1994.

Flanagans and McDonald's are still operating at these locations on O'Connell Street.

11/07/1987

This week we go back thirty-one years to 1993 and to 93 KE 1919 in the Phoenix Park.

This bus was a Northern Counties Paladin on a Volvo B10B chassis and was owned by Irish Commercials. It went on lease with Dublin Bus in July 1993 to evaluate its performance. It primarily operated on the 38 and the 40/A, and was based out of Phibsborough Garage. Bus Eireann trialled the bus in Cork and by 1995 it was in Limerick. Bus Eireanm at some point bought the bus from Irish Commercials, and it was allocated fleet number VNC 1. While with Bus Eireann, it lost its middle door. It stayed in service in Limerick on the city routes until around 2006 when it was withdrawn. It remained in Limerick Garage until around 2010.

The bus was in the Phoenix Park for a bus rally which used to be a regular event on the calendar.

24/07/1993

This week we are going back eleven years to 2013 and to AV 390 at Rockbrook terminus of route 61. 

This was the second route 61 to operate in Dublin, starting in 2011 under Network Direct. Running from the city centre to Whitechurch via Ranelagh and Dundrum. It was a replacement for routes 15B, 16A, and 48A. In the peaks, certain departures were extended to and from Rockbrook, to the south of Whitechurch. Throughout the rest of the day, this area was served by route 161 which runs from Dundrum to Rockbrook. The actual terminus of the 61 (and 161) was beyond Rockbrook, where the bus went down Tibradden Road and terminated near the junction with Whitechurch Road, as seen in the picture here. Route 61 ceased to operate in November 2023 under Bus Connects changes. Route 161 still serves Rockbrook, although the bus stops in the photograph have been removed. 

AV 390 was new to Dublin Bus in 2004. It was withdrawn in late-2018 and sold on to another Irish operator. 

09/08/2013