The lack of a proper public transport network across rural Ireland and the negative impact this has on the lives of so many people is impossible to calculate.
It limits the opportunity for young people to attend second-chance education and third-level college. For people who don’t have access to a car or who can no longer drive, particularly older people, it condemns them to the four walls of their homes. It prevents people from taking up jobs, jobs that are out of reach because there’s no transport.
Lack of a bus service isolates people and is a hindrance to the ordinary activities of life that most people take for granted. Activities such as going for a coffee with friends, visiting the library or the doctor or collecting pensions and doing the shopping in town because the post office and shop in the village are closed.
Pattie Sexton, Glynn. \ Mary Browne
But things are changing thanks to the Local Link bus service. Decked out in a livery of white, blue and yellow, these little buses carried two million passengers in 2018 and numbers are growing every year. Now with a five-year budget agreed, expect to see more of these buses on the roads of rural Ireland.
Former Tánaiste Mary Coughlan is chair of the Rural Transport Network, which supports Local Link, and she is anxious to dispel any fears about long-term funding.
“Last year the budget for Local Link was €14.3m and now we have a five-year funding agreement. That gives assurances as to the services that are there already and gives us the capacity to expand. However, I have to say the other key message is ‘use it or you’ll lose it’. There’s no point funding a service that’s not supported.”
Local Link bus now a reliable option
Local Link Galway operates 80 bus services, of which 70 are Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) – better known as door-to-door services. These services are mainly weekly and traditionally were for older people but now they are being used by growing numbers of young people and young families.
Joe Greally and Bernie Coughlan of Local Link, Co Galway. \ David Ruffles
Joe Greally is manager of Local Link Galway and he puts this down to successful marketing along with greater visibility thanks to the buses being branded Local Link with a white, pale blue and yellow livery.
“We are seeing massive growth and interest across the board. Many of our buses are 16/18-seaters and are regularly carrying 14 plus passengers per trip. That’s 75% occupancy, if this continues we will have to get bigger buses or increase the frequency of services. Passenger numbers have grown from 35,000 to 82,000 in the period 2015 to 2018. That’s more than doubled in three years
“We have more commuter services and more paying passengers. Overall, 75% of passengers have free travel but on the Portumna/Ballinasloe service that’s now 50/50. In the past, younger and middle-aged people were reluctant to depend on buses but here in Galway it’s beginning to be seen as a viable option.”
Growing commuter services
It’s a similar story in Local Link Cavan Monaghan where there are now 60 door-to-door services across the two counties. Add to that a further seven daily commuter services, some of which operate eight times a day in both directions, with late night services on Fridays and Saturdays.
We saw the need for services for people living a few miles from Cavan town and designed some route layouts around them
Local Link Cavan Monaghan manager Padraic Smyth explains the reasoning behind the development of commuter services.
“We saw the need for services for people living a few miles from Cavan town and designed some route layouts around them. With support from the National Transport Authority (NTA) and Cavan County Council we got the C1 and C2 routes up and running for the end of 2016 and they are very successful, justifying the funding and acting as a catalyst for similar services around the country.
“As to uptake of the new services, well the figures speak for themselves. They have grown from 47,500 in 2016 to 136,000 in 2018. That’s an increase of almost 200%.”
Fare income on the rise
The number of passengers are also well up at Local Link Wexford and a lot of it is to do with more young people using the services, explains Mary B O’Leary, Local Link Wexford manager.
“Back in 2015 it was mostly older people using once-a-week demand DRT services, better known as door-to-door services,” she says.
“In the past two years, more young people have come on board, especially for Saturday services. We also have three buses travelling from around southwest Wexford to Waterford Institute of Technology and these are full most of the time.”
In all, passenger journeys have grown from 56,000 three years ago to 106,315 at the end of 2018. Fare income was equally impressive, growing from €40,622 to €104,614 in the same period.
From six to 70 plus passengers a day
Education and the opportunity for young people to get to college has been a driver for Local Link Kildare South Dublin.
Alan Kerry is the manager and while he is proud of each of the local services this transport hub provides, he is especially pleased about how the Edenderry/Maynooth University service has worked out.
This takes in three routes from Edenderry, Clonbullogue and Coil Dubh to Maynooth University.
“Local Link Kildare South Dublin is giving young people the option of going to university as they don’t have to pay high rents and living expenses in Maynooth. It helps keep them in their home areas where they can have part-time jobs,” says Alan.
“A single day ticket is €8 and a day return is €12, while a week return fare is €50. There is no comparison between that and what they’d have to pay in rent. When the first service started there were just six people a day using it, now we can have anywhere between 60 to 80 passengers a day.”
