Toilets in Connolly and Hueston

bk

I was in both Connolly and Heuston stations today. I often complain about IR, but I have to say they have done a great job with the toilets in Connolly. They are large, very bright and warmly lighted, clean and modern looking, with lots of cubicles to use. A real pleasure to use and best of all free

At Hueston it isn't as good, they are free now and seem to have also gotten a similar make over, but they don't seem to be as clean and well maintained. Also the mens toilets at least are small and cramped and hard to manoeuvre in with bags due to the shape.

Now that they have closed the luggage lockers at Heuston and only seem to be using this space in a prime location for basic storage, I'm surprised they didn't take the opportunity to enlarge the toilets into that space.

Irish Rail need to use every advantage they have to try and compete with the new direct bus companies. Having large, comfortable easy to use buildings is an important advantage.

BTW the toilets in BusAras are pretty awful. They use those awful anti drugy UV lights, grim grey and metal flooring, walls, etc. Badly maintained with locks on doors broken off and worst of all they expect you to pay for this!!

Two good points for BE however:

1) They still have left luggage facilities.

2) They have a customer service guy in a bright red jacket that says: "can I help you" standing in the middle of the station. Say him helping many people. A very good idea.

Victor

Connolly was done, I'd say, nearly 2 years ago. Too many of the fittings are out of order for too long, but yes, using the big brick arches to bring in natural light is good.

Heuston was probably done 4-5 years ago. Yes, it's a bit tight to negotiate and I don't like that you can see all the way to the urinals from the train hall.

foggy_lad

Have to agree about the toilets and I wouldn't worry about the Heuston toilets as i have always found them to be clean and well kept since their makeover.

As for the customer service guy in Busáras that is only since they shut the information desk and it appears to be someone near retirement who has been given this job. This guy also fills all the empty timetable holders with useless information leaflets on CIE tours and Eurolines! What use is putting useless information leaflets into the timetable holders? When people want a timetable they are not going to settle for this rubbish! It would be better to leave the timetable holders empty and then at least passengers wont be fooled into thinking there are timetables there, they could also tidy up the timetable displays and match up the timetables with their respective slots.

I used the toilets in Busáras once because I would not have made it across to the nearest pub to use the toilets there, they are a health hazard!

bk

Victor wrote: »

Connolly was done, I'd say, nearly 2 years ago. Too many of the fittings are out of order for too long, but yes, using the big brick arches to bring in natural light is good.

Yes I noticed the urinals were out of order. However I forgot to mention it as there are more then enough cubicles to make up for it anyway and I was overall very impressed with the experience.

senordingdong

Last time I was in Connoly the toilets were an utter disgrace. I remember when the BE toilets were very well maintained and I didn't mind paying....now however....I'd rather stop off at Mcdonalds on the way.

carlmango11

Victor wrote: »

Connolly was done, I'd say, nearly 2 years ago.

Think they were done around this time last year. I remember because I was working in an office down in the IFSC and would always use them on the way home.

L1011

carlmango11 wrote: »

Think they were done around this time last year. I remember because I was working in an office down in the IFSC and would always use them on the way home.

Definitely longer ago than that. The coin-op gates have been out of order/removed for about that long!

carlmango11

MYOB wrote: »

Definitely longer ago than that. The coin-op gates have been out of order/removed for about that long!

Maybe they were just doing some maintenance last summer then

highlydebased

Using the Busaras toilets has been one of the most bizarre and unsettling experiences of my life. A very strange setup altogether.

Judgement Day

Never, ever go near Busaras toilets - even Grainger's pub on Amiens Street is safer.

ordinary_girl

Last time I was in Connolly, which was a long time ago, you had to pay for the toilets. They were really well maintained though. And I agree about the toilets in Bus Aras, they really should be avoided. I've always found the blue UV lights in toilets really unnerving.

zimzum55

I havint been in connolly for a long time but i do remember there were some dodgy characters in those toilets.If you have a kid go with them.my advice is holdnur breath
...eyes to the floor...slash n go.....dnt even stall to wash ur hands or check ur look in the mirror..just get outa there

Victor

zimzum55 wrote: »

I havint been in connolly for a long time but i do remember there were some dodgy characters in those toilets.If you have a kid go with them.my advice is holdnur breath
...eyes to the floor...slash n go.....dnt even stall to wash ur hands or check ur look in the mirror..just get outa there

If you don't have current information, don't bump threads like this.

Moderator

steamengine

The toilets at Connolly are a credit to Irish Rail - used them en route to the Point the other night !!! There were no dodgy characters, the whole interior is spacious, very clean and well lit !!!

Lapin

Its a while since I've used the toilets in either Heuston or Connolly but I'm glad to hear they have improved.

Its a shame Irish Rail didn't give the contractors a train ticket to Galway and let them at the toilets in Ceannt Station.

Hidden away at the end of the platforms near the bus depot entrance the toilets serve both the train and (so called) bus station. Its as though CIE are ashamed of them and don't want passengers to know they are there at all.

And they have good reason. I can't comment for the ladies but the gents are a disgrace. The floor is always wet and the place either stinks of piss or the overdose of disinfectant used to hide the unpleasant odours.

They are cramped and dull. Nobody expects toilets in stations to resemble those in a 5 star hotel but thats no reason for them to be such depressing places either. It wouldn't take much to brighten them up. They give a poor first impression for visitors to the city.

Galway train and bus station is a mess in general and the best thing that could happen to it would be to blow the place to bits and start again from scratch. There were great plans for the place under Transport 21 but they have long since gone out the window.

Its a shame because being situated just 50 yards from Eyre Square in the heart of the city, Ceannt Station is the best located railway station in the country and the potential for a modern transport hub on the site is huge.

On the plus side, being located near so many pubs and hotels mean that passengers can easily find somewhere else to spend a penny rather than using the facilities at the station. I suspect management at Ceannt are aware of this and see it as a reason not to smarten up their own loos.

mtjm

zimzum55 wrote: »

I havint been in connolly for a long time but i do remember there were some dodgy characters in those toilets.If you have a kid go with them.my advice is holdnur breath
...eyes to the floor...slash n go.....dnt even stall to wash ur hands or check ur look in the mirror..just get outa there

I've used Connolly for best part of 5 years and I never countered any problems when need to use the toilet facilities

LoonyLovegood

I really, REALLY dislike the Ceannt station ones. They're disgusting, smell badly and are regularly out of order. I'd rather use the ones on the train - which says something.

dublinman1990

The Toilets in Busaras are filthy dirty because of the scumbag pickpockets that go through there to get their SW or to blindly rob other people (hopefully not Tourists) when they don't notice it.

The Toilets in Connolly Station are a hundred miles better (even though it has it's problems with small amounts of graffitti) than the likes of Heuston or Busaras.

Itssoeasy

The toilets in the bus station in cork are something to be experienced. Unless I was in pain I wouldn't go into them.

The toilets I've used in Kent station have been fine. Big enough well lit. Those are the ones in the next to the bay platforms and not the ones on the platforms.