Alan’s positive view of the service is borne out by Dr John McGinnity, the assistant register and head of admissions at Maynooth University.
“Young people ask, ‘What will I study?’ and they can answer that themselves. Then they ask, ‘How will I get there as I can’t afford campus accommodation?’. Prior to Local Link, they hadn’t an option and college was off the agenda.”
“In the last decade, the percentage of students in St Farnan’s Post Primary School in Prosperous progressing to university has trebled. The Local Link bus service connecting Prosperous to Maynooth has been a significant contributor to this positive development,” said John.
So what do the passengers say?
Maura Armstrong (pictured left) would put people half her age to shame with how fit she is. The 94-year-old from Drombane in Tipperary has completed 24 Dublin mini marathons and is looking forward to doing her 25th this year. So what does she think of Local Link?
“It’s just brilliant and we are blessed to have it. The day is long when you are on your own. There are no shops in Drombane and the nearest grocery is three miles away. I come into Thurles for Mass and the messages and I go to Hayes Hotel for a cup of tea. The bus is very sociable and it’s great to catch up with the neighbours. It also helps that Hayes Hotel minds our messages so we can get about without carrying heavy bags. Local Link means everything to us.”
Kicking around a football is something most children love doing, something they take for granted. But it’s not always easy for every child to do. That’s where Football for All comes in. This voluntary programme caters for children with special needs, such as those who are on the autism spectrum, have Down’s syndrome or cerebral palsy.
Football for Fun enjoying a day out.
In west Limerick, a group of volunteers have over 20 children on the programme. Local Link Limerick helps the work of Football for All by providing the bus and half funding fares for football blitzes and other day’s out.
“You would not believe how important this is to these children. It has made a huge difference socially and mentally to them,” says co-chair of the group, Tom Ruddle.
“Six of our Newcastlewest group are on the Football for All Munster team. The Irish goalkeeper, Keith Begley, started with us six years ago and Football for All has transformed his life.”
Christy Carroll’s son Jamie is part of the group. “Jamie has come so far, it’s unbelievable. This is about building social skills, building confidence. The days out and blitzes are an essential part of what we do. Without Local Link Limerick we wouldn’t have the money to fund a bus or pay for a driver so those days out couldn’t happen.”
The lack of a proper public transport network across rural Ireland and the negative impact this has on the lives of so many people is impossible to calculate.
It limits the opportunity for young people to attend second-chance education and third-level college. For people who don’t have access to a car or who can no longer drive, particularly older people, it condemns them to the four walls of their homes. It prevents people from taking up jobs, jobs that are out of reach because there’s no transport.
Lack of a bus service isolates people and is a hindrance to the ordinary activities of life that most people take for granted. Activities such as going for a coffee with friends, visiting the library or the doctor or collecting pensions and doing the shopping in town because the post office and shop in the village are closed.
Pattie Sexton, Glynn. \ Mary Browne
But things are changing thanks to the Local Link bus service. Decked out in a livery of white, blue and yellow, these little buses carried two million passengers in 2018 and numbers are growing every year. Now with a five-year budget agreed, expect to see more of these buses on the roads of rural Ireland.
Former Tánaiste Mary Coughlan is chair of the Rural Transport Network, which supports Local Link, and she is anxious to dispel any fears about long-term funding.
“Last year the budget for Local Link was €14.3m and now we have a five-year funding agreement. That gives assurances as to the services that are there already and gives us the capacity to expand. However, I have to say the other key message is ‘use it or you’ll lose it’. There’s no point funding a service that’s not supported.”
Local Link bus now a reliable option
Local Link Galway operates 80 bus services, of which 70 are Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) – better known as door-to-door services. These services are mainly weekly and traditionally were for older people but now they are being used by growing numbers of young people and young families.
Joe Greally and Bernie Coughlan of Local Link, Co Galway. \ David Ruffles
Joe Greally is manager of Local Link Galway and he puts this down to successful marketing along with greater visibility thanks to the buses being branded Local Link with a white, pale blue and yellow livery.
“We are seeing massive growth and interest across the board. Many of our buses are 16/18-seaters and are regularly carrying 14 plus passengers per trip. That’s 75% occupancy, if this continues we will have to get bigger buses or increase the frequency of services. Passenger numbers have grown from 35,000 to 82,000 in the period 2015 to 2018. That’s more than doubled in three years
“We have more commuter services and more paying passengers. Overall, 75% of passengers have free travel but on the Portumna/Ballinasloe service that’s now 50/50. In the past, younger and middle-aged people were reluctant to depend on buses but here in Galway it’s beginning to be seen as a viable option.”
Growing commuter services
It’s a similar story in Local Link Cavan Monaghan where there are now 60 door-to-door services across the two counties. Add to that a further seven daily commuter services, some of which operate eight times a day in both directions, with late night services on Fridays and Saturdays.
We saw the need for services for people living a few miles from Cavan town and designed some route layouts around them
Local Link Cavan Monaghan manager Padraic Smyth explains the reasoning behind the development of commuter services.
“We saw the need for services for people living a few miles from Cavan town and designed some route layouts around them. With support from the National Transport Authority (NTA) and Cavan County Council we got the C1 and C2 routes up and running for the end of 2016 and they are very successful, justifying the funding and acting as a catalyst for similar services around the country.
“As to uptake of the new services, well the figures speak for themselves. They have grown from 47,500 in 2016 to 136,000 in 2018. That’s an increase of almost 200%.”
Fare income on the rise
The number of passengers are also well up at Local Link Wexford and a lot of it is to do with more young people using the services, explains Mary B O’Leary, Local Link Wexford manager.
“Back in 2015 it was mostly older people using once-a-week demand DRT services, better known as door-to-door services,” she says.
“In the past two years, more young people have come on board, especially for Saturday services. We also have three buses travelling from around southwest Wexford to Waterford Institute of Technology and these are full most of the time.”
In all, passenger journeys have grown from 56,000 three years ago to 106,315 at the end of 2018. Fare income was equally impressive, growing from €40,622 to €104,614 in the same period.
From six to 70 plus passengers a day
Education and the opportunity for young people to get to college has been a driver for Local Link Kildare South Dublin.
Alan Kerry is the manager and while he is proud of each of the local services this transport hub provides, he is especially pleased about how the Edenderry/Maynooth University service has worked out.
This takes in three routes from Edenderry, Clonbullogue and Coil Dubh to Maynooth University.
“Local Link Kildare South Dublin is giving young people the option of going to university as they don’t have to pay high rents and living expenses in Maynooth. It helps keep them in their home areas where they can have part-time jobs,” says Alan.
“A single day ticket is €8 and a day return is €12, while a week return fare is €50. There is no comparison between that and what they’d have to pay in rent. When the first service started there were just six people a day using it, now we can have anywhere between 60 to 80 passengers a day.”
Alan’s positive view of the service is borne out by Dr John McGinnity, the assistant register and head of admissions at Maynooth University.
“Young people ask, ‘What will I study?’ and they can answer that themselves. Then they ask, ‘How will I get there as I can’t afford campus accommodation?’. Prior to Local Link, they hadn’t an option and college was off the agenda.”
“In the last decade, the percentage of students in St Farnan’s Post Primary School in Prosperous progressing to university has trebled. The Local Link bus service connecting Prosperous to Maynooth has been a significant contributor to this positive development,” said John.
So what do the passengers say?
Maura Armstrong (pictured left) would put people half her age to shame with how fit she is. The 94-year-old from Drombane in Tipperary has completed 24 Dublin mini marathons and is looking forward to doing her 25th this year. So what does she think of Local Link?
“It’s just brilliant and we are blessed to have it. The day is long when you are on your own. There are no shops in Drombane and the nearest grocery is three miles away. I come into Thurles for Mass and the messages and I go to Hayes Hotel for a cup of tea. The bus is very sociable and it’s great to catch up with the neighbours. It also helps that Hayes Hotel minds our messages so we can get about without carrying heavy bags. Local Link means everything to us.”
Kicking around a football is something most children love doing, something they take for granted. But it’s not always easy for every child to do. That’s where Football for All comes in. This voluntary programme caters for children with special needs, such as those who are on the autism spectrum, have Down’s syndrome or cerebral palsy.
Football for Fun enjoying a day out.
In west Limerick, a group of volunteers have over 20 children on the programme. Local Link Limerick helps the work of Football for All by providing the bus and half funding fares for football blitzes and other day’s out.
“You would not believe how important this is to these children. It has made a huge difference socially and mentally to them,” says co-chair of the group, Tom Ruddle.
“Six of our Newcastlewest group are on the Football for All Munster team. The Irish goalkeeper, Keith Begley, started with us six years ago and Football for All has transformed his life.”
Christy Carroll’s son Jamie is part of the group. “Jamie has come so far, it’s unbelievable. This is about building social skills, building confidence. The days out and blitzes are an essential part of what we do. Without Local Link Limerick we wouldn’t have the money to fund a bus or pay for a driver so those days out couldn’t happen.”
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